Chapter 6: The Price of a Princess
Raner emerged into the castle grounds carrying the items he'd been sent to fetch. To his horror everyone was asleep. He found Impa on the ground and shook her hard to no avail. His eyes searched worriedly for the ones entrusted to him to protect but there was no trace of them. Hoping they had used some sort of Shiekah technique to conceal themselves he investigated the grounds. There was no sign of a struggle. The flavoured milk poured over the table in various spots. "It's the wrong colour. Someone must have . . ." He looked for the kitchen help and the maids; they were absent as well. "By Din, where's the princess, Link and Mishcana?" Tracks lead to the castle gate. A few guards had been knocked out by the castle's toast as well along the way. Strapping Mishcana's bow and sword to his back unsheathed his own sword and his Hylian shield. There were many tracks down the way including two tracks made by dragged bodies. Eventually the track of a large farm cart replaced them all. Worry filled the young guardsman's eyes and he began to run fast into Hyrule field.
The Yeril camp was a frightful place. It was dark except where watch fires burned with hateful spite. The crescent moon hung high in the sky but lent little light through the trees around the camp. The scent of pine surrounded them. The tents were arranged in rows amongst the tall pine and cedar trees. They were tan in colour and seemed to be made of some thick kind of canvas. Inside a tent at the edge of camp a pair of eyes sleepily opened. Her blue eyes being born to the world anew she looked at her surroundings. There was little to see; it was very dark wherever they were. A guard stood by the opening partially lit by the red fire outside. Coarse ropes rubbed against her wrists as she weakly tried to move. They were tied tightly in the front and attached to her torso to prevent any manueverability. Bound around her feet were tight leather straps reinforced by locked iron buckles. On her left lay Link breathing deeply in his sleep. Zelda lay on her right, her facial features relaxed into a happy dream. Light gleamed lightly on both their faces and Mishcana reached out with her head to shake Link. Carefully, she stopped shaking him as the guard looked over at her and she pretended to be still asleep.
When the guard walked outside the tent she nudged Link heavily. "Link." She whispered fiercely, "Wake up." Smoke from the fire drifted in as the breeze blew the canvas open wider. The scent of burning wood mixed with Mishcana's shaking roused the young warrior. His eyes opened slowly for he was still drowsy. Her panicky face learned over his and she kept whispering "Link, Link." He lifted his head, exhausted by the mere effort. "I feel helpless. I've never felt so weak before." He glanced over her minimally lit face and saw the light gleam in her eyes. "You drank less." He stated simply, still whispering. "Are you any better?" She nodded slowly, "I feel like I'm getting better. Give me some time. I'll get us out of here, somehow." He nodded and laid his head back down.
The guard re-entered with a companion. "I heard talking." He and his partner came forth holding a torch. The torch lit up the faces of their captors. They were dark-skinned but had ears similar to those of the Hylians. Perhaps they were descendants of the Hylian race, a break away during the wars. Whatever they were they looked darker, more sinister. Friendliness did not show in their eyes as they brought the torches near the three Hylians. "One of them is awake I'd hazard. They'll show it if we poke 'em with our swords, I'm sure." Mishcana held her breath fearful of her discovery. Link groaned and rolled over and pretended to be muttering in his sleep. The guards nodded to each other. "Here's our little talker no doubt. Link opened his eye slightly and winked to Mishcana as they lifted him up. "Sounds like he's close to waking. Give 'im some more of the draught." The vile stuff poured into Link's mouth and he coughed sleepily and sunk to the ground as they released him. "That'll keep him out for hours. It's lonely on this shift. These prisoners give me the creeps. The stories I've heard about them, that is. They look like little children but at that party when I was handing out the drinks . . . You wouldn't believe half the tales I heard about this fellow." He kicked the sleeping Link with the edge of his shoe. "Nor should you, I wager. Captain says they're that the lady there is the princess," said the other guard, "We'll get a fine ransom for her from the castle I'm certain. These other two," he said gesturing to the two orange-robed Kokiri-Hylians, "Are said to be beloved of the queen regent. I'm sure they'll provide us with a fair sum as well. Imagine! People calling these two dancer children warriors." The first guard shook his head, "We'll never know if it's true. Someone else is making a bid on these three children I'm told. I don't like the look of him though. Looks like this fellow will as an adult, I'm sure, but darker. It's a large sum; I wonder if the treasury of Hyrule has enough money to bid back their children?" The two went back the doorway to stand sentinel. Little tears made their way to the ground. Mishcana lay silently regretful in some ways that Link had given her a chance to figure a way out. Zelda, who had drunken heavily of the sleep draught earlier, showed none of the signs Link had for soon waking. "I'm on my own." She whispered desolately and nearly inaudibly to herself.
A ruckus arose outside of the tent and guards guarding them left their posts to see what was the matter. Mishcana sat up uncertain of the amount of time she would have. She rolled Link over with her head, grunting at the sheer effort as he continued to sleepily snore. Brushing aside his robes with her forehead she opened a hidden pocket with her teeth. Inside was a small dagger he had hidden there for emergencies. Grabbing the hilt with her teeth she withdrew it, brushing off the scabbard on the ground. She curled up on the ground bringing her head to her hands. Tightly holding it her teeth she sawed back and forth on the coarse rope. It gave way under her severe attack. Her hands were free but sore. Cautiously she stayed on the ground curled up and grabbed the dagger with her right hand and began sawing to and fro upon the thick leather bindings on her feet.
The battle outside had risen and hysterical shouts echoed in the night. The fire outside was extinguished and darkness enveloped the tent. Mishcana felt her way to removing the binds; however, in the end she was unable to remove them. She managed to detach them from each other, which gave her the full use of her feet. She could not get off the round leather anklets. Torchlight neared the door again, and a guard peeked in on them. His face was drawn and horrified and was covered with splattered blood. She held still; fearful again of discovery. The dagger was held tightly in her hands, out of sight under her chest. The guard disappeared outside into the fray.
Mishcana sat up. The dagger was clutched tightly in her hands, ready for use. She could see little in the tent for the flap had nearly shut. She felt around with her left hand for Link's left wrist. Something cold and magical answered to her touch. She felt around for its clasps and undid them and then bound it to her own wrist refastening the straps. "I'm glad he kept it on to toss me during the dance." She murmured happily to herself as she stroked the Goron's bracelet. "Now, if only it is enough." Though recovered fairly well from the draught she still felt drained in the magical sense. Physically she was tired but all right. Her companions lay sawing logs, deep in sleep. Zelda was slowly hefted onto her left shoulder, Link onto her right. With laboured breathing she manage to carry them outside just as the watch fire was extinguished completely.
Outside the tent the battle raged on in complete darkness. Large red eyes gleamed occasionally through the darkness, being lit by the moon or a stray torch light. With great difficulty Mishcana laboured to bring her friends outside the camp. Unsure of the danger around her she resolved to keep heading straight and to not stray from the path no matter what. Even with the power of the Goron's bracelet her friends weighed heavily upon her. Finally, the tents disappeared and she recognized the trees around them. They were in the Lost Woods.
A shadow stalked the three in the darkness moving like a wisp of wind behind them. Another walked nearby as well, unknowing of either shadow or of friend. Mishcana sighed sadly as exhaustion overcame her. Wearily she sunk to her knees and deposited her friends by a tall pine tree. "Let's hope we're far enough away." She whispered hopefully. An arrow flew over her head towards a distant target. The archer cursed in another tongue she did not understand. A shade hurdled out of the tree nearby. His steel sword glowed in the moonlight and slew the Yeril in his tracks. The bow flew out of the archer's hand as well as his quiver and landed near Mishcana's hand. The shadow turned towards her smiled. "I tried to buy off the fools for you three. They thought Hyrule would give them more. A pity, they needn't have all died. Ah, but moblins enjoys their work." He sniggered to himself and lifted a glowing red stone from his pocket illuminating his face.
It was Link's face, but darker. "Dark Link!" Fear and dread filled these words as Mishcana uttered them. "Do not demean me by that pathetic name. I am called Dowan now, for it means black in the ancient tongue." Responded the figure angrily. "Will you relent to me easily, mouse? Either way you and your companions are coming with me. If I have to knock you out, so be it. It will be fun." Mishcana recoiled from Dowan's hateful eyes and felt for the bow that had fallen beside her. Memory of Link's voice echoed in her ears, "Arrows are no use against him." He smiled at her cruelly. "Thinking of resisting, are we? Very well. I shall be fair; you shall have a sword." He cast it at her feet and taunted, "Come, attack me!" Mishcana's hand reached hesitantly for the sword. The red jewel gleamed brightly awakening within her the memories of days long ago that she did not care to remember. A voice, a voice telling her to attack him with a sword echoed in her memory. She shook her head; it had been Ganondorf. Her hand flinched back from the sword. "Another way." She murmured to herself and concentrated. Her magic reserves were too depleted for a full-out fire attack; they had been expended using the jump spells at the party. Still, she could feel that inkling of magic somewhere within her. "Arrows do no hurt him." She repeated to herself as he began to close in on her. She kneeled lifting one foot up and leaving one leg on its knee. The bow felt rough within her grip unlike her beloved Gerudo bow. She drew a single arrow from the quiver and concentrated her remaining magic upon it. Her fire spell gave off small sparks but it lit the arrow well. Dowan approached her, his weapon ready. He raised his sword and brought it out towards her. The Yeril bow sung and he recoiled in pain. The arrow had pierced his wrist and burned it, though no wound showed upon his skin. Angrily he discarded his shield and rushed her with his right arm wielding the sword instead. Her eyes stared at him fiercely but she never had the chance to knock another arrow.
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