Chapter Text
Calm winds breezed over the village of Hateno, giving the pond in front of Link slight ripples across its smooth surface. He let out a content sigh as he flopped onto his back. Above him in the sky, a couple of doves flew around each other, chirping a cheery tune. The flowers that populated his backyard were in full bloom and gave off the soft, sweet aroma of their nectar.
And just a few feet from the pond was a makeshift stable crafted by his father. In it lived his beloved horse, Epona, who he has known since he was a kid. The poor mare was beginning to show signs of age but she didn't let that keep her from accompanying Link when he had to go to work.
For Link, it's been this peaceful for a while. The last time peace was distributed was years ago. What happened then disabled his father forever, but he's glad he found another purpose as a local part-time blacksmith. Link thought it was much safer than being a knight at his current age, and he was happier that his father could be home more for his younger sister, Aryll, and him.
Unfortunately, this led his father into thinking that his son should follow in his footsteps and taught him to be a knight, just like his ancestors before him were. That's how Link came to be Princess Zelda's appointed knight. King Rhoam was impressed by his swordsmanship and chivalry and believed that he would be best suited to protect his daughter when needed.
If Link could have it his way, he would want to be a stable owner, or maybe a simple farmhand. He thought he had a pretty strong bond with all the horses he's met so far. Speaking of horses...
He stood up from the soft grass and gave his back a good stretch before moseying over to Epona. Her ears perked up at the familiar sound of feet rustling grass and she let out a happy snort as Link's hand gave her a nice pat on the nose.
"How's she doin', Link?"
The deep, throaty voice of his father made Link look over to the shed where he emerged.
"She's doing great, father," He smiled, bringing his gaze back to his horse.
"I'm glad," His father sighed as he approached the two. "Y'know, since you were a little munchkin, you and Epona have always got along well."
Link nodded in agreement and looked up into Epona's deep brown eyes. Their bond required no words or sounds to understand one another. Anyone who saw their interactions knew this. These two were inseparable when duty called or adventure awaited.
Link's father sighed beside him, breaking the comfortable silence between the three. "Well, son, you know I'd hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I believe you were called in by the princess yourself." He waved a letter that was encased in the signature Royal Family envelope, sealed by Zelda's very own stamp.
Link tried his best to conceal his disappointment but his body language gave away everything. His ears were tilted downward while a frown took over his lips. Even Epona started to adopt his ways and had her ears pinned back with an agitated snort. Without much of a word to his father, Link headed inside the house to get ready.
"I'll get Epona all saddled up for you!" His father called just as his son disappeared inside, then he looked toward the horse. "Sorry, old girl..."
Inside the house, Link trudged up the small set of stairs leading to his room. It wasn't exactly a room since it overlooked the living space below where the family ate or hung out, and it had no door. His sister slept below the stairs in the storage area while his father sacrificed his comfort by using the shed as his bedroom. They had no storage, so they used the living space to store all his father's prized possessions from his time as a royal knight and anything else that had sentimental value. Link knew their living situation wasn't ideal, but what else could they do with such little space?
"Link! Link! Are you going out?" The shrill voice of his little sister made him turn. She stood at the base of the stairs with her head slightly tilted and her hands behind her back.
"Unfortunately," He smiled at her. "But I'll try to be back in time to take you fishing. How does that sound?"
"Amazing!! I can't wait! Please try to hurry," She begged, giving him her best pouty face.
"I'll try," Link said and gave her his best wink before going over to his dresser.
His usual attire consisted of a light blue tunic worn on top of a lightweight white long sleeve, tan Hylian trousers, and his favorite pair of riding boots. For some light protection, he would wear gauntlets that his father handcrafted for him and some brown fingerless gloves. Once everything was on, he would grab his sword, bow, quiver, and shield that he often kept in a corner near his dresser. After that, he grabbed a small hair tie to pull back some of his hair into a tiny ponytail and keep it from getting in his face (also to keep enemies from yanking his hair in battle).
When he felt prepared enough, Link made his way down the stairs and was hugged by a very impatient little girl. He chuckled. "It's not like I'm leaving for war, Aryll, I'll be back soon."
"I know, I know, but there are so many monsters on the way to the castle, you HAVE to be careful!" She whined.
Link pulled her off of him and he knelt down to her eye level. "Well, I'll just tell them all off and then if they don't leave, I'll scare them off with my big, scary sword," He said with a mischievous smile. This made Aryll giggle.
"Okie dokie, big brother! Oh, and could you give the princess this? I made it myself..." She held out a beaded necklace with the Royal Family's crest. "Father helped me with the crest but I did all the beadwork."
Link looked down upon it and smiled softly. The crest was made entirely out of wood, but it was light and it didn't splinter. The beads consisted of three colors: light blue, pearly white, and soft gold. "I'll give it to her," He said and looked up into his sister's gleeful eyes.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!!" She squealed with delight.
Link stood up just as his father entered the house. He approached the two and handed Link the letter. "Why don't you go ahead and read that, son?"
He took the fancy envelope into his hands and carefully peeled the stamp off. Inside was Zelda's handwritten letter addressed specifically to him. He could tell it was her handwriting because of her intricate, soft cursive letters. His eyes skimmed over it. He wasn't much of a reader, he'd rather get the gist of the writing and then go off from there.
"So...what is it?" His father asked.
Link felt his heart drop as he read over the last bit of the letter. He couldn't explain all of this to his father. The last thing he needs is his father to worry. He shook off the nerves inside and looked up at his father, giving him a reassuring smile. "It's nothing, Father, just my regular knightly duties. You know how it is."
His father chuckled. "I sure do, son, and I also know that if you don't get a-movin', you're in for a rude awakening."
Link rolled his eyes slightly with a smile and headed for the door, patting Aryll on the head as he passed by. "Yeah, yeah, I'll be back tonight, love you, guys!"
As usual, Epona was hitched at the tree, ready to go. Link approached her and hauled himself up onto her back. He gathered her reins into his hands, pausing a second to look over his shoulder. It'll all be alright, Zelda's confident in us..., he thought. If she was confident though, then why did he feel uneasy?
During the whole ride to the castle, Link still felt that unsettling sensation within him. There's no way the ancient evil could wake up again, right? It has been thousands of years since the last awakening, but this just feels too soon. He sighed. Maybe he's just lazy, but he really doesn't feel like fighting some powerful evil force right now. To him, things seem perfect. Hyrule is at peace. There may be some monsters here and there, but they're relatively harmless! Travelers know what to do when a gang of Bokoblins or Moblins comes to mess with them. If something like Ganon were to disturb the peace, however, would travelers know what to do then?
"Ugh..." He groaned, letting go of the reins to run his hands up his face and through his hair. He looked up to the skies to see a pair of Rito messing around. They looked happy, and that upset him. Gods! Is there not a way to avoid Ganon? Perhaps a prayer could make that possible...
Link closed his eyes and let in a deep breath, exhaling slowly. This brought peace to him for now, but for how long will that last? He tightened his grip on the reins as newfound determination rushed through him. He will find a way to seal Ganon away. He has to; for his father, his sister, his friends...everyone.
"Hyah, girl," Link said with a click of his tongue, encouraging Epona to hurry.
The Hyrule Castle lay just a few more miles ahead. It was a very majestic building, made by only the finest Hylian construction crew. It has been renovated over the centuries, but it's mostly kept its historical architecture. On the outside of the castle, a strong line of Guardians and a sturdy stone wall act as an impenetrable barricade. To add even more security, two Guardians and a few soldiers guard the front and back gates. As the princess's anointed knight, Link gained easy access through both gates.
Past the front gates, rows and rows of houses and shops surrounded the moat and the castle. This bustling area was well-known as the Hylian marketplace. Vendors from all over came to sell handcrafted goods such as food, clothes, and weapons. Sometimes, Link would stop by a few shops to purchase something for Aryll or Epona. If a weapon caught his eye, however, he would put all his rupees on the table for it.
For anyone on horseback, the marketplace was very hard to navigate through so Link often traveled early so he could beat the rush. Unfortunately, early wasn't early enough today. The Hylian marketplace was buzzing with life and it felt like, for once, this place was too small for the number of people inside. Every few seconds, Link would have to tug on the reins because people thought it was smart to jump in front of a moving horse. He let out an annoyed sigh, slightly flipping his hair out of his face. There wasn't anything special going on today. No festivals or holidays. So why was it so busy?
After several minutes of stopping and moving, Link finally made it up to the gate that closed off the bridge to the castle. The guards blocking the way scrutinized Link for a moment before letting him pass.
"It should be smooth sailing from here on out, girl," Link said under his breath to Epona. She replied with a relieved snort.
The soldier's grounds is where Link usually dropped off Epona since he couldn't ride her any further after the bridge. One of the stablehands would come over and lead her off to the stables where she would be pampered and cooled down. Link looked up towards the castle and sighed. Now he just had to walk a million staircases. That's always fun.
The walk up to the castle was nowhere near as interesting as the marketplace. There were no vendors allowed past the bridge so it was only a few of the rich civilians and the soldiers who lived up here. People who worked for the royal family also lived here. Link was the only exception because he requested to live outside of the castle. Living this kind of pampered life wasn't for him. He preferred the simple life in his village.
Link paused shortly before the castle doors. The uneasiness from earlier that morning came creeping up again. He knows it's silly to think of, but he hopes Zelda has other news that will comfort him, like how a village dog gave birth to a litter of puppies or something.
Drawing in a breath, Link let himself into the castle, fearing for the worst.