Among the Ashes Chapter 7

Among the Ashes

It’s easier to run
Replacing this pain with something numb
It’s so much easier to go
Than face all this pain here all alone

Something has been taken
From deep inside of me
A secret I’ve kept locked away
No one can ever see
Wounds so deep they never show
They never go away
Like moving pictures in my head
For years and years they’ve played

If I could change I would
Take back the pain I would
Retrace every wrong move that I made I would
If I could take all the shame to the grave I would

Sometimes I remember
The darkness of my past
Bringing back these memories
I wish I didn’t have
Sometimes I think of letting go
And never looking back
And never moving forward so
There would never be a past

Just washing it aside
All of the helplessness inside
Pretending I don’t feel misplaced
Is so much simpler than change

It’s easier to run replacing this pain with something numb
It’s so much easier to go
Than face all this pain here all alone
~Linkin Park “Easier to Run”



Chapter 7
Reunion


“How do we know she’s not leading them to us right now?”

“I guess we don’t, but look at her, Link. We can’t just leave her here.”

“Maybe she can give us some answers, at least.”

“She’s coming around.”

The young woman began to stir. Zelda had done her best to help her, but she had not set off that night prepared to handle so many injuries of this magnitude and her supplies were waning. Still, she had done all she could.

The young woman’s eyes began to flutter, her face slightly twisted as she once again began to feel the pain of her injuries. For a moment she glanced around in confusion, brushing her sandy-colored hair out of her eyes. Then she spotted Zelda and their eyes locked momentarily. Zelda was struck by the vibrant green of her eyes, glowing with a luminous sheen even in the darkness. All at once she tore her eyes away from the Princess in shame, memories of all that had happened overcoming her.

“Are you all right?” Zelda asked her.

The young woman didn’t respond. She didn’t seem to want to look Zelda in the eye, but it didn’t matter. Link knelt down in front of her, demanding her gaze. It had not taken them long to recognize her as the dragon from the castle and now that she was awake they both hoped they could get some answers out of her.

“Your name is Arda, isn’t it?” Link said.

“Yes,” she replied.

“Why are you following us?” Link was firm but calm.

“I was hoping you would help me.”

“You work for Vale,” Link pointed out.

“I do not serve him any longer. I had orders to kill you,” Arda glanced at Link. “I disobeyed him. If he finds me now he’ll kill me. Please, I need your help.”

“How do we know we can we trust you?” Link said skeptically.

Arda tried to sit up taller but grimaced at the tension on her wounded leg. “I have nowhere else to go - no one else to turn to. I didn’t know what else to do.” A sense of desperation and fear was quickly filling Arda’s voice.

“She did help us escape,” Zelda pointed out.

“Why?” Link went on.

“Because I couldn’t betray the Princess- not again. You’re the only hope Hyrule has now… and I couldn’t take that away. I should never have listened to him, but once I saw you I simply couldn’t do it anymore. I never wanted to follow him but he forced me to do it. He’ll kill me now.  Please, you have to help me,” she begged, her eyes welling with tears as she forced herself to sit up taller, the pain in her wounds forgotten.

“What are we supposed to do?” Link asked Zelda quietly.

“We can’t leave her here,” Zelda replied, knowing that Arda’s eyes were fixed on them both, watching their every move.

“And if it’s a trap?”

“Look at her,” Zelda glanced towards the huddled and broken-looking girl, the sincerity in her eyes undeniable. “Do you think she’s lying to us?”

Link hesitated but after a moment of contemplation he consented. “No, I don’t think she’s lying, but she’s a dragon… I’ve never had much luck with them in the past.”

“She saved you. If not for her that other dragon would have surely killed you.”

Link sighed, “Whatever we do, we need to do it quickly.”

“You were right, we have to get back to Impa,” Zelda said.

“All right,” Link replied. “We’ll go to Kakariko and decide what to do from there,” but as he tried to pull himself to his feet he cringed involuntarily. He hoped Zelda hadn’t noticed in the darkness but she had.

“How are we going to get there?” Zelda tried to keep the despair out of her voice. “We can all hardly stand, let alone make it all the way to Kakariko.”

“I can take you,” Arda offered meekly. “I can fly you.”

“You’re hurt,” Zelda replied. “We can’t ask you to-“

“It’s not as bad when I’m in my true form. I would have stayed a dragon but I didn’t want to frighten you,” Arda rose gingerly to her feet, holding onto a nearby tree trunk for support. “Besides, I owe you this much.”

“Are you sure?” Zelda said.

“Yes, Princess. Please, let me help you.”

Link nodded. This was the only way he could see out of this predicament, so he was willing to try it. Of all the options they had this one appeared to be the least risky, though that wasn’t saying much.

Arda backed away from them until she was at a safe distance. A pillar of flame erupted at her feet and swallowed her. Zelda watched with wide eyes as the darkness around them was suddenly illuminated with the harsh, red glow of the flames. Arda’s body dissolved into the inferno and then out of the flames a wing stretched out, then another, followed by a delicate, sleek head on a long, thin neck. The flames died out as quickly as they had arisen and Zelda and Link were left standing face-to-face with a golden dragon.

Arda stepped forward slowly, extending her head towards Zelda until they were only inches apart. She looked down on them with the same pleading, sad eyes she had before. Zelda extended her hand and touched the dragon’s nose. The scales, which gleamed in the moonlight with the sheen of the smoothest glass, were deceptively rough and sharp. Still, there was a remarkable beauty in the beast that towered above them - meek and gentle and seemingly harmless.

Arda bent low, bidding them climb onto her back. If anything, Zelda noticed, the scales on her back were even sharper than those on her face, which made for a rather uncomfortable seat. Despite his injuries Link hoisted himself up behind Zelda, holding onto her waist as Arda flapped her wings and with a rather jarring lurch, heaved up into the sky.

They kept as low as possible, flying just above the treetops, avoiding open sky. Arda flew swiftly and silently, though her right wing was somewhat bent in pain. The relatively thin, translucent skin which webbed the wing had been torn and damaged near the tip. Every so often the rhythm of her wings would be slightly off and they would wobble for a moment, but Arda would soon steady out.

They made a straight course to Kakariko. As they approached the mountains Arda veered towards the cliffs, rising up above the sheer, rocky side of the mountain finally finding a plateau safe enough to land on. Her strength seemed to be waning now. Though she tried to land lightly once she neared the ground her large body seemed to give out, her legs collapsing beneath her. She landed with a crash, jerking sideways so roughly that Link and Zelda nearly toppled off her.

She turned her head back to them apologetically, steadying herself once more. She crept to the edge of the cliff and peered down, Link and Zelda following her gaze. A small throng of soldier’s blocked the entrance to Kakariko. While on a good day Link and Zelda would not have hesitated to brave them, in their current situation they would not risk it.

“There’s a back passage that way that leads to Death Mountain,” Link said, directing Arda towards the north side of the cliff where, down far below, a steep walled gully ran through the mountains.

Arda grunted in assent, steam curling from her nostrils. Breathing heavily she took off once more, navigating the narrow, winding passage with some difficulty. Her final landing on the slopes of the Death Mountain trail on the north end of Kakariko Village was even less collected than the one before, and Link and Zelda slid off her side and onto the hard, rocky ground. She lay still for a moment, her large stomach heaving, her breathing short, sharp and pained.

“Arda, come with us,” Zelda said, rushing to her head and kneeling down to her. “I have a friend here, she will help you.”

Arda closed her eyes in response. Zelda backed away as dragon’s body began to fade, vanishing into thin air, leaving behind the body of a young woman lying face down on the ground.

Zelda looked from Arda’s body to Link, who sat on the ground nearby, once again trying not to look as though he were in as much pain as he really was.

“Stay here with her,” Zelda said to Link. “I’ll go get help.”

It was a testament to how badly hurt he was that he simply nodded and let Zelda go. Knowing what this meant, Zelda vanished as quickly as possible into the city in search of Impa.




******





“As we escaped we could see it burning. It’s destroyed…” Zelda said with a somewhat hollow voice. “The entire castle is gone - burned to the ground.”

Impa, Zelda and Link were alone now, Arda asleep in the adjacent room. Her efforts to get them safely to Kakariko had taken their toll on her injuries and her strength. While it appeared she would recover with time, there was no denying how amazing it was that she had been able to take them as far as she did.

Impa and Zelda had tended to her and checked over Link once more, and now, as they spoke, Impa was looking over Zelda’s injuries as well.

“And your father?” Impa asked reluctantly.

Zelda simply shook her head and Impa’s expression grew infinitely graver. “I’m sorry, Zelda.”

“I can’t believe it ended like this,” Zelda said quietly. “What are we supposed to do now?”

“At the moment you aren’t going to do anything. You both need to rest,” Impa said firmly.

Though Zelda didn’t think she could sleep after all that happened, once she finally lay down Zelda fell instantly into an exhausted sleep and didn’t awaken until late the next morning. Though her mind was alert she lay for a long while not wanting to open her eyes. She could feel the sunlight streaming through the window onto her face. She could hear Link and Impa speaking in hushed voices across the room. Their voices sounded the same as always, though it didn’t seem possible that anything could be the same as it had once been.

She didn’t want to open her eyes and face this new world of destruction and hopelessness. Even now she could feel the heavy burden pressing down on her. It would be so much easier to simply stay there, shrouded, hidden, protected from the harsh realities she knew she had to face.

For a while she simply lay still and listened as Link spoke, concentrating on his voice and nothing else. As he talked to Impa he filled in some of the gaps in their tale from the previous night- things Zelda hadn’t said that Impa didn’t have the heart to ask her about. Zelda listened as Link recounted what had happened to her father.

It seemed so far removed from her that it could not be reality, though she knew it was. It was a strange sensation, reliving everything once more through Link’s words. It was sinking in now- slow acceptance.

She opened her eyes, blinking in the sunlight until the room came into focus. Once she did it was easier to find the strength to get to her feet. She didn’t want to be by herself anymore, her mind consumed with an emptiness that isolation only compounded. Impa and Link turned to her as she made her way across the room and, thanks to Impa’s skill, limping only slightly.

“How is she?” Zelda asked.

“She’s still resting,” Impa replied. “We were waiting for you before we spoke to her. I’ll go check on her now.”

“Are you all right?” Zelda asked Link as Impa walked out of the room.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that,” Link replied, pulling her closer as she lay her head on his shoulder.

“You were hurt worse than me.”

“You know what I mean,” Link was tentative, not wanting to push her too hard.

“I’ll be all right,” Zelda replied honestly.

“She’s ready to talk to you,” Impa poked her head out and informed them. Link and Zelda made their way into the room where Arda lay, taking a seat beside her bed. Arda looked pale and weak, but alert.

“Arda, I want to thank you for your help last night,” Zelda said. “We wouldn’t have made it here without you.”

“You shouldn’t thank me, Princess. I don’t deserve your gratitude,” Arda replied sadly. “I just hope that you can forgive me.”

“Who are you?” Link asked her with genuine curiosity. Arda looked at Link once again with a trace of fear in her eyes. “If you really want us to trust you then you have to give us a reason to.”

Arda looked to Zelda who nodded encouragingly. She contemplated for a moment then took a deep, steadying breath and began.

“I am from the village of Nagai. Vale came to us months ago with a group of soldier’s saying they were acting under the crown. They rounded up everyone but immediately he pulled my family aside. He knew what we are at once. I don’t know how he knows what he knows, but you cannot hide anything from him. My parents had stayed hidden in that village for over twenty years, since before I was even born. They were one of the few who chose to stay behind. No one knew what we are, but he did.”

“I did not think there were any Manaketes left in Hyrule,” Zelda commented.

“There are not many of us and we prefer not to be seen,” Arda replied. “Most people do not look kindly upon dragons. I once thought it cruel that people feared and hated our kind with such prejudice but now I see they were right, at least in my case.

“I betrayed my kingdom, my family, everything,” Arda’s voice began to shake, but she looked at Zelda now with new conviction, as though searching for vindication. “He attacked my family. He killed my mother, my father… even my sister. He was going to kill me too but I begged for my life. I guess he saw some usefulness in me because he spared me on one condition. I had to swear an oath to him, giving my life over to him. I would have been better off dead than following him, but fear has a way of turning right and wrong upside down at times. Not that that is an excuse for what I did.”


“What did he want you for?” Zelda questioned her, eager now for any answers she could get. “Who is he? What is he doing in Hyrule?”

“He wanted me because dragons are a powerful ally when one is trying to inspire fear. As for who Vale is, no one really knows. He’s not from Hyrule, that much I know. I do not know what he is, but he is terribly powerful. After he took me I was forced to move from village to village with him searching for other Manaketes.”

“Why?” Link asked.

“He thinks one of us has something, some relic that he desperately wants to get his hands on. He is searching us all out, and if we do not have what he wants he slaughters us. That is what he wanted my family for. He questioned us, threatened us…when we knew nothing…” Her voice trailed off, unwilling to go on. “He’ll stop at nothing until he finds it. There aren’t many of us left, and if he has his way, soon we will all be dead. We might have been already if Vale hadn’t suddenly been ordered to stop his hunt for Manaketes and instead go to Hyrule to search out another Emblem.”

“Another?” Zelda asked. “There is more than one?”

Arda nodded.

“Well, what are they? Why does he want them?” Link asked.

“I don’t know,” Arda replied remorsefully. “He told us very little. I’m sorry. I wish I could be more helpful.”

“Perhaps you can still help,” Zelda pulled the necklace from her pocket and showed it to Arda. “Is this what you were looking for? Is this Anri’s Emblem?”

Arda’s eyes widened and she looked up at Zelda, speaking in a desperately frightened voice. “You cannot let him find that. Do not let him take it from you.”

“Then this is it?” Zelda was not sure whether she was relieved or discouraged.

“To the best of my knowledge, yes, that was what we were looking for.”

“And you have no idea why he wants it?” Zelda asked, knowing it was futile.

“I wish I did. All I know is that it holds a very powerful ancient magic, and if Vale wants it as badly as he does, it must be incredibly powerful. You have seen what he can do. If he gets the emblem, Hyrule will not be the only kingdom to face destruction. Please, Princess. Don’t let him have it.”

“I won’t,” Zelda promised.




******





“What was he thinking giving that to you?” Link raged. They had left Arda alone to rest once more and the three of them now sat alone mulling over what they had learned. “Doesn’t he know he could have gotten you killed?”

“Thousands of people are dead on account of that necklace,” Zelda could feel rage boiling within her. “So many people have been destroyed because of it: villages ravaged, families slaughtered…and for what?”

“How did Vale know you had it?” Link asked suddenly.

“What?”

“How could he have known that Marth gave it to you?” Link’s expression was growing steadily darker.

Zelda didn’t reply, but she could feel her heart thumping in her chest as she grew steadily angrier. She knew what Link was implying, and at this point she had no argument against it. If Marth was the only one who knew that Zelda had it, then how else could Vale have learned its location?

“None of that matters,” Impa said evenly, trying to bring the level of tension in the room down slightly.

“Of course it matters,” Zelda replied angrily. She desperately wanted someone to blame and she had already locked onto her target.

“Regardless of how it fell into your hands, it is in your hands. Regardless of how they found you, they found you. What’s done is done. You two have to look forward. Now that we have all the answers we’re going to get you must go. Now.”

“What?” Zelda furrowed her brow. “We can’t leave now.”

“You have to leave, immediately. You have to get as far away from here as possible. After everything you’ve told me and now what we’ve heard from Arda there is no way you will be safe here. While Vale’s army has been closing in on us for some time now, there is no doubt in my mind that your escape from the castle will only cause them to come down on us harder and more ferociously than ever before. They will come for you here, and you cannot be here when that happens.”

“I don’t care about being safe,” Zelda replied. “I know that of late I have not acted as though I do, but I care about this kingdom. Whatever happens now is on my shoulders. I don’t have a choice to look the other way anymore. I refuse to run away. I’m staying here, where I belong. I never should have left it to begin with.”

“I appreciate your sentiments but you cannot fall prey to the call of blind retribution and let it drive you to foolish ends,” Impa replied.

“Wanting to defend my people is foolish?” Zelda shot back.

“In this fashion, yes. We don’t even know who or what we’re fighting.”

“I don’t care who they are,” Zelda replied tersely. “I know what they’ve done and that is enough. I am going to stand and fight and take my kingdom back.”

“How do you plan on doing that?” Impa demanded. “Where is your army? It is willfully in the hands of your enemy. Where are your followers? Other than the few refugees here, they are all imprisoned or captured or dead. You have no power or influence in Hyrule any longer.”

“So you think it is hopeless? That I should simply give up?”

“I never said that. I simply think you should look to the power you do have-to the resources you still hold.”

“And what would that be?” Link asked.

“You have what they want- what they desperately want. That necklace is obviously an important piece to this puzzle and fortunately you have it in your possession. Your well being aside, you have to keep it safe and out of their grasp.”

“We can do that here, with you,” Zelda replied.

“No, you cannot.”

“But, just yesterday you told me that my return was the only thing keeping these people going. I can’t abandon them now.”

“This is more important than all of that. If you stay here they will come, they will take the city, they will find that necklace, you will be killed and this will all have been for nothing,” Impa pounded the words into her. “Do not let your father’s death be in vain.”

Zelda was momentarily stunned, unable to reply to the cutting remark. The necklace lay on the table in the middle of the room. Once more the seemingly insignificant trinket sat as a silent focal point of interest. As Zelda looked at it, it seemed to take on a life of its own. It was a perpetrator, a threat to the happiness she had struggled for years to build.

She looked at it and she hated it for existing.

“You can do no good here now. We need answers before we can do anything,” Impa pointed out. “We have to find out what this really is. You must find out why they want it, and maybe it will lead us to some answers as to why they have done this. It is the only thing you can do now. For all intents and purposes you are a fugitive in Hyrule. We can offer you no protection and no answers. Your staying now would not only be foolish but a useless sacrifice that will doom us beyond all hope. You are right, Hyrule is yours now…it needs you. We have already lost one leader; do not make us lose another.”

Zelda looked up and saw in Impa’s eyes the shadows of the motherly affection she knew in her heart Impa had for her. Zelda knew she was right, but the idea of leaving it all behind, of running from her people when they needed her most, made her feel sick inside.

Still, she forced herself to reply, “What do we do now? Where will we go?”

“I believe we all know the answer to that,” Impa said finally.

“Aritia,” Zelda said resignedly, looking to Link carefully but he made no reaction. He had expected as much, no matter how much he had hoped it wouldn’t come to this.

“This necklace is the only clue we have as to what is happening here,” Impa picked it up from the table and handed it back to Zelda. “Whatever it is, it is the key to everything that has been happening here. It’s your duty now to do everything in your power to keep it safe.”





******




Link and Zelda decided to stay in Kakariko for at least a week more to heal and recover their strength before setting out for Aritia. While Link didn’t say anything, Zelda knew it was something close to torture for him to have to go back there. She appreciated him all the more because he never said a word. She knew how hard it was for him, but he never let it show.

Zelda was hardly looking any more forward to it than Link. As the days passed she could feel herself growing more and more nervous and her apprehension was taking its toll. It took a long time for Zelda to drift to sleep on their third night back in Kakariko and when she did it was uneasy slumber. She tossed and turned, her mind still wracked with worries.

She jerked awake only hours later at the feeling of hands around her mouth and powerful arms dragging her to her feet. In her state of absolute shock she was nearly out the door before she could properly react. Her elbow jabbed backwards violently, catching her abductor in the jaw. He cried out and his grip was loosened enough for her to scream. He tried to grab her once more but she vanished into thin air. The moment she felt her feet on solid ground once more she was attacked again, hands grabbing her and trying to hold her still. Fighting desperately in the darkness one man caught hold of her injured arm and jerked it painfully, causing her to cry out once more. She furiously threw a shield up around herself, sending the men flying, but the instant it dissipated more hands fell on her.

Her heart leapt as she saw Link hurtle out the open door, sword blazing in the moonlight, fighting his way towards her with Impa right behind him. Zelda fought her way towards him, and once she was close he grabbed her and threw himself in front of her, shielding her from the mob.

Through the darkness and the confusion it was impossible to see the faces of their attackers they were but Link wasn’t taking any chances. For a few moments, chaos reigned as men barreled at him, trying to get to Zelda. Link fought them all off, sending them crashing to the ground. Link continued to drive them off until torchlight unexpectedly illuminated the courtyard. Link shielded his eyes from the sudden harsh light as all around him the tumult came to an abrupt halt.

“Dalton,” Impa growled, glaring through the crowd where Dalton stood, holding a torch high, and a look of determination on his face. “Stop this madness at once!”

“You’re not the one giving orders around here anymore,” Dalton sneered. “Your leadership has done nothing but take us from bad to worse. I for one am through with you. I’m taking our fate into my own hands. Give me the Princess.”

“You must be insane,” Impa brought her knife up, marching forward threateningly but the mob closed in around her, shielding Dalton.

“They’re coming for us,” Dalton said loudly, “an entire army. Our scouts spotted them. They will be here by morning.”

“And how does that justify attacking the Princess in the middle of the night?” Impa shouted, her eyes flaming.

“There have been rumors floating around this city for the last few days, Impa. You tried to keep us all ignorant and unaware but we aren’t as naïve as you would like to believe, are we men?” he spoke loudly, addressing the crowd, playing off of their raw emotion. The crowd grunted and murmured in assent. “We know they’re coming for her, so we’ll give them what they want! We will give them the Princess!”

A cheer rang through the mob. It sent a chill down Zelda’s back. In the firelight the faces around her were menacing, their features distorted and monstrous.

“You fools,” Impa shouted. “You hand over the Princess and you will doom us all. She is the only hope we have left now.”

“You can’t protect her. We know she’s what they’re after,” Dalton went on.

“You’re willing to sacrifice your only leader to pacify your enemy?”

“So it’s true,” Dalton narrowed his eyes. “The King is dead.”

“That makes Zelda your rightful Queen,” Impa replied staunchly.

“To have a Queen you need a kingdom,” Dalton sneered. “We no longer have a kingdom. Because of her we have nothing!”

“We still have Hyrule,” Zelda spoke loudly. “As long as we stay loyal to each other and stand together they cannot take Hyrule from us. I will not let them destroy us, but I need all of you on my side.”

“Your diplomacy can’t save you now,” Dalton shook his head and then turned his attention to the crowd. “She says now that she wants to stand with us and fight, but where was our Princess when our villages were taken? Where was she when our homes were burned? Where was she when our people were being massacred?” His voice rose to a nearly hysterical pitch and the men around him began to murmur and call out in support of his words. All around, curious people were emerging from their homes, awakened by the roaring of the mob. Some of them looked shocked at what they were hearing. Others nodded in agreement, raising their hands and joining the fray.

“If you turn your back on her now I swear to you that Hyrule will not have a prayer!” Impa shouted.

“If she was willing to turn her back on us, then we have no choice but turn our back on her! If sacrificing her is what it takes to save us, then so be it!”

A violent cheer rippled through the night air and it made Zelda’s blood run cold. No sight had ever hit her with such intensity, freezing every bone in her body. She stared down in horror at the sea of faces looking up at her like ravenous wolves hungry for blood. Zelda could feel Link bristling beside her like a caged beast preparing to pounce.

“Any of you come near her and I’ll - “ Link growled, standing in front of her, shield raised.

“You’ll what?” Dalton stepped forward menacingly, speaking loudly so as to further provoke the mob. “You’re no better than her.”

All around Dalton the people continued to cry out, shouting derogatory remarks, some directed at Zelda, some at Link. Still others cried out in their defense. The tension in the air was palpable now; everyone aware that at any moment all remaining composure would be lost. With every second that passed the crowd continued to feed off each other’s passion: the crazed madness was spreading to everyone present.

“They think they can march in here and demand our allegiance after they simply left us to suffer?”

The crowd roared once more, closing in around Link and Zelda. Link leaned towards Zelda, his voice firm and commanding. “We have to get out of here before you are killed.”

“Go,” Impa urged, the rage in her voice boiling over. “Now!”

Zelda hesitated. She looked from face to face and though she could see their anger, she could also see fear, confusion and desperation. She wanted to help them. She didn’t want to leave them like this.

As the crowd continued to rage Dalton turned once more to Link, his eyes reflecting in the firelight. “Why don’t you just hand her over?”

Link replied with a suggestion of his own that caused Dalton to go red in the face with fury. “You may think that you have some authority here because you managed to weasel your way into the Royal Family, but I will be dead before I bow down to the likes of you!”

Something terrible snapped in Link’s eyes and a blind fury took over him. He went to attack Dalton but stopped in shock as beside him Zelda let out a scream of rage and threw herself at Dalton before Link could make his move.

Zelda hit him hard, knocking him to the ground, no longer holding back. For the first time she could feel the desire to punish: to hurt. “You shut your mouth!” she shrieked while Link looked on in shock. She stood over him, her hands outstretched, a ball of fire billowing between her clawed hands. “You will not speak to him like that!”

Like a dam bursting its walls the crowd had reached its breaking point. With Zelda’s attack, all sanity was lost. In an instant, everyone was at each other’s throats, the village throbbing with the people’s screams as the mob broke into a battle of chaos.

“Take her!” Dalton screamed, staggering away from Zelda as she bore down on him once more. “Get her, now!”

A throng was forming around Dalton now, protecting him from the Princess’ wrath and endeavoring to subdue her, though Link and Impa were now beside her. All around the people were gathering to hold off Zelda while others fought to protect her.

“Zelda, get out of here, now!” Impa screamed over the clamor. The pandemonium was spreading quickly. Already they could hear the sounds of glass breaking and all around them pillars of smoke began to rise up into the air.

“What about you?” Zelda shouted.

“Don’t worry about me! Link, take her! Go!” Impa was nearly hysterical, fighting off more assailants.

Part of her wanted to protest but Zelda knew it was hopeless. Link threw two men away from her and, taking his chance, grabbed hold of her and pulled her towards the edge of the crowd. More men dove for her, bearing down on Link with intent to kill. With one last glance at Impa Zelda raised her hands and threw a blast of light into the crowd, sending people flying in all directions and opening a path through which Link continued to drag her. Running as fast as their legs would carry them they tore for the stables, slammed the door shut and barricaded it, men rushing after them shouting and brandishing their weapons.

“Do you have it?” Link shouted as he quickly grabbed Epona, tossing her saddle on her back.

“Yes!” Zelda placed a hand on her pocket just before leaping onto Rema’s back and gathering her reins. She hadn’t dared let the necklace out of her sight.

The door burst open, letting the mob pour in, but it was too late. The crowd was forced to part once more, men diving wildly, as Zelda threw another wave of light at them, clearing the way once more. The two burst out of the stable, knocking the doors completely off their hinges, and tore down the road in a cloud of dust.

“Don’t let her escape!” Dalton screamed, leading the horde after them.

Zelda and Link galloped at top speed through the village, leaping stairways and finally snaking their way up the narrow, winding trail that lead into the mountains. The horse’s hoofs pounded on the dry, packed dirt, maneuvering the rocky trail in the darkness with some difficulty. For a brief moment they thought they had left the threat behind, but Zelda soon heard hoofbeats thundering up behind them.

“Link, they’re coming!” Zelda cried, throwing up a shield to block an oncoming barrage of arrows.

Link glanced back, spotting the gang of horsemen gaining on them from behind. He kicked Epona, spurring her forward with greater haste. The trail rose steadily higher, overlooking a sheer drop into the gorge below on one side, but they didn’t reduce their speed and neither did their pursuers.

“Link, this is useless!” Zelda cried. “This trail ends at the summit- we’ll be trapped!”

“There’s another path,” Link replied hastily, “but we’ve got to get them off of our tail!”

“I’ll take care of that,” Zelda said, narrowing her eyes. As they sped through the rocky terrain, Zelda searched for the right spot. They turned a sharp corned next to a steep overhang and she twisted back, throwing a ball of light at the mountainside. It hit the rock and exploded, sending a swirling cloud of rock and dust into the air. The ground began to rumble behind them and she shouted, “Keep going!”

Link looked back in time to see the mountainside give way, rocks crashing down onto the path and completely blocking the passage through. The horses squealed and Link could hear a great commotion, knowing that their bloodthirsty hunters had been forced to a sliding stop and would be hard pressed not to crash into the newly fallen barricade or stumble off the edge of the canyon path.

Zelda glanced back and saw the dust settling around the pile of rocks that walled off the road. She gave a sigh of relief as she realized that they were now at least rid of their pursuers.

“Down here,” Link turned Epona down a small side path that Zelda would not have even noticed had Link not pointed it out. The path was even narrower than the trail to the Death Mountain summit. In the moonlight, the snaking path seemed to be winding continuously towards nothing at all. The rocks on either side never changed, and with no view ahead of them they seemed to walk on for hours without ever getting anywhere. The terrain was terribly uneven and hard for their horses to navigate. Though both mares were surefooted, it was not easy going, especially after hours of pushing forward relentlessly.

As dawn approached the path began to rise and they steadily climbed the ridge. The sky continued to lighten casting the shadows off of the land and illuminating the world beyond them. They looked out at the barren, red mountains that stretched on ahead of them as far as the eye could see. The already rutted landscape was veined with canyons and gorges, making the way ahead seem a desert of impassible rock. To Zelda, it seemed that for all the effort they had put forth the night before they should have been miles out of Hyrule by now, but, turning her head only slightly to the southwest, she could see Death Mountain rising into the air, the top smoking benignly.

The events of the previous night weighed heavily on both of them. While Zelda wished she could talk about it, she didn’t know what to say, and she knew Link well enough to know he did not wish to discuss anything at the moment.

They stood in silence on the ridge for a few minutes, gathering their strength. A sharp canyon wind blew past them, making the morning air bitter cold. Zelda felt suddenly alone, standing on the pinnacle of the rock, looking down at their daunting path. It struck her now that they had brought nothing with them. They had not planned on leaving so suddenly. All they had would be whatever meager supplies had been left unpacked from their saddle bags, and that would not be much. Already she was hungry and thirsty, but she said nothing. She simply trusted that Link would find a way to get them out of the situation. He always did.

“We’ll make it through by nightfall tomorrow if we keep a steady pace,” Link said finally, speaking for the first time in hours. Zelda felt her heart sink at the realization that they still had so far to go.

“It seemed much easier the last time we went up North,” Zelda said, hoping she didn’t sound too discouraged.

“Last time we took the higher pass to the west of Death Mountain,” Link pointed out. “This may be harder, but no one travels this way. They can’t find us out here.”

Zelda wryly thought that anyone who willingly traveled this path would have to be crazy or desperate, like them.

“We’ll come out on the northern side of Death Mountain on the plains of Kadden,” Link said.

“And then to Aritia?” Zelda asked.

“You still want to go?” Link didn’t sound surprised, but slightly incredulous.

“We have to go.”

“They just tried to hand you over to your death,” Link shook his head.

“I can’t blame an entire population for the acts of a few desperate people,” Zelda said, though it sounded slightly strained.

“After everything that just happened, how can you - “

“Where else can we go? You want to go back to Hyrule?” Zelda couldn’t keep the annoyance out of her voice. This was hard enough to do without Link’s nay saying.

“Of course I don’t,” Link shot back.

“Let’s just get on with it then,” she snapped, more harshly than she intended.

“Fine,” Link replied tersely, spurring Epona forward. Zelda followed behind, steeling herself for the journey ahead.

The gap they would pass through was as narrow, rough and twisting as the trail past Death Mountain. There were so many side paths jutting off in all directions that Zelda could see how it would be impossible to follow anyone through this labyrinth. Their progress was slow and laborious. They barely spoke, and when they did their words were short and to the point. There was no laughter anymore, no affectionate conversation, nothing to lighten their spirits. The joy they once had in traveling side by side seemed to have vanished. While before it had been an adventure now it was nothing but an arduous task, draining their strength and wearing on their nerves. Link managed to find them water and hunt down enough food to keep them going, though just barely. The entire journey was seeped in harsh monotony. While neither really wished to reach their destination they soon found that they would give anything to see the end of the mountainous canyon land.

Zelda’s greatest regret was that Link had not been allotted enough time to heal properly. He still moved gingerly when he thought she wasn’t looking. Riding so long and so far was very hard on his injured ribs and his burns were not faring much better. She knew he was in pain but every time she tried to do something to help him he stubbornly insisted he didn’t need anything and pushed her away. Finally she gave up, bitterly thinking that if he would insist on being so obstinate she would just let him be.

They were so frustrated and dispirited that even when they finally began to descend the mountainside and cross from desolate rock to the soft, grassy plains their moods were barely improved. So, with heavy hearts they continued their trek across the valley, not wanting to look forward but unable to look back, and, for the first time, neither feeling they could look to each other.





******



“This is the last straw, Roy,” Elice put her foot down, her jaw set. “I can’t take it anymore.”

“I’m doing everything I can,” Roy replied in frustration. “What do you want from me?”

“You have me locked down here like some sort of prisoner!” Elice looked around the small, windowless bunker set underground in the lowest level of the castle. “The dungeon’s right down the hall, why don’t you just put me in a cell and be done with it?”

“Until we can figure out how they keep getting in this is the only place you’re safe,” Roy repeated for what felt like the thousandth time.

“I don’t want to do this anymore,” Elice begged him. She was tired of having armed guards follow her everywhere she went. She was tired of being brought down the multiple levels of locked and guarded passageways only to be shut into this suffocating little room. When she heard the latch on the door lock each night it sent a chill up her spine. She had to keep the torches burning all night simply to keep the terror from closing in around her, and even then at times it was hard. “It’s just like before… it’s just like with him,” her voice shook involuntarily. “I don’t like it in here.”

“We’re trying,” Roy promised her. “I told you I’d keep you safe, and at the moment this is the only way I know how. I don’t want anything to happen to you, and as long as these attacks continue - ”

“Locking me down here isn’t going to solve anything!” Elice said. “Why can’t we-“

“Princess, Roy!” the door burst open and Kain popped his head inside. “The guards at the gate have caught someone. It might be who we’re looking for.”

“Stay here,” Roy said, turning and starting out the door, knowing the command was useless even as he gave it.

“Princess, you have to stay here,” the guard at the door blocked her way, “Marth’s orders: you aren’t allowed to leave after dark.”

“I don’t care what Marth ordered,” Elice burst. “If they’ve caught whoever it is that’s been attacking me, I have a right to be a part of it! I don’t care if every one of you comes with me but you will let me pass!”

He didn’t seem to dare disobey and he stepped to the side, allowing Elice to rush down the hall, catching up with Roy, every one of the guards following closely behind.

“Who is it?” Roy asked Kain.

“I haven’t seen them,” Kain replied. “I was simply sent to fetch you. Should she be here?” Kain asked of Elice.

“It would be much more dangerous to not let her be,” Roy muttered.

They made their way towards the front gate, entering the tower at the base and waiting for the prisoners to be brought inside.

“How did you catch him?” Elice asked the guards present.

“There are actually two of them,” one soldier replied, “we caught them at the gate.”

“But how did you overpower them,” Elice was confused. “They’ve been impossible to even get near up until now.”

“Actually, they didn’t put up much of a fight,” the soldier replied, “but they did say they were looking for you.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Elice furrowed her brow but Roy grabbed her suddenly.

“You’ve got to get out of here,” Roy demanded. “This is a trap! They wanted to be caught, it’s the only explanation.”

“Roy, let go of me,” Elice insisted. “I’m sure it’s not - “ Elice and Roy stopped dead in their tracks, staring through the doorway where the guards had just entered, their prisoners in tow.

“Link?” Elice gasped. “Zelda?”

Link and Zelda stood before them in chains, Zelda looking poised but indignant and Link glowering darkly.

“You know these two?” the captain asked.

“That’s what we’ve been telling you,” Link said in aggravation.

“Shut up,” the captain barked and Elice went into a fury.

“Watch your tongue, Captain! These are Link and Zelda of Hyrule. What were you thinking dragging them in here like this?”

“We assumed they were lying,” the Captain replied.

“Let them go at once!”

“Yes, Highness,” the Captain bowed and motioned for Link and Zelda to be freed.

“This is about the welcome I would expect to get here,” Link grumbled as he let the shackles fall from his wrists.

“I’m so sorry about all of this,” Elice said, then drew Zelda into a hug. “We haven’t heard from you in ages! What are you doing here? What’s wrong?” As Elice spoke her voice fell from jubilation to deep concern without missing a beat. Looking at them, it was plain to see that Link and Zelda were not in Aritia for pleasure. They both appeared exhausted, strained and well-worn from weeks of travel. The biggest difference, though, was in their eyes. Elice had never seen either of them with such expressions of utter hopelessness. They looked beaten, inside and out.

“Leave us alone,” Elice turned to the guards and commanded. They all bowed and exited the room, though Elice knew they would all position themselves right outside the door.

“Zelda, what’s happened?” Elice asked her gently.

“You haven’t heard?”

Elice shook her head. Zelda took the necklace out of her pocket and held it up to Elice.

“That’s-“ Elice started. “How did you get that? I thought you gave that back to Marth.”

“He returned it to me,” Zelda said shortly.

Elice looked puzzled, “What does that necklace have to do with - “

She cut off as the door flew open and every head in the room turned toward the figure that came bursting through.

“I came as soon as I heard; did they catch - Zelda!“ Marth stopped in his tracks, his eyes falling on Zelda standing only feet away from him. His expression fell so quickly his jaw nearly hit the floor and then he could do nothing else. The entire room seemed to freeze as Zelda and Marth stared at each other. Link instinctively moved to put himself between them but Zelda held him back. Without a word she raised her hand and threw the necklace at Marth so abruptly that he barely caught it. He looked down at it in his hands and his face dropped even further. He looked as though he had stumbled into a nightmare and didn’t know which way to turn. He looked to Roy, but Roy just backed away, distancing himself from any chance of involvement. He turned to Elice, but Elice simply looked back with raised eyebrows, at a complete loss herself.

“What is that,” Zelda demanded.

Marth looked for a moment as though he couldn’t reply but finally he found his voice, “You know what it is.”

“I thought I did,” Zelda replied. “What is it?”

Marth looked bewildered and utterly trapped and decided to humor her. He didn’t know what else to do. “It’s the necklace I gave to you.”

“Don’t lie to me,” she threatened, “not again. This is more than just a necklace, and you know it.”

Marth continued to look absolutely at a loss. “I don’t know what you mean,” he shook his head helplessly. The entire situation was so surreal he couldn’t believe what was happening.

“Anri’s Emblem,” Zelda said. “Does that name have any meaning to you?”

“Anri’s Emblem?” Marth furrowed his brow in confusion.

“I want to know why,” Zelda went on. “Why did you do it? Why did you bring this back to me? Was this part of your scheme all along? You wanted me to take it out of your Kingdom? Were you just trying to save yourself, again? Was it simply out of spite? What was it? Why did you do this to me?”

She continued to pace towards Marth, and though she was only half his size she now seemed to tower over him. With every word she spoke, he seemed to shrink and look as though he was paralyzed.

Elice and Roy stared at her with wide eyes, too shocked to do anything. Link stood silently watching them, a calm but vindictively pleased look on his face.

“I brought it back to you because I couldn’t stand to look at it any more,” Marth replied vehemently. “All it is to me is a reminder of a time I only want to forget. I couldn’t imagine giving it to anyone else, no matter what tradition it is linked to. I know I shouldn’t have, but I didn’t know what else to do, and so I gave it back to you.”

“Stop it,” Zelda shot back. “Stop with the feigned innocence. Stop lying to me! If this is really just a trinket that might be believable, but it isn’t. I don’t know what this thing is, but someone wants it badly enough to invade my kingdom just to find it! Isn’t it a bit convenient that when they came looking for it, it just happened to be safely out of your Kingdom and planted in mine?”

“Wait, you think I wanted this to happen?” Marth blanched.

“Marth,” Elice said suddenly. “Is this what they were looking for? Those men who broke into the castle and attacked us - this is what they’ve been searching for?”

Marth’s eyes flew open in sudden understanding, but Zelda’s eyes narrowed in wrath.

“You selfish coward,” Zelda said, her voice rising with every word she spoke. Her fists were clenched and she was shaking with rage. “You knew that they wanted it. You knew they were searching for it. You brought this into Hyrule, placed it in my possession, and now because of you my entire kingdom had been destroyed! Because of you my father is dead!” she screamed, bearing down on him with such ferocity that Roy, seeing Link was not going to intervene, grabbed her arms and pulled her back.

“Zelda, calm down,” he said, trying to hold her back, though she struggled against him.

Marth had gone extremely pale, trying to take in what she had said, but he didn’t want to accept what he had heard.

“Hyrule is…” he trailed off.

“Gone,” Zelda scathed. “They destroyed nearly everything and have taken the remnants for themselves. I have been exiled by my own people. I’ve lost everything because of you!”

“No…” Marth whispered in horror.

“What did you expect?” Zelda asked. “If you had kept it they would have destroyed you. I just don’t understand how you could have done this to me again, Marth. You used me… again.”

“I swear to you, I know nothing of any of this,” Marth pleaded. “I’ve never heard of that referred to as ‘Anri’s Emblem’ before in my life. It was my mother’s. It was passed down from my father’s line and he gave it to her when they were married. That is all I know. I never would have purposefully put you or Hyrule in danger.”

“Zelda, he’s telling the truth,” Elice broke in. “As far as we knew it was simply an old family heirloom. While I don’t think he should have given it back to you after your engagement was broken off, he didn’t know this would come from it.”

“What!?” Link shot out.

Zelda cringed and turned slowly.

“What did you just say?” Link asked Elice.

Elice shot Zelda a helpless glance and couldn’t think of anything to say in reply so Link turned back to Zelda.

“You were engaged? You were going to marry him?!” Link sputtered, somewhere between fury and shock.

“Well, yes, but -“ Zelda sputtered.

“Why didn’t you tell me this?”

“Is it really important now?”

“Yes!”

“What does it matter?” Zelda asked him desperately. “What did it ever matter? You know what happened back then. Everything between us was based on a lie, so that engagement was meaningless. Once it was over it was over and I didn’t see the point in-“

“You didn’t see the point!?” Link roared. He had finally snapped and every bit of frustration he had felt over the situation was now pouring out and he had neither the will nor the ability to stop it. “You almost died to save that thing and you were willing to risk me too! You could have gotten us both killed, and for what? For something he gave you?! And now I find out that it was for your engagement? How can you tell me there’s no point in me knowing all this? How could you do this to me?”

“You know that had nothing to do with it -“ Zelda rushed. “I thought you understood... I had to get it or Vale would have. Is that what you wanted to happen?”

“I wanted you to listen to me. If you had just done what I said none of this would have happened. You lied to me!” he shot out bitterly.

The room went silent. Link had never shouted at Zelda like that before. Ever. Link was still seething, but slowly shame was growing in him as he looked at Zelda standing across from him. She had backed up slightly in absolute shock and looked as though he had slapped her. She looked cornered and threatened and even a little frightened. He had seen her wear that expression before, but never when looking at him. She had looked up at her father with those eyes countless times before.

The realization hit Link and he shrunk back, horrified, confused and despite himself still angry.

“Link,” she whispered finally. “I-“

Link turned his back on her and threw the door open, the guards outside blocking his way.

“Let him go,” Elice cried quickly, wanting to avoid another scene. Puzzled, the guards parted and Link stalked off, the door swinging shut after him. Zelda stared after him for a long while, her mouth hanging slightly open in bewilderment. She could feel her face burning. She was embarrassed and hurt and confused. After a moment she realized that she was not alone in the room. Elice was looking at her regretfully. Roy shrugged helplessly. Marth stood in the background unwilling to look her in the eye.

“Zelda,” Elice said finally. “I’m sorry I told him. I just assumed he knew… I shouldn’t have said anything,” she groaned helplessly.

“It’s not your fault,” Zelda replied in a hollow voice, sinking into a nearby chair and laying her face in her hands, wishing for a moment that she could disappear. The shock was wearing off now, and she simply ached inside.

“Are you all right?” Elice asked gently, sitting beside her.

It took Zelda a long time to finally lift her face and reply, “No.”

She got to her feet, her expression pained but defiant as she walked slowly towards Marth. He tried not to look at her and as she approached him he seemed to shrink even more into the background.

“I do not know what this is or why you gave it back to me,” Zelda said, her voice tense and strained to keep the emotion out of it, “but I hope your reasons were worth the damage you have done.”

With that Zelda too turned to leave, Elice following close after her, the guards leaping into action to follow Elice. The door swung shut once more and the room fell silent. Marth stood dazed for a moment before Roy broke the tension.

“Well, that was fun,” Roy smiled and clapped Marth on the back. “We really should have them over more often.”


******