"That is a lot of stuff," Link spoke as he looked at what Raven now had in his hand, the man now having finished searching through the area in it's entirety for the items they needed. During their work through finding the items they needed, Raven kept writing slips after paying for the items, having them sent to the Castle since that would be their last destination. Now, after going through the area and grabbing several things, Raven had link following him through the Central market, an abandoned Happy Masks Shop now to the right of the entryway to the castle. "Was that all we needed?"

"Indeed, but it's still a tad too early for us to head to the castle," Raven spoke as he looked to the Temple of time, the sun now resting to the South end of it as it moved closer to the castle wall. "If we had a bit more time, I'd like to find some fishing rods to catch some of the fish in the area we're heading to. They tend to grow quite nicely despite the cold weather they live in."

"So it's finally time to head to the Castle," Link asked, his hand subconsciously reaching up to his head and scratching it as he felt the breeze hit it. Throughout their walk through the area, the only thing that Link was against was his loss of his hat, given how much he had been attached to it since he had fist left the Kokiri Forest. Raven only chuckled as he turned around and had Link following him, the two taking the pathway to Nayru's Bliss as Link followed behind.

"Yes, though it may still be a bit early," Raven responded as he motioned Link to follow. As they did, Link noticed several figures on the rooftops as the old man walked ahead. Among them, Link spotted the faintest glimpse of silver hair as one of the figures vanished over the roof. "They want us to know they're watching."

Link almost jolted at Raven's response as he looked at the old man. "You already know," Link asked as Raven looked back, holding up a small cloth that had a symbol of a familiar eye, bringing back bitter memories to Link from his time in the Shadow Temple. "The Sheikah."

"They left this near the doorstep of our last stop," Raven spoke as he closed his hand, turning back to the path as they found their way back to the tailor's shop. "They've kept an eye on us since we entered this place the first time, maybe since we entered the area."

"Only because you've not shown yourself in over a decade," came a voice, making the two turn to a fairly large cart as a woman stepped out from behind it. "And when you finally reappear, it's with the boy who came from the forest to warn the Royal Family of Ganondorfs treachery."

"Impa," Link spoke, making Raven turn to the boy with a smile as he looked back to the Sheikah, who just kept her gaze on the man.

"Given the potential threat that will come from Ganondorfs actions, I felt it necessary," Raven responded as he looked to Impa, his staff starting to glow as he looked at the rooftops. "Especially with all the things I learned from this boy here through my own conversations with him."

Link just looked at the old man, noticing a clear change in his tone as Impa walked forward. "One thing's for certain," Impa spoke as she looked at Raven, her gaze still stern as she soon stood face to face with the man before a smile appeared on her face. "You still have that unbridled courage to face the odds."

"Call it the curse of my family," Raven replied with a smile as the glow faded from his staff, his hand soon moving to his pouch before tossing it to Link. Link just caught it confused as Raven kept his gaze on Impa. "Go ahead without me, and tell Romon I got stalled by a friend along the way in. He should have your clothes ready if they're all here."

Link just nodded before he turned and walked over to the tailor, his eyes catching several shapes moving on the rooftops again as they seemed to leave the area.

As soon as he entered the area, he spotted Romon cleaning a set of boots as he looked up to the boy. "Ah, you're here," Romon spoke as he got up, moving to his table before he looked over to Link. "Where's Raven?"

"He got stopped by a friend," Link responded, making Romon sigh as he motioned Link to come over as he turned back to the work table, two wrapped bags set on the table side by side. Link moved over confused, eyeing his hat on top of the bag on the right as Romon set the shoes on the bag to the left. "You've already finished them?"

"Of course," Romon spoke as he looked to the boy with a smile, making Link back up confused. "When it comes to some of my favorite people to work for, I make sure my products are finished fast and with efficiency when needed."

"However, I do wish that I could've gotten the chance to work more on your own attire," Romon spoke as Link just looked at the man confused, taking his hat off the bag to the right before he put it on as Romon continued. "I couldn't work too much on it without the potential of damaging the fabric, and there really wasn't much I could do with the fabric either since it held so much magic within it. With what I've seen of it, though, I bet I can make you something you'll love if you ever come here again."

"I don't think I can pay you by then," Link spoke as he looked at Romon, who just laughed as he looked over at Link.

"You can pay by bringing back a blue flower that shines in the night, something which should grow around the area north of Zora's Domain," Romon responded as he looked back to the two bags, which made Link look at him confused. "The flowers are among the only plants which can grow in those cold conditions without frost bite, and are considered among the few items blessed by the gods. I already have some with me, so you can pay for any future products with those flowers, if you can manage to find any."

Link just looked at the man confused before nodding, soon pulling out the pouch as the man continued his speech. "The bag on the left is your nicer clothes you'll be able to wear at the Castle, while the bag on your right are your usual clothes with an extra set made for colder conditions," Romon spoke as Link picked up the shoes off the bag, finding they had apparently been made to match Link's own feet as he looked at the bag. "I had a feeling you wouldn't like the tight fit most nobles clothes have, given that's how Raven normally is with his own personality, so I came up with a design meant more for maneuverability while also upholding the finer parts of a person training under him."

Link just nodded as he looked at the bag, then back out at the entrance to see Raven talking with Impa, the two now having moved to an area further from the tailor's shop. "Can I change into them in here," Link asked as he looked over to Romon, who already had his gaze on Raven as Link picked up the bag. "I have to still give you these clothes back anyway."

"Of course," Romon spoke as he looked over to Link, his gaze seeming a bit harder as he looked over to the two again. "Looks like you two will be going to the castle sooner than you may have intended, given there's a Sheikah out there with him."

Link only nodded, soon moving over towards the changing room before he stopped. "Oh right," Link spoke, turning back to Romon as the man looked to him confused. Link just pulled out Ravens pouch with a smile, his own smile appearing. "I was told to give you your payment when I got these."

"So Ganondorf has vanished from the Gerudo Valley," Raven spoke as he sat on a small bench, his staff now resting beside it as Impa looked over to him. With a sigh, he clasped his hands together as he looked up at the Sheikah. "I had heard rumors from Kaepora over it, but to think that the rumors were true…"

"He may have been sentenced to exile by the Gerudo for his failure," Impa suggested, making Raven look up to her. "…Is what I'd like to say, but the fact that his curses on the Gorons and Zora still had to be removed over a month after his disappearance has me worried."

"The magic he used was tied to his very being," Raven spoke as he looked to the ground ahead of him, his own gaze hard. "Gerudo magic holds sway so long as the user remains alive, and the remaining curse that has affected the Lost Woods is still within the areas of its trees. So, by this knowledge alone we can gather that he still lives and is more than likely planning his next move."

"But where could he have gone in order to vanish from us," Impa asked, her gaze looking over to the tailor. "Is his disappearance the reason you have Link with you?"

"Partially," Raven spoke as he looked up at the store, seeing Romon staring directly at them before he raised one of his fingers. Romon, taking the response, turned back to his own work as Impa looked over. "There's a danger far worse than anything else you all may have faced in the Civil War, one which has been kept secret since the time before the founding of Hyrule. Only three knew of its location among the Knights, and two of them are dead while the third has no recollection of its whereabouts. Regardless of if they remembered, however, they probably wouldn't wish to reveal that place in fear of actually showing Ganondorf the way to it."

"So you're planning to prepare the future generations to face that threat," Impa concluded, making Raven nod as she walked towards the cart. "So why have the boy go with you?"

"Because out of all the children I've seen, he's the closest to having the potential to master the older arts of the Knights," Raven spoke as he straightened himself up, looking back over to Impa as he smiled. "During my testing of his strength, despite his age, he was able to keep his shield in his arm after a direct strike from one of my attacks."

"What," Impa gasped, looking over to the shop now as she processed what he said. "I knew he had come here with the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, but I didn't expect him to have that much potential."

"And why shouldn't he," Raven asked as he looked back at her, his gaze now harder as Impa looked over to him. "Despite him being a boy, his strike and stance shows a warrior that has been hardened by many adventures, and that itself is without any training outside of the Kokiri style. His worth was even tested by the stone guarding the old grounds, and it placed him to have the potential to be among the highest ranks of the Knights, something only a handful of us ever obtain."

Impa just stared at Raven as he leaned back forward, muttering several words to himself before his staff glowed again. "You're never one for training people solely because of their potential," Impa spoke as Raven picked himself up, reaching over and grabbing the staff as Romon peaked over at the two from his work. "What makes Link so special outside of that."

"To answer that would reveal a truth that must remain secret for now," Raven responded as he tapped his staff, causing the air to seemingly shake as he saw Romons gaze turn to the area of the changing room. At the same time, Impa's gaze turned to the pathway out, noticing three forms that had not been at the entrance of the area before. "We have company."

Link had just finished readjusting his shield and sword as he was walking out of the changing room, his head now wearing a cap similar to his other one but with several more designs. The attire he was wearing looked similar to what he had seen several higher ranked soldiers wearing while they were in the main castle market, though it held a similar design as his tunic in it's size and shape. At first glance, Link had thought he had grabbed the wrong bag and grabbed his Kokiri tunic instead with how similar the two had looked, but the design of the triforce on both sides of the shoulders with the bird in the center of his back made the design feel more noble. This design even went to the hat, which held the designs of the seals of the Six Sages with the Triforce resting in the middle area of the cap.

"It's based roughly on this piece of paper I found in your tunic, if you're not too mad with me finding it," Romon spoke as he pulled out a piece of paper, revealing a drawing of the Center of the Temple of Light, something Link had made based off of his recollection of the area. "Needless to say, the different designs on each of the pedestals inspired me to work something similar into the hat, adding to the fact of the Triforce resting at the center. Was this a personal drawing?"

"…It was a vivid dream," Link responded, not wanting to reveal the location itself or of his time in the future. Regardless of the area being blocked off by the Master Sword, he couldn't shake off the chance that someone may try to enter the area for hope of finding the Triforce. As if subconsciously, his left hand felt as if it was heating up as Link took the paper from Romon. Then, pulling off the hat and looking over the symbols that were there, he smiled. "This looks really great, I'm really happy with it."

"I'm glad, it's been ages since I've gotten to work with some ideas like that," Romon spoke as he turned back to his worktable, picking up the remaining bag and handing over to Link. "You can place your regular boots and hat into here with your attire, it's been enchanted to hold multiple items without changing shape."

"I'm familiar with the concept," Link responded as he took the bag, looking down at the pouch on his side which already held his hat and boots despite it being a few sizes smaller than expected. Romon looked over to the pouch as well as Link took the bag as if understanding, though it made him sigh as he sat down.

"I'm guessing that's another item from the forest," Romon asked, making Link nod as he looked back to the tailor. "I figured as much. There are many mysteries that involve the children of the forest, and among those is their power over enchanting. I would've considered it a myth myself if I hadn't seen them during my trade."

Link just looked at Romon confused before the man's gaze turned to where Raven. "You won't be able to use the hat I made for you over in the Castle, sadly," Romon continued as Link placed the bag holding the clothes he had previously wore on the table beside Romon. "The design is meant for grand ceremonies due to the symbols on the rim holding major religious value, something you'll see occasionally given how Raven is. However, I still think you should wear it from time to time to get a feel for the fabric, given it will be able to stretch to fit your head even as you grow older. However, I made sure to make the outfit to where your usual hat should work fine with it."

"I understand," Link spoke simply as he placed the bag on his shoulder, soon pulling off the hat and folding it neatly before he placed it into his pouch, his hand soon finding his old hat before he put it on. "I'll try to get you the flowers you talked about if I ever see them."

"I'd appreciate it," Romon spoke as Link turned and started to leave the area. "And be sure to tell Raven that it was good seeing him again."

Link just smiled at Romon before he left the shop, soon finding Raven and Impa both staring at the entryway towards the area as he walked over to them. As he did, the two soon looked over to see him as Raven rested on his staff. "Looks like Romon did well with the time he had," Raven spoke as Link looked over to the entrance, seeing three figures there as Raven turned over as well. At first glance, they looked as if they were soldiers with how they had cloaks that had the Triforce, but the demeanor they held was something far different than what Link had seen in regular soldiers. Raven, noticing Link's gaze, simply turned over to the three as well. "They've been there since shortly after you entered Romons shop, and haven't moved since. Did the Castle send an escort for us, Impa?"

"If they did, then I would've been informed," Impa responded as she looked to the figures, her hands now down at her sides as if fluidly as Link noticed one of her hands moving close to her blade. "Even then, they would've immediately come over if they were. What do you think?"

"I think we should ask and find out," Raven responded as he moved towards them, his staff tapping along the steps as the other two followed. As he did, one of the men removed their hoods to reveal a Hylian with jet black hair, which made Raven smile as he moved faster towards them. "What, did you not want to wait for me to arrive at the Castle to welcome me?"

"And miss talking to you directly," the man asked as he walked forward, the two men clasping the other's hands as the black-haired man smiled. "The moment I'd let that happen is when Din's Fury burns us up."

"To be fair, I would've gone to you directly afterwards and you know it," Raven chuckled as Impa sighed, moving her arms back to their natural cross in front of her as Raven turned to Link. "This is Orvas, commander of the castle guard and the one who oversees most of their arrivals and departures."

"As well as the guard systems around the areas outside and inside the castle walls," the man responded as he looked over to Link, a more aggravated look on his gaze as Link kept his own gaze. "I remember that boy well from what I was told of him making it past all the guards so easily. He's made it so I've had to increase patrols around the Castle garden as well as add locations children can potentially enter among our watched areas."

This made Link look down at his feet, his face feeling hotter as Raven laughed. "That's how he got the information to Zelda, by out pacing your guard patrols," Raven asked as he looked over at Link, a bigger smile on his face. "Well, that just makes what potential you have even bigger, given only four other people have managed to break through his patrols without any of them knowing, outside of Impa of course."

"You're praising him for it," Orvas asked as he looked at Raven, making the old man turn back to the commander while keeping his grin. "The boy almost cost me my job."

"Well given how important his news was to the princess, I'd say it was worth the small blunder," Raven simply replied as he turned and walked over to Link. Then, turning back over to Orvas, he placed his hand firmly on the boys' shoulder. "Besides, given the travels this boy has gone through, I'd say it's no surprise that he managed to outpace the guards of the area."

Orvas just looked at Raven with a stern glare before sighing, slouching slightly as he closed his eyes. "I guess it was a good thing that he's the one who managed it instead of any thieves," Orvas spoke, soon straightening himself again before he nodded towards the pathway. "If you want, we should all head to the castle now. The king has already been informed of your presence and would like to know of the reason behind your arrival."

"As I thought he would," Raven spoke, tapping his staff on the ground as it's glow faded. Link just kept quiet as he looked over to Impa, who just shook her head at him as Raven turned to her. "I think we will probably manage to get to the castle easily with our current group."

"Then I'll go on ahead to inform the king that you'll be making your way there now," Impa spoke as she bowed slightly to Raven, soon tossing a deku nut on the ground before vanishing with the flash.

"Well, at least it's good to know that the Sheikah haven't changed all that much," Raven muttered as he turned to Orvas. "Well then, shall we be off?"

The group had little conversation on the trip to the castle, with the exception of Orvas and Raven discussing matters while Raven had Link tell him of how he managed to evade the guards. "So the fairy aided in finding out the guards locations as you went through, after finding the entrance yourself," Raven spoke to himself as the group entered into the main castle gates, Link overlooking the inner walls of the castle in wonders since he hadn't gotten to see them any of the times he had snuck in. "I remember one that aided me in a similar fashion back in Labrynna during my travels when I was aiding the people over there, but I didn't expect fairies to be used in a similar fashion here."

"I never even knew they could be implemented in such a fashion," Orvas spoke as they made their way through. "But from what I had heard, he hadn't used a fairy during his trek in to talk to Zelda."

"She left before we went into the castle area," Link replied, his gaze now falling on his hand. He also remembered the guard patterns from before time reset, but he couldn't say that due to how he had to keep the dual timelines secret. "My outfit blended with the leaves, so I used them as a way to get through to the area."

"So he did it without that fairy's aid at the end," Orvas spoke with a sigh, looking over to Raven. "And you knew they could be used like that?"

"Only if they choose to help, otherwise they don't let you anywhere near them," Raven responded as he looked over at Link, who just kept his gaze on the walls around them, looking at the designs of the Triforce that had been etched on each of the walls. "Given he was sent by the Great Deku Tree to inform the royal family, as well, it's no surprise that he had a fairy's aid in doing so."

"We'll soon be entering the throne room," Orvas spoke as he looked ahead, seeing a couple of guards the traditional Hylian armor as Raven looked ahead of them. As soon as they made it to the guards, Orvas and his men stopped. "This is as far as I'll go, given the king wishes to speak with you alone. I hope that we'll get to talk more before you head back out, though."

"As do I," Raven responded as Orvas turned and left, his men in tow as Raven looked over to Link. "Have you ever met the King of Hyrule before?"

"Only once," Link spoke, remembering his revelation to Zelda and her father, the man seeming far different from what Link had guessed back then. "It was brief, and only to confirm that I was telling the truth about Ganondorf, so it wasn't formal."

"Then think of this as your first lesson on formal etiquette," Raven responded as he turned to the doors and nodded to the guards. "Follow as I do and do not speak unless he speaks directly to you. I'm not very fond of it myself, but these are rules we have to deal with when addressing His Highness and the royal family."

"I understand," Link spoke as he watched the guards move to open the doors, revealing the same room he had seen when he first met Zelda. Raven soon handed his staff to one of the guards, soon motioning for Link to follow as he moved forward. As Link moved into the area, he noticed the garden window to the right of the throne, the grassy area now covered in the orange glow from the setting sun. 'I wonder if Zelda is watching us right now…' was all Link thought before he noticed a pink cloth huddled just under the window as the two walked forward, causing him to have a small smile. 'Nice to see that some things haven't changed.'

"Sir Raven," came a voice ahead of them, making Link turn to see a bearded man in regal attire sitting upon a throne, his stature seeming to give off a royal presence as Raven moved to the front of him with Link. Then, the old man kneeled down before the man with his head hung low, Link soon following suit as the man came off of his throne. "And I see you've brought a familiar face."

"I am sorry for my absence, King Gustaf," Raven simply spoke in response, making Link slightly tense. This was the first time he had actually heard the name of the king, with even Navi only addressing him as the King of Hyrule. It was then Link noticed the second thing: while guards had been present around the throne room when Ganondorf addressed the king, there were none here now with Raven. "I have long since overlooked my position and put this kingdom in jeopardy because of this."

"It is quite alright, my friend," the king responded, resting his hand on Ravens shoulder. "I have long since missed your council, and to find you returned to us is more than enough."

"Though it is a short-lived return," Raven spoke as he rose, his form now tall as he stood in attention to the king. "I've come in a time where we need to prepare for an inevitable war against the Gerudo."

"As I've heard from Impa, as well as your acquisition of supplies and having them sent here before your departure," Gustaf spoke as he sat back in his throne, Raven's stance changing to a more relaxed stance as the king waved his hand to Link. "I suppose that's why you've brought the boy who outed Ganondorf, as well?"

"Indeed, I intend to have him learn under me," Raven confirmed as he looked to Link, making Gustaf look at the two surprised. Raven then looked at the king with hard eyes, his voice now stern. "With the threat we may face due to the actions of certain individuals, we need all the strength we can in order to face it."

"If it's bad enough that you've taken on another apprentice, then it must be," Gustaf spoke as he looked over to Link, whose gaze now looked between the two older men as the king smiled. "But if it's this boy, then he can easily match your expectations."

"As he has when I tested him before," Raven spoke as he looked over to Link, who just looked down sheepishly as Raven turned back. "Besides this, I heard he's the reason you kicked Ganondorf out of the kingdom."

"Yes, he had told me of a future where the thief would become a tyrant over Hyrule," Gustaf confirmed, looking over to Link as the boy nodded at him. "He had warned of the man being evil in its plainest form before I sent Ganondorf away, but I still feel we shouldn't deal with them harshly yet."

"That may be the case in your eyes, but Ganondorf has gone further into the desert according to the Sheikah," Raven responded as he looked at the king. "We should still prepare a group to go and overlook them before they find a way to harm us even further."

"The Gerudo aren't anywhere near as powerful as they were decades back, especially with the vanishing of their leader into the desert," Gustaf responded as he looked to the window, making Link turn to see the pink hat of the Princess moving to hide under the window again. "The schemes of their leader have failed, so we can leave them as is for now."

"Just like you did when the Goron and Zora were harmed by Ganondorf," Link asked, making Gustaf turn to the boy shocked as Raven looked over to him. "The same inaction caused Ganondorf to release the Dodongo's where the Gorons get their food, and almost killed the Zora's Lord Jabu Jabu. To add to that, Ganondorf's curse killed the Great Deku Tree himself, and you're saying they aren't as strong as they used to be?"

"That's enough, Link," came Raven, making Link shut his mouth as he turned to the old man confused. Raven then turned to the king, his own gaze hard. "Though you're right that the Gerudo aren't as strong with their leader missing, this doesn't mean that their leader is weak, as has been made apparent with what Link has spoken of. If Ganondorf finds what he's seeking, and if he manages to take control of it, then we will be facing a power worse than anything we saw during the Civil War."

"We will see," Gustaf responded as he looked at Raven before waving his hand. As soon as he did, a man appeared beside him kneeling, his white hair and the eye on his outfit showing exactly who he was before Gustaf turned to him. "Tell Orvas and the other commanders to increase the defenses, as well as the training the guards have."

"As you wish," the man responded, soon jumping up towards the ceiling as Gustaf looked back to Raven. As Link looked up to follow the man, however, he found that he was nowhere to be seen.

"Does that suit your worries," Gustaf asked as Raven looked to him, a grim expression on his face as he kneeled before the king.

"It's a start, but it won't prepare you for what's to come," Raven responded as he looked to the king. "However, I can't let you come up with this without knowing what you'll more than likely face."

"Then if you're that worried, show me what it will be," Gustaf spoke, his gaze now hardened at the old man while Link kept in his standing position, his mind thinking through what was being said now. "Let me understand just what I should be facing. If there's nothing that you can show now, however, then you're free to leave."

"…As you command," Raven simply muttered as he dipped his head low before standing up. He then turned his back to the king and signaled Link to follow as he began to walk. "I'll stay within the castle tonight and train with some of your men in the morning to see how much they'll need to be ready. For all our sakes, I hope they require the minimum."

"Very well," Gustaf spoke as Link turned to the door, soon finding it opening while he followed Raven. As soon as it shut behind him, Raven sighed as he took his staff from the guard he gave it to. Then, simply waving Link to follow, the two soon began moving till they turned away from the throne room.

"No wonder why Ganondorf had managed to do what he had before I returned," Raven muttered as soon as he no longer saw any guards. "I expected Gustaf to be relaxed over the whole thing, but to see him wave off my advice so easily…"

"Shouldn't you have pushed action on it harder," Link asked as he looked at Raven, who only shook his head as they turned another corner, his gaze overlooking the path. "It looks like he would be okay with that kind of action."

"Honestly the only thing I wanted out of that was given, and he knows it," Raven spoke as he looked over to Link, the two finally stopping in front of a door. As he did, he rested his free hand on his blade's hilt. "If Ganondorf has gone to the desert then it will be near impossible to find him, given our last known records of the Gerudo Desert were back forty years ago, even among the Knights. The best thing we can do is prepare for what is to come, and the King knows that I will be showing a proper demonstration of how they'll be tomorrow morning."

"Then does that mean we'll be staying longer," Link asked, making Raven look over at him with a smirk. Link then looked around the area, thinking over what he just said. Every time he had been in a castle or large area, it had ended up being a dungeon or fortress, which only made him feel uneasy in this area. 'While I'd like to stay here a bit longer, I'd prefer to be more out in the open.' Link thought as he adjusted his shirt a bit.

"That depends on how well you'll be taking your first lesson in the swordplay of the Knights," Raven responded as he opened the door they had stopped at, revealing a large training ground where several rings sat with practice weapons similar to the ones Link had seen in his vision, while the closer rings to the door had a few guards sparring in them. Among them, Link noticed Orvas sitting over at the far wall to their left overlooking a few documents as Raven moved into the area. As Link followed behind, the guard captain looked up from his documents to see the old man as Raven took off his cloak, revealing his full outfit while leading Link to a training ring near the center. "You've got a good understanding of basic swordplay from what I saw with only a few swings, but now we'll be free to use all our abilities here, including your abilities with implementing magic."

Link just looked at him shocked as Raven set his cloak down on a chair sitting beside the training ring, Orvas now getting up to go meet the man as Raven set his staff down on it and began to unbuckle his belt. "Raven, you're out of the throne room earlier than I expected," Orvas spoke as he made it to the two Hylians, his gaze overlooking Raven as the old man placed his blade beside the other items he had. "How did your meeting with the king go?"

"As well as I expected, though with more difficulties than I'd have preferred," Raven responded as Link took his own sword and shield off, placing them on a chair sitting beside the one Raven put his stuff at while the old man walked over to one of the weapon racks, taking out a wooden longsword and testing it's weight as Link walked to the area and overlooked it. "Sadly, it looks like my word won't be enough to get him to listen, which mean's I'll be staying here for a while longer tomorrow before my departure with Link."

"If that's the case, I'll get some beds ready in the medical wing," Orvas responded as he looked over to some of the guards, Link watching as the men went through practice drills. "With how the soldiers have been recently, including the new recruits, you shouldn't expect much from them."

"It's because I don't expect much from them that I'll be treating them as I choose to," Raven replied as Link found a short wooden sword in the weapons rack along with a small shield his size, giving the blade a few swings before he adjusted the shield's grip on his arm. As he did, Raven simply nodded to Link with approval as he turned to Orvas. "I'll be having Link here aid me with my demonstration to the king tomorrow, so I would like for the grounds to be to ourselves tonight."

"You're sure a boy like him would do okay," Orvas asked, making Link look at him rather peeved before the man smiled. "Not that I don't doubt his character, but what makes you think he can help you?"

"He's faced enemies similar to the ones I wanted to warn the king about, so he'll be the best example on how to deal with them," Raven responded as he looked over to Link. "You can feel free to watch our training right now if you wish, once the other guards have left."

"I'll actually take you up on that," Orvas responded before he turned to the group of guards, now walking over and giving commands to them as Raven turned back to Link.

"Have you ever faced an Iron Knuckle," Raven asked, soon getting a nod from Link as the remaining guards in the area began to move out of the training grounds, some lighting torches on the walls as the orange glow of sunset began to darken to night. "Then this training will mainly be a refresher course for you on their second phase after you remove their armor, with the exception being a sword instead of an axe. Your goal in this is to dodge my attacks while trying to land blows."

"Understood," Link spoke as the two began walking to the center of the ring, Orvas now moving to watch them as the last guard left the area. As they made it to the center, Raven held his blade up in front of him before bowing to Link, who took it as a sign to do the same in turn before the two took their stances. Raven's stance was the same as it had been before, while Link's was more to his own liking given he had a shorter sword more fit for him than the sword Raven had given him in the vision. "Should I expect the same strength as you had where we met?"

"And more, since we'll be facing off for far longer and with more understanding of our opponent," Raven responded before he looked over to Orvas. "Could I get you to give us the start on this training?"

"Sure, if you're certain he can handle it," Orvas responded, holding his right hand up as Raven and Link looked to each other, both slowly circling the other as Link's gaze soon noticed how Raven's footing changed, each being light while also holding it's ground. Then, as if on cue, Orvas swung his hand down towards the ground. "Begin!"

Raven was the first to move, jumping towards Link with a similar jab he had used before in their fight in the illusion. Link immediately jumped right to the side of it, barely dodging the first strike as he swung his sword towards Raven's stomach. However, Raven's movements seemed to work like clockwork as he reangled his own blade down, blocking the strike as the old man muttered a few words under his breath. As he did, Link felt his hair stand on end before a shock went through his body, stiffening him as he forced himself to jump away from Raven, who took his stance again.

"Don't forget, we're using all our abilities in this fight," Raven spoke as Link shook his arms, regaining feeling in them from the shock as he raised his shield towards the old man. "That includes our magical abilities, if you can manage it."

Link just looked at the old man with harder eyes as he began to sidestep quickly around Raven, his mind now viewing the old man for the strength he actually possessed, remembering his loss to Raven before. With that in mind, Link drew his sword arm back, charging his magical power into it as Raven prepared for another attack with his sword overhead. As the old man moved forward, however, Link held his blade back, waiting for the right moment to strike. 'Wait till he gets within the circle,' Link thought as he looked at Raven approach before the old man swung down. 'Now!'

With that Link swung his sword and released the concentrated magic, causing the area around him to blast back with Raven included as he spun. When he stopped, he watched as Raven staggered back, a clear smile on his face as Orvas just gaped at what he saw. "So you do know how to use magic within your own weapons," Raven spoke as he spun his blade, his movements now seeming more like what Link saw in the illusion as Raven drew back his sword in preparation. "Then let's see how you'll deal with this kind of attack."

With that, Raven's own sword began to glow, signaling to Link the magic being produced in it as he raised his shield. 'However, the last time I took one of his attacks I was thrown back,' Link thought as he focused on the spells he knew, soon remembering one of his oldest abilities that he hadn't used since his time traveling to defeat Ganondorf. 'Let's see if I still remember it…'

With that Link focused on the magic in his mind, feeling through it before he found what felt like water as he watched Raven's blade grow brighter. As soon as it was ready, Raven swung his blade down, releasing a blade beam that sped towards Link while leaving a trail of dust following behind it. "Nayru's Love…" Link whispered under his breath, causing the magic to release around him in a defensive diamond as he raised his shield to take the attack, the beam smashing into the prism around Link and sliding him back as the attack was halted. As soon as the dust cleared, his gaze found Raven looking at him with a smile on his face.

"If I recall correctly, I said you needed to dodge my attacks, though I suppose I didn't expect you to have the blessing of Nayru's Love," Raven spoke as he lifted his blade back up, setting it on his shoulder as he looked over to Orvas, who just started at Link in shock as the defensive prism vanished around the boy. "Still think he's going to have problems helping with the demonstration?"

Orvas just kept staring for a moment longer before shaking himself out of it, looking over to Raven with a wide gaze. "You'll hear no more talk on it from me," Orvas confirmed as he turned to the door, soon walking to it. "I'll let you two have the rest of this on your own and go find you some food."

"If it'd be alright, can you also see if we have any rooms in the castle," Raven called over to the man, only getting a hand raised from him as the man walked out the door. Then, Raven turned back to Link as he took a stance. "Needless to say, I'd say your Kokiri style swordsmanship set his mind at ease."

Link just looked at him confused before he came to an understanding. "…You were letting me keep in my environment in defense over attack," Link spoke as Raven lifted the blade over his head, stretching for a bit as the boy looked him over. "You wanted him to see me actually fighting."

"Otherwise he wouldn't really understand why I chose to teach you outside of the castle grounds," Raven responded as he set his blade in front of him, resting on it as he looked to one of the lit torches. "While training nonstop and battles may give us experience in fighting, neither can give true strength. That comes from the adventures and experiences you have from living in the world around us."

Link just looked at Raven while nodding, understanding his thoughts on the matter as he looked down at his sword. "Is that how you gained your strength," Link asked, looking back up to the old man. The man just smiled before he went back to his stance, his blade now raised beside his head.

"The answer to that will depend on if you manage to lay a blow on me now," Raven spoke, Link only nodding as he took his stance again and started to circle the man. "You have a splendid defense now, even more so because you know you can't take my attacks, so now we need to work on your offense. If you manage to land a blow, then I'll let you hear about one of my stories."

"Yes sir," Link responded as he took his stance again, moving closer towards the man. Then, with two quick steps, he jumped forward and swung his blade towards the old man, beginning a quicker form of combat between the two. With every slash with Link's sword, Raven moved around it or redirected it with his own weapon as he backed around the ring.

"Good, you've already begun to figure out control over each strike," Raven spoke as he slid his blade along Links, only for the boy's shield to make contact with the weapon as Raven jumped back. As Link began moving back towards Raven, the man's body seemed to blur in Link's gaze, soon having the old man's blade at his neck. "Impressive for only having one match that taught you it, but you still have a few things to learn."

Link just looked at the blade confused as Raven drew it back, noticing the tip of his blade glowing. Then, looking at his shield, he noticed the same glow coming off it as Raven lifted his blade on his shoulder. "An illusion," Link spoke as the glow faded from both items, his gaze now turning to Raven. "In such a short time while we fought?"

"It was an ability I learned in Labrynna, during my travels for my own Trials of Virtue," Raven spoke as he looked to the wall that rested in the south. As he did, he lifted his arm as the shirt's sleeve moved slightly back, revealing a light bruise. "If you'd like, we can call your surprise attack on me the attack to grant you a story, if you're up for it. We'll both need our strength for tomorrow, anyway."

"Sure," Link responded, moving his own blade down as Raven walked along to the training weapons, soon allowing Link to notice a large array of training dummies beside them. "Was it the same as how you used the illusion magic to put us in that trance near the graves?"

"It is," Raven responded, picking up one of the dummies as he moved back to the center of the ring, setting it down as he moved several paces away. "I had learned it while training with a group of knights in the area, helping them out with their regiment for training at the time. It was during this time that we had stumbled upon some fairies that were up for playing tricks on the locals, and had found them casting illusions by simply touching an item and leaving the residual magic through it. After I had watched them use it, however, I tried learning the fundamentals of it for some time before making a similar form that can be implemented in either combat or for teaching, after I ended up learning the basis of the spell from a Great Fairy."

"So it was a fairy art," Link responded as Raven took up his attack stance again as he raised his weapon, the light slowly beginning to envelope into it as Link watched. "Is that the same way you learned to use that ability with the beam?"

"No, this has been an ability traditionally used by the Knights, and is one of the reasons I learned the power," Raven responded as he swung down the blade, causing a purple arc to come forth and hit into the dummy. As it did, however, the dummy remained unphased as it absorbed the light, now glowing with the same color as his weapon had. "However, after I learned how to use magic that could embed itself into other objects, I also learned how we could use our abilities in a far larger scale based around the elements we can command."

"So it's a mix of two techniques," Link responded as he looked at the dummy, the purple glow soon fading as Raven moved the sword in a mock manner of sheathing it. "How long did it take you to manage that?"

"Two years to figure out how to mock the fairy's abilities, three to implement it into the blade beam," Raven responded, his gaze still on the last remnants of the purple glow. Then, he turned to Link. "This is a form of magic that I've made myself, and it's something which I intend to teach you since you bear the same aptitude for the magics. It will pose to aid you well during any conflicts you may have with heavily armored figures, such as Iron Knuckles or Dark Nuts."

This made Link look down at his hand with the mark of the Triforce, his time at the Spirit Temple coming to his head. "Can I ask you something," Link asked, feeling the old man's gaze as he looked back up. "What is the difference between an Iron Knuckle and a Dark Nut?"

Author's note:

And with that, chapter 4 is finally out, though it's shorter than I was planning. This is mainly due to the fact that I've been sitting on it for a while with a part of it I could easily put for the next chapter. However, I have every intention on keeping up with this one and the other story I've had, the only issue being I've had college courses up the wazoo. Hell, I still have two exams I need to finish before monday. Either way, please feel free to comment over how the story is and if I should do anything to make it better

Till then, this is Ron signing off~