Here it is. After this, there probably will not be updates for a long time. Link and friends find out what happened in Castle Town and go to the next town.

21

Ill News. Ashlyn Returns to Castle Town. Oakcrest.

Link and Ashlyn turned to Glurak. ''What's going on?''

''Apparently Risbon decided to raid an auction house...and got attacked by the owner. That was last night. Today, the Southgate safe house was raided by soldiers. All but three were executed.''

Ashlyn sucked in a breath. ''Oh shit.''

''Is Risbon all right?'' Link asked.

Glurak nodded. ''Yes.''

Ashlyn shifted, looking worried. ''Is Johann...?''

''No. He, along with Beppo, are locked in the castle. Solaris got away during the attack.''

''Goddesses be praised,'' Ashlyn breathed. She seemed to think about something. ''I need to go back to the capital. If anything else happens, I need to be there.''

Link nodded. He too wished to return. But he knew he could not. ''I understand.''

''When will you leave?'' Glurak asked.

''Now.''

''Now? Will you ride at night? It's almost dusk!'' he exclaimed.

She nodded. ''Yes. This isn't something I want to wait on.''

Glurak touched her shoulder briefly. ''All right.''

She mounted Clarion. ''Good luck in the forest.'' She spurred her horse.

As she rode off, Link waved and said, ''Goddesses speed you.''

Shara had seethed when Link had managed to flee Kakariko with his allies. The other Sheikah weren't too pleased either. Some had teleported out, since the barrier hadn't blocked that. The barrier had faded in an hour, despite their efforts to get rid of it.

She'd had to remind herself to be calm. It wouldn't do for a Sheikah to lose their temper. Presently, they were discussing what should be done.

''I've heard they went to Zora's Domain,'' Cala reported.

''And where are they going from there?'' Ruhi asked.

Cala shrugged. ''Possibly Oakcrest.''

''Oakcrest? That's fairly close to the Kokiri Forest,'' Shara observed.

''They might be headed there,'' Heishi said.

Shara smiled. ''No. I'm certain they're going there. It seems like he's starting his journey. This is a Link we're talking about.''

The others nodded. With the locations the boy had already gone to, it could be easily deduced that he would go to the forest. From there, they agreed to plan an ambush.

''It's times like this when I miss Impa,'' Cala said.

''Indeed.''

Impa was the Princess's personal Sheikah bodyguard. Unfortunately, she had been detained in the dungeon. It was no secret that something was terribly wrong with the Princess. The Sheikah were not stupid. Of course they knew something was up.

But Impa had been forced into giving them a message. If they interfered with whoever was behind it all, both Impa and Princess Zelda herself would suffer for it. They certainly did not want any harm to befall the Princess or Impa. So they carried out their orders as before, as if nothing had happened.

Whoever had taken control of the Princess must have been laughing at them. Now they had to track down Link, on the Princess's orders. They had to arrest the one person who was the most qualified to help. If the boy knew what was good for him, he'd hurry up and get the holy sword.

''Goddesses damn the one doing this,'' Shara said in a heated tone.

Ruhi laughed. ''Oh, they will. After all, isn't Link on his way?''

The rest of Kakariko Village's Sheikah laughed as well. The joke was on the fiend. They knew the Hero would carry out the will of the Goddesses.

Mazin glanced up at the sky for a moment. ''I would accompany you.''

''Why?'' Glurak asked.

''I will not go back to my mentor now. He's gone much too far... I had been planning on leaving before he sent me to kill Link. I didn't like what he was doing to the Princess. And then I was told to kill someone? That was the last straw.''

Link nodded, walking towards his horse. ''Well, you can certainly come if you wish.''

''Can I have the box back?''

Glurak grabbed the box from Link. ''It'll be safer in my saddle bag.'' He placed it inside the bag. ''You can get on Storm.''

Mazin got on the stallion behind Glurak. ''We should hurry to Oakcrest.''

Link mounted Epona and nudged her, setting off at a fast trot. Glurak followed suit. They arrived just as the sun was starting to set. Link and the two mages put their hoods up.

Oakcrest was a city, but it did feel rather rustic, which was to be expected. Only the main streets were paved. Glurak led them to an inn called The Hollow Tree, which had a stable for their horses. The mage paid the stable boy extra.

They went inside the inn and headed up to the counter. ''A room for three, please,'' Glurak said.

''Will two beds be all right? One has a trundle bed underneath,'' the innkeeper, a woman who looked to be in her thirties, asked.

Glurak nodded. ''Yes. Thank you.'' He paid for the room and took the key that was handed to him.

They went upstairs and opened the door to their room. The room was decent sized. As the woman had said, there were two single beds, one with a thicker frame than the other to accommodate the trundle bed. There wasn't a privy, but there was a chamber pot behind a screen.

''Do we argue over who has to sleep in the trundle?'' Mazin asked.

Link shook his head. ''No. I don't care, as long as it has a blanket.''

The dark mage shrugged. ''I was going to take the trundle anyway.'' He pulled it out.

Link went behind the screen to change into his nightgown. After he had finished, Glurak did the same. Having no nightgown, Mazin took his robes off, revealing a plain white shirt and tan pants.

The dark mage took the trundle, Glurak took the bed, and Link went to lie down on the second bed.

Ashlyn rode on. Night had fallen and she could barely see. After another hour, she decided to stop. She needed rest and so did the horse. A ranch was nearby. She wasn't sure if it was Lon Lon; there were other ranches in Hyrule. It would be safer to sleep near a settlement to avoid being robbed.

She pulled up to a small cluster of trees and dismounted Clarion. The mare bent her head down to eat grass. Ashlyn moved close to a tree and sat down. She had ridden for hours, only stopping to rest the horse and relieve herself. Leaning against the tree, she fell asleep. Exhausted as she was, Ashlyn slept soundly through the night.

When dawn was just peeking up over the horizon, she woke and mounted her horse. She rode off at a trot, conserving Clarion's energy. When the sun had risen a bit higher, she could see that she was approaching Lon Lon Ranch. Beyond that, she could see the spires of Hyrule Castle looming over the capital.

She spurred her mount and rode at full tilt towards the city. When she was closing in on the gates, the guards brandished their weapons.

''What's your business in Castle Town this early?''

''Hey, stop!''

Ashlyn didn't bother to slow down. The two soldiers dove out of the way and into the moat to avoid the speeding horse. She directed the horse left, heading for the Amalgam. The few people about so early moved out of the street and pressed themselves against the walls of buildings.

The metallic haired girl gave an amused chuckle as a thought came to her. She was breaking yet another law; galloping a horse in a town. There wasn't anyone pursuing her yet, but she thought it prudent to get to headquarters quickly.

When she saw the Amalgam, she dismounted Clarion and put the mare in the stable. She threw the front door open and rushed inside. Risbon and Yost were seemingly the only ones awake.

''Ashlyn?''

She sat down on a couch, breathing heavily. ''I heard what happened. I had to come back.''

Risbon was touched by her loyalty. As one of the first recruits of the Resistance, she was very committed. ''Thank you.''

''How many keys did Link get so far?'' Yost asked.

''Two. We were heading for the forest when we got your message.''

Risbon nodded. ''Good.''

Ashlyn suddenly smirked. ''So I heard you got your arse kicked by someone...''

''Lady Lurise. I underestimated her. She is a very skilled mage and knife thrower.''

She shrugged. ''Happens to all of us.''

Yost laughed. ''That it does. Honestly, I found the battle quite refreshing. Well, except the part where she blasted a hole in my brother's shoulder.''

Ashlyn winced. ''Damn. Did you get it fixed, boss?''

''Yes,'' Risbon replied.

''Good.'' She grinned. ''I made a great entrance into out fair city this morning.''

''Oh?''

''I was galloping at full tilt. The guards at the gate had to jump in the moat.''

Risbon and Yost laughed. ''Hah! Although they might have recognized you and reported it,'' they both said.

Ashlyn nodded. ''They probably did recognize me. Eh, I'm already a rebel.''

''True. I don't suppose speeding through town makes much of a difference,'' Yost said.

At around seven thirty in the morning, Princess Zelda went into the throne room. A soldier entered the room before she could sit down.

''Your Royal Highness, Ashlyn Hayward has returned to Castle Town.''

''Is Link with her?'' she questioned.

The man shook his head. ''No. She came alone.''

''I see. You may tell the soldiers to keep watch for her. Dismissed.''

After the man left, she issued a summons for Kellen Hayward. The brown haired soldier entered and saluted. ''Princess.''

He was a very good soldier, very close to a promotion to Lieutenant. She had thought about making him a Knight of Hyrule or a Royal Guardsman one day.

''Have you heard the news? Your daughter is back in the city,'' she said.

''Yes, I've heard.''

She started to gauge his thoughts; knowing he wanted to be the one to catch the girl. ''If you patrol like you usually do, I'm sure you will find her eventually.''

''Indeed.'' He shifted. ''Your Royal Highness...''

She knew what was on his mind. ''Do not worry. She is underage. There will be no execution.''

Kellen saluted. ''My thanks. By your leave, Princess.'' He exited the throne room.

When Lux and Nettie woke up, they entered the main room. The blond's gaze landed on Ashlyn.

''Ah, you are here,'' Lux said.

''Hey bookworm.''

Lux sighed. ''Please stop calling me that.''

Risbon walked up to them. ''Ashlyn, this is Nettie, our healer.''

Ashlyn shook the brunette woman's hand. ''Nice to meet you. Isn't your job a healer too?''

''Yes,'' Nettie replied. ''And as such, I have a medic's oath not to harm anyone. So I won't be doing any fighting.''

''Medics are strong too. You see injuries all the time, have to keep a happy face on, and try your hardest to save lives. I admire the fortitude people like you have,'' Ashlyn said warmly.

Nettie smiled. ''Thank you.'' She sat down on a couch.

Everyone exchanged tales of what had happened. After a bit, they heard footsteps and turned to see Solaris enter from the hallway leading to the bedrooms.

Ashlyn stood up and hugged the archer. ''I'm so sorry. They were good people,'' she said, voice wavering with emotion.

''Yes. I will fight on for them.''

''Johann and Beppo are going to be fine.'' Ashlyn knew that Solaris had romantic feelings for Johann, but wasn't sure if he returned them.

The archer nodded in agreement. ''Johann is resourceful.''

''It isn't Princess Zelda's fault,'' Ashlyn said. She thought Solaris deserved to know the truth.

''I know. Risbon told me what's going on,'' Solaris replied. ''I can't imagine how the Princess is feeling, being forced to turn against her own people while her father suffers, probably because of the person behind it all.''

Ashlyn sighed. ''It can't feel good.''

The front door opened and Malon walked inside. ''Hello everyone. Ashlyn, you're back!''

''Hello. How's your spear training going?'' Ashlyn asked.

''Good so far. I'm getting better!'' Malon replied brightly.

Yost smiled. ''She is indeed.''

Link rolled over in bed. It was morning, he knew. What exact hour, he wasn't sure. He sat up. Glurak was already awake and fully dressed. Mazin was still sleeping in the trundle bed.

''What time is it?''

''After seven,'' Glurak replied quietly.

Well, it wasn't late. Link was rather amused that he had slept in a bit. He was usually up at dawn or so. He grabbed his clothes and went behind the screen to change and use the chamber pot.

After he was done, Link came back out. Mazin sat up in bed, looking around sleepily. ''Good morning,'' he said.

''Good morning to you as well,'' Link and Glurak responded.

The dark mage grabbed his robes and put them back on over his shirt and pants. He slid into his boots. ''Breakfast?''

''Yes,'' Link replied, ''Let's head down.''

They left their room and went to the staircase, going down into the main room of the inn. Breakfast was being served at the tables. They sat down and helped themselves, having paid for food along with the room.

''So I hear you're looking for something in the forest,'' Mazin said, keeping his voice low.

Glurak nodded. ''Yes. The key to open the door to the Master Sword shrine.''

''Ah. My mentor said something about Link seeking the holy sword. That's why he sent me. He didn't want you to get it.''

''All the more reason to,'' Link said.

Mazin poked at his food. ''You'll probably have to do something to get this key.''

Link smiled a bit. ''If it's anything like the previous two, yes. We'll have to venture into a shrine where it's kept.''

Johann shifted, mumbling something incoherent as he woke up. He flung the blanket off and sat up. The sight of the hallway through the bars greeted him.

Yesterday, he and the others had been led down to the castle dungeons and imprisoned. They had taken the others away at noon to be hanged, while leaving him and Beppo. The kid had cried for a while, scared. Johann himself had cried a bit and prayed for his comrades' souls.

The dungeon wasn't too bad. None of the guards had bothered them. Beppo was in the next cell over, still sleeping, judging by the lack of crying. He got up from the cot and went to heed the call of nature.

When he was finished, he glanced into the hall. There was nothing. No guards had come by to his knowledge. Of course, he had been asleep. He heard someone moving. Beppo had awakened.

''J-Johann?'' The fourteen-year-old's voice trembled.

''Yes?'' he replied.

There was a pause. ''Everyone else is in heaven, right?''

Johann sucked in a breath. ''Yes.''

''Good. They...were all really nice.''

According to legend, there were several layers to heaven. Most were where the good, devout people went after death. The Sacred Realm was where the Triforce was kept. The Goddesses and deities dwelled in their own layer, supposedly.

''...Yeah.''

On the other side of the wall, Beppo shifted. ''I'm hungry.''

Johann almost laughed. ''I'm sure that will be fixed soon. They didn't let us go hungry yesterday.''

''...I'm glad you're still here.''

He swallowed. ''Me too.''

After they ate, Link and Glurak went to fetch their horses from the inn's stable. Mazin trailed behind them, looking around at the other buildings. It was a calm morning. People were walking about shopping.

Glurak handed the stable boy twenty rupees even though he had paid the young worker extra yesterday. He and Link led their horses out of the stalls. The mounts had already been saddled by the stable hands.

Link lifted himself into Epona's saddle, petting her head. Glurak and Mazin got up onto Storm's back. They both nudged the horses and headed out onto the main street. It wasn't too crowded and they easily melded into the flow. They rode carefully until they came to the end of the city's limit.

Link allowed Epona to speed up a bit. They could see the tree line of the Kokiri Forest ahead, though it would take about an hour or so to get there. They enjoyed the quiet, watching the grass move slightly in the soft breeze. It was a nice day out; the sun was shining but it wasn't too warm.

An hour later, they came to the tree line. The tree leaves were a beautiful shade of green, so vibrant and full of life. They could hear birds and other animals.

''Well, here we are. Kokiri Forest.''

''Such lush trees. Nature is a wonderful thing,'' Glurak commented.

Behind him, Mazin stared at the trees. ''Shall we go in?''

They entered the brilliantly green forest, riding under the eaves of the trees.

This chapter is a bit shorter than my recent ones, but oh well. Next chapter will cover Kokiri Forest and some other stuff. As a funny little note, you really weren't supposed to ride a horse fast in a town or other populated areas in the middle ages. They didn't want you running people over, of course. So yes, there WERE speed limits back then! The charges upon arrest would be similar to speeding/reckless driving today. You also weren't supposed to ride a horse or drive a carriage while drunk. Anti-drunk driving laws have been around longer than you'd think.

Soon there will be a confrontation between Ashlyn and her father. I've been waiting a long time for that~