Chapter 3

Link woke with the first sun rays the following morning, his mind spinning about what he had heard last night about the men that robbed his old friend and his family. He had met many of victims with the same problem on his travels and this kind of thing occurred more than people would admit, and he knew what Talon had said about nobody could do anything about it.

He dressed and strapped his shield and sword on his back to be on the safe side, he putted a knife in his boot as well, a smart trick he had learned after he had been ambushed outside a village called Thalyan. He had learned the hard way how smart it was to have a concealed weapon when your weapons where stolen and you decide to follow to get it back. He walked outside deciding not to have breakfast at the inn that morning, no what he had planned was much nicer and you got better food.

Link walked around in Castle town browsing for various food, after he had bought a basket and filled it to the top with food he set himself on the way to Talon’s house, not yet sure exactly where he lived yet he had to ask for directions this morning as well.

Mina answered the door when Link knocked at the door for the second day at a row, “Mr. Link! I thought you were busy today, that’s what daddy said” she said as Talon came to the door. “I thought you might want some good breakfast today” Link said and winked to Mina and lowered the basked to her.

Talon looked at him with an enquiring look when Mina ran into the house with the basket, “Let’s just say it’s my way of saying thank you for yesterday, I have not had so much fun in a long time” Link said with a smile. Talon shook his head in disbelief and smiled back “At least eat with us today” he replied and let Link inn.

The table was set in record time as the kids where helping their mother, just to eat a little sooner that usual. Link hung his shield and sword on the back of the chair and sat down with the rest of the family. They were almost finished eating when someone was banging on the door furiously and was soon kicked open by a large man, “Well see here boys! My favorite family in the world, how are you doing this morning?” The man said as he entered with two other men behind him “Where is my rupees Talon? It’s payday you know, and you know how much I like payday” he grinned and pulled his hand out of his pockets and struck his hand out.

Link was not impressed at all with their tough attitude, he had seen worse when he was eight and still lived in Kokeri Forrest, but Talon and his family was another matter. Colin and Mina quickly hid behind their mother and father when the man started talking, “I see you have bought yourself a nice meal instead!” the man said, not yet noticing Link that sat still in his chair analyzing it all.

“N-No I have your pay right here Mr. Kahn! Not to worry, the meal was a gift!” Talon stammered, and quickly moved to get the rupees. “Now who would give you such a meal for free huh? I know no one in castle town that would spare that amount of rupees to give a starving family some food” he continued, ignoring Talon's attempt to give him the rupees completely.

“No I think you stole it, now you know what I think about stealing!” the man said laughing and drew his sword from the sheath, Link stood from his chair and drew his own sword and lifted his shield on his right arm and placed himself in front of Talon and his family. “It was I who gave them this fine meal, so they are not thieves as you claim. I would suggest you take your rupees and go before we do anything we'll regret doing.”

The man called Kahn laughed and ran towards Link in rage, lifting his sword and slammed it back down and hit Link's sword with a clang. Link felt numbness crawl up his arm but held the sword steady, this man was strong and not to take lightly. Link shifted his footing and slided his sword closer and kicked the man in the leg so he stumbled, loosing his momentum. This gave Link the opportunity to slam his shield in the man's face, breaking his nose.

Kahn lifted his left hand and felt his nose and took away the little blood that had tickled out and looked at Link in disbelieve, apparently getting resistance and actually getting hit he was not that used to. He snarled in rage and bellowed to his comrades “Get him!!” and  threw himself at Link once again, with his subordinates backing him up behind him.



Link now having time to shift his footing again and moved easily out of Kahn's way and put his foot out and trip the large man so he fell to the floor with a loud thud, now with Kahn momentarily stunned Link focused his eyes on the two men advancing on him. Link gripped the handle of his sword hard and with a quick move he had moved a couple footsteps forward, swung around and landed in the middle of the two henchmen and had his sword at the one man's throat and smashed his shield in the other man's face, and with his momentum knocking him unconscious.

Link smiled smugly at Kahn who was now again at his feet looking bewildered at Link “Now Mr. Kahn I would appreciate if you left this family alone. I would hate to come back here to find this family in the state you have left them in so far.” It was at this point that a group of Hyrulian guards came busting in the open door with their spears in hand “What the hell is going on here?!” Said one of the guards while taking off his helmet.

Talon opened his mouth to talk but no sound came and he shut it again with a baffled look on his face, “Well? I expect an answer from one of you!” continued the guard, now staring at Link with an questionable look as Link still had his sword to one of the henchman's throat. Talon tried again and with success started to tell the guard everything, starting with how Kahn and his men had threaten his family and taking his income and up to what Link just had done.

“W-well, I think this is a case for the king to decide what to do with you three” said the guard nervously and pointed to the three unwelcome guests in Talon's house. “But you have to come along and lay the events that have occurred here Talon, and you stranger” continued the guard and looked at Link. And with that the guards took Kahn and his men in to custody and steered them outside while Link stayed with Talon to say their goodbyes for a little while.

“I have to thank you Link, this would never had happened without you!” Talon sad as they walked to castle, Link shook his head and told his friend it was nothing to tank for. As they walked Link looked at the silhouette of the castle that came more and more in to view as they walked towards it, the guard that seemed to be in charge of the others turned around and spoke “Is this your first time in castle town stranger?” Link shook his head “No I lived here when i was a boy, I haven't been here for ten years though... things have changed.” The guard nodded and looked proudly around “Aye it have, ten years can do that to any place in the world” he said with a sort of dreamy look on his face. “But you must be exited about meeting the king? It is to him you will explain what happened back in Talon's house.. and if you are lucky, you will see the princess as well” he continued and turned around to talk to the first control post they had to go through.




Link's thoughts were spinning, it was not in his plans to meet any one in the royal family. His plan in Hyrule was to see how it had changed and maybe meet Talon if he was still there, but have a meeting with the royal family who thought he was dead? No that was not in his plans at all. Sure he had fantasized about seeing Zelda and her father again but he had always gone away from the idea after thinking it through.

Now he was forced to do the only thing he was afraid of in his life, he had left without a word and the thoughts that were racing through his mind at the moment were “Will they recognize me?”. The time flew by as he thought about what he was soon to face, and before he could wrap his head around the concept he was standing before the familiar grand oak door that lead to the throne room. Talon glanced at him from his right side, and placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded, one of the guards stamped his spear in the ground and announcing their arrival to the occupants on the other side. Talon's hand went to his side as the door opened and revealed the grand room, the red carpet that was like an arrow to the two thrones at the far end.

Link bent his head as they walked slowly to the Hylians sitting on the thrones, Link allowed himself one quick glance to the occupants sitting on their thrones, King Daphnes Nohanson Hyrule looked very serious at them all, as he no doubt heard of the situation before they arrived. But Princess Zelda was more beautiful than he remembered her, she looked like she would have, if Ganondorf had not taken over. Link took his eyes down again and stopped with the rest of them when they were in front of them.

They kneeled at and waited for the king to speak, as it was the proper thing to do in this situation, “I have heard your story from my runners that came her before you” the king said in a firm but not angry voice “And I would like to hear it from you all, before I make any decisions about this. Captain Thyrise, would you and your company tell me what who you have here with you, and what brings you to this hall” he continued as his head turned to the one Link had presumed was the leader, Captain Thyrise stood up and nodded, turning slightly to Link, Talon and Kahn.

“My lord, this is Talon Danforth, he is as I understand one of your guards that patrol the defense wall-” Talon nodded weakly, still kneeling. Thyrise turned to Kahn “This is Kahn, a man who have been threatening Mr. Danforth and his family, for money. And I suspect now they are not the only one who have been so.” he added quickly before he turned to Link, “And this your Majesty is a friend of the Talon family and their rescuer, also a traveler who I do not know the name of” he said and stepped more to the side, to show them better to the king.

Link stared down at the red carpet as Thyrise spoke, not daring to look other places in fear of doing something rude. “Blast! I should have dressed in something other than my tunic and hat, it's too recognizable” Link cursed to himself. The king spoke again, this time to Talon directly “You may  rise young man. Is this true? Have you been threaten as my captain say?” Talon rose from his position, “Yes your majesty, for over three years now.” he said weakly and Link could see from the side that Talon's knees almost failed him. Link smirked.

“I see, and can you tell me what happened today?” The king asked more friendly, easing Talon's nerves. Talon told about what they had done earlier on the day, the breakfast and up to where Kahn came in to the picture and he stopped, out of fear of Kahn, Link guessed. The king asked him to continue and he did as he was asked and did not stop until the story came to the guards escorting them out of the house. One thing Link noticed through Talon's story, his name was not brought up once, and Link guessed it was deliberate, and Link found him grateful of his friend.

Link closed his eyes hard, he knew what came now. It was time for him to verify Talon's story and explain what he had done in the house. “Young traveler, is Talon here telling the truth?”
Link stayed on his knees when he spoke, he had not been told to stand, he nodded his head and answered “Yes your majesty, every word. Kahn refused to believe that the meal I had payed for had been a gift, and when Kahn drew his sword I felt it was the time to step in.” It was at this time Kahn seemed it time to speak, “ What a load of lies! I have done nothing wrong, I am innocent my lord!” he bellowed so his voice rang in the grand hall.”They attacked me, they tried to steal from me! I  only acted in defense!!”

Link was furious and snapped his head back as far as it would go “Was that before or after you kicked down the door and attacked with your men?” Link almost hissed. Kahn cried out in anger and quickly drew a hidden knife from his shirt and ran for Link, the guards momentarily baffled didn't react in time and was not able to grab hold of him. Link quickly rolled to the side and dodged the first strike to his back, staying low he kicked Kahn in the left knee and there was an audible crack. Link continued by standing up and grabbing Kahn's outstretched arm and twisted it backwards and holding him in place, taking the knife from his hand and forcing Kahn down on his knees, adding loud cry from the man.

Link quickly gave the knife to one of the guards when they came to assist, and for the first time Link looked up to the king, meeting his eyes. He let go of Kahn as the guards took hold of him and stepped back, still holding the king's gaze. The king spoke then, with evident surprise in his voice “What is you name young man?” Link took a quick glance at the princess and answered “Link, your highness” he heard Zelda gasp, and he closed his eyes for a second. “This did not go as planed, at all” he thought and opened his eyes, seeing Talon's worried expression in the corner of his eye.

The king stood then, from his throne and walked to stand in front of him, and Link lowered his head in respect “You have some impressive skills Link, and-” he looked over Link to Kahn, now restrained by three guards “It seems that, if Kahn here were so eager to kill you, that you and Talon were indeed speaking the truth” Link could hear Kahn trying to break free of the guards, his movements revealed by the armor of the guards. “Actions speak louder than words Kahn. Take him away” said the King sternly, and the guards dragged Kahn to the dungeon.

“You will have a substantial reward for your services here today young man, not only did you risk you life for your friends. But perhaps even my own and my daughters life, I have a feeling that had you not taken actions when you did, our lives would have ended along with yours.” the king said and placed a hand on Link's shoulder. “Your highness, not to sound rude to you. But my family are bound to be worried, and I would like to ease their worries with the news of Kahn.” Talon said weakly, his knees threatening to fail again. The king smiled “Of course! I was just thinking the same thing, but.. I was wondering if you and your family would honor me and my daughter with joining us for dinner. To celebrate your freedom from Kahn! Link is naturally invited as well” he said and Zelda joined them, “Yes, and I would love to meet your family” she said, her words like soft bells, like music to Link's ears.

Talon was baffled, and it took him a moment to recover his voice “Bu-but of course your highness, it would be an honor!” he said with wide eyes, the king nodded and told one of the other guards to escort Talon's family to the castle. Link smiled at his genuine surprise and happiness, it was not ordinary for a common family to dine with royalty. “And you sir Link? Would you join us in celebration?” Zelda said, her eyes brimming with held back tears and recognition. Link felt his own eyes starting to form tears, and he bowed “How could I refuse, your highness”

After that Link and Talon were led to a room were they could freshen up, and talk amongst themselves. As soon as the doors were locked Talon stopped and looked at Link “Are you alright old friend?” Link shook his head “I don't know Talon, what shall I say? She recognized me...”

He slumped down in one of the comfy chairs in the room and placed his face in his hands, “This was not what my trip to Hyrule were meant to be, I was to see the castle and see if I could visit some old friends. Not to dine with royalties who believed me dead, this complicates things” he sighed and looked up from his hands and to Talon, “What am I to do?” It was at this moment that the door opened an the rest of Talon's family came in, Cecile running in to her husbands arms with the children in behind her.

After Link and Talon had told Cecile and the children that everything were alright and told what they were in the castle for, they relaxed a bit, the soldier that had come to escort them to the castle had not known why they were to come to the castle and so he could not tell what had happened. And soon there were served tea by one of the servants, while they waited for the dinner to start, and according to the servant they would not be waiting long.

“Tell me Link, if you were not here to see the princess.. who were you intending to see? You said you were here to visit friends?” Link smiled in remembrance of his other friends in Hyrule, “There were you of course, Malon of Lon Lon Ranch, Darunia of the Gorons, Princess Ruto of the Zoras, Nabooru of the Gerudo, and a childhood friend called Saria .” Talon blinked in surprise “ You have some powerful friends there Link,  I cannot even begin to think how you know them all” Link smiled.

“You forgot one Link” came a voice from one of the shadowed corners of the room, scaring Talon and his family out of their chairs, out the shadow a gray haired woman stepped out, fighting a smile. “I knew you were there Impa, figured you would say something yourself” Link smiled back at her, and waived sleeplessly “So you were planning to visit every one, except the most important of all your old friends?” she said sternly, Link winced “I know” he sighed and looked at the others in the room “Sorry! This is Impa, the last of the Sheikas and Princess Zelda's nursemaid.” Link explained to the others.


“Well, she knows you are here now.. she is frantic Link, she thought you were dead. What are you going to tell her?” Impa continued like his explanation to his friends had not been said at all, her focus on him “I don't know, better to tell the truth I suppose..Well.. most of the truth at least, if not the agreement have changed since the last time I saw you?” Impa shook her head. “Thought so.. Well.. this is bound to be an interesting evening”

Soon they were all seated in the king's private dining room, designed for friends and family, Things had been.. quiet for the first part of the meal, the silence only broken by a few questions here and there. When the main course of the evening arrived Mina and Colin had started to become restless and did what children do best, ask questions when they were curios. “Is it fun being a princess?” Mina had asked and chatter had started from there as Zelda talked to her about the more perks of being a princess, and what was more hard. The adults had laughed and enjoyed the small ones entertainment, “Link, where did you learn to fight, like you did today?” Colin had asked innocently, with evident curiosity in his voice. The voices around the table became quiet “Well, in a way I was brought up with a sword and I was very young when I started. But I didn't have any teacher before I was about fourteen, I was in a village called Courstad and a grumpy old man offered to teach me after I had saved his granddaughters life under an earthquake.”

Link took a sip from his glass of water and continued his tale, “after that I had many teachers and masters, learning as much as I could. For you see, a traveler like myself it's important to know how to defend yourself and how to take care of yourself. The way of the sword is a very big part of that.” In a sense his tale were true, he had learned many things from teachers and masters of the sword arts but they were never a match for him. He had crossed swords with Ganondorf himself and won, there were no grater test than that. But Colin continued his questioning “Can you teach me?”
Link looked at Talon, who just winked and smiled, but the problem were not in the question of him being allowed, the problem were that he himself did not know how long he would stay in Hyrule when this was over. “We'll see kid” he said and he looked at Zelda “I have a feeling I'm going to be very busy the next few days”

They gazed in each others eyes for a few seconds before Talon came with a question he seemed to have had with him since earlier that night “Tell me Link, how come you are friends with every race in Hyrule? And in such high ranked positions?” Link smiled again, it dawned on him that since Talon were bound to defend castle marked, he didn't see a lot of the rest of the land. “Well Darunia I helped one time he was in trouble with a local.. enemy I suppose you can call it, and I ended up saving his life. And he sort of made me an honorary brother of the Gorons, painful thing.. you have no idea how hard a Goron can hug!” Link laughed and the others with him

“Of the Zora's I know Princess Ruto the best,  nice girl but very enthusiastic about very many things” He was about to continue when Zelda interrupted “You know princess Ruto personally?” she asked with surprise, Link nodded “It's been a very long time since I have seen her, but yes.” Zelda looked impressed “Nabooru of the Gerudo I got to know after I was on a trip through the desert, the had come in to some trouble with a pair of twin witches and and we became friends when we had dealt with them, even became a honorary member of the Gerudo clan.” he said and from a pouch in his belt, he found the seal of the Gerudo Clan and showed them to everybody around the table.

The king laughed when he saw the seal “A traveler who are Hylian by birth, a brother of the Gorons and a member of the Gerudo clan, personal friend of the royalties of Zora. You have certainly lived a grand life for one so young, but I can swear I have seen you before somewhere” Link looked into the shadows where Impa stood, he could feel her and sighed “You have your majesty, you may not recognize me. But I lived with you and your daughter for about a year” The king looked puzzled  and Zelda gave Link a sad smile “Do you not recognize him father? He has already said his name is Link. He was the young boy about then years ago, that told us of Ganondorf's plan to overthrow us” Link smiled weakly as it dawned on the king who he was “By the goddesses of the triforce! It's you! My boy why did you not tell us at once? We thought you dead”

“Ganondorf who?” Talon said before Link could answer the king, Link chuckled at his forwardness of the situation. “Your majesty, that is exactly the reason I did not tell you who I was. You thought me dead and I was just passing through. No that is not right, it's part of the reason...truthfully I was afraid to come here after I ran out of your hospitable embrace that you gave me after the Ganondorf ordeal. I am ashamed of what I did to your family when I ran, with no goodbyes, no words.”

Link could see the king thought through his answer and nodded “You were always a restless kid, I recall that. Never one for sitting down and taking things slow. I assume you wanted the freedom you had before you came to us?” Link nodded “At the time I was and still am a restless soul, as I said before I was raised with a sword on my back. I never wanted to cause anyone any harm for what I did, but I was young.”

The king nodded again and smiled “And now you are here again, helping others. But one other thing I always wondered, even after you left. Were you came from, you never told us.” Link smiled and for a second he was far away in the lost woods, playing with Saria. “I grew up in the lost woods, I had friends there. But there was a larger world outside the woods I wanted to explore, I suppose. I saw my destiny in a dream... A dream where I left all I knew behind, and wandered to the unknown. And that is what I did, and for a year I lived with the king of Hyrule and his daughter after wandering around and living my life.”
“You make it sound so romantic” Cecile said softly “But it can't have been all good, I remember my parents talking about monsters raving the nights and all horrors scaring the travelers away.” Link nodded “It was.. challenging at first but I became used to it, and after a while they stopped coming after me. For years it have been me and my horse, never standing long anywhere. In my travels I have met so many unique persons and with so many different looks on the world, and every time I grow a little bit brighter. But the lost woods will always be my home”



Link took a gulp from his glass, giving him an excuse for him to not talk. Being a central figure in conversations and such were uncomfortable to him. “The lost woods? Those woods are said to be cursed and that anyone that wanders in there, never returns.” Zelda said and looked at Link “Are you cursed Link?” she said with evident humor in her voice, Link smiled back “No your highness I do believe I was lucky”.

Soon the evening turned to night and it were time for Talon and his family to go back to their home in castle marked. The king had excused himself after dinner to see to Kahn's arrest and other duties that required his attention, and Princess Zelda had stayed with them the rest of the evening. “I must thank you Princess Zelda for your hospitality and for surviving the children's constant questions” Talon said and shifted his weight so that Colin sat better on his shoulders. “Oh no Talon, it has been a wonderful evening, and your children are adorable!” She shook Talon's hand and motioned to Colin for him to bend down, he did as he was asked and Zelda whispered for him to be nice to his parents and sister, and kissed him on the cheek, making him blush crimson.

His parents chuckled and said their goodbyes to both Link and Zelda, and were followed out by one of the many servants bustling about the castle. Link were now utterly terrified about what was to come, he held his eyes down and quietly followed the Princess to the same room he and Talon had been in earlier that day. They quietly sat down in the chairs, Link dreaded the conversation he knew would come. “Link.. where have you been all these years?” she questioned him softly, but he could hear the nervousness in her voice. He sighed and held his gaze downwards “I have been all over Hyrule and more, I left on a ship  behind the desert of the Gerudo's, there is a small city called Darkus there, I got a ride with one of the bigger ships working as a deck boy and jumped off in Iadok, from there I wandered from city to city and village to village with no real destination.”

One of the servants came in the door with tea and a couple of slices of cake and bustled out again after a quick bow, interrupting his story “So you have wandered from place to place for about then years before coming back here? Did you not miss Hyrule?” Link nodded and filled a cup with tea, taking a sip of it “I did more than you can Imagen your highness, I have memories here I will never forget. But unfortunately not all memories are good ones, and they made me wary of returning home.”

Link heard her move, her dress giving her away softly “Link, why will you not look at me?” he flinched at her words. “I am ashamed your highness, it is not often I do things I regret but.. I do regret not telling you and your father that I was leaving” he lifted his head and met her eyes “I am sorry milady, please forgive my foolish actions in the past”

She smiled softly “It is alright Link, do not worry yourself over things already forgiven. And my name is Zelda, you know this” he smiled back at her “Perhaps this won't be so bad after all?”