Link hadn't realized how far they'd gotten along the Zora River until nightfall. Rounding the easternmost crest of the Bank of Wishes, he and his three companions had been pushing their horses hard since dawn. But as the sun dropped they caught their first glimpses of their destination.

"Ahead, over the treeline."

Lukan need not have pointed it out. Without the sun to outshine it, an iridescent blue glow -a similar ethereal shade to what Navi carried- began to make itself known. Over the sparse cover of pines that hugged the banks of the Zora River, they could see the very tops of the towering spires that heralded the Zora Domain.

"Woah." Navi leaned forward from where she'd been sitting just above Link's hairline. Nearly falling off as she tried to get a better view of the shining city. "I need a better look."

Link dipped his head and Navi went fluttering off in a trail of shining blue that drew the attention of the other knights. Her glowing sphere sailed upwards, hovered and darted to a few different areas and continued to follow the group from above. Link had to wonder how impressive the view was from up there.

"Sir Link," Umo upped his pace and came alongside Link. "The Princess and her party are making camp south of Ralis Pond according to our missive. We should take the bridge ahead." With the inclination of his head the knight indicated a stone bridge crossing the span of the Zora River.

Link nodded.

"Sir." Umo fell back and allowed Link to lead as he took a sharp turn north and headed them in the direction of the bridge. Their horses' hooves clattered against the stone, and by the subtle shifting of the river's current, Link assumed that their arrival had been marked. He watched the unnatural ripples of water for a moment, then stopped when Lukan blocked his view.

"It's so strange. I can hear what sounds like rain, but the sky is clear." The young knight had his head tilted up to the sky and one of his ears turned in the direction of the Zora Kingdom.

Link cupped the back of his ear and listened. At first there was nothing, just the sound of night birds and the occasional river frog, but as he put those noises out of his mind he started to hear it. A deep rumble like the rushing of water or far and distant drums. His ears pricked and he met Lukan's eyes. It did sound like rain.

"It's the Zora," called Umo from behind. "Their whole city is circled by giant, multi-layer aqueducts. And Reservoir Lake spills over and forms a waterfall during the wet season." Umo with Rorah not far behind caught up as they crossed the end of the bridge so the group rode four abreast. Navi too, came down from her more scenic view and settled on Link's shoulder.

Umo continued, "It always sounds like there's a storm there, and the mist will keep you soaked enough you might as well be."

"Been there often, Umo?" said Rorah.

The older knight groaned. "I spent a week as part of a diplomatic mission. Came back with the Kincean flu and had to spend another week on Mercay Island to recuperate before they'd let me go back to Castle Town." He shuddered and Link grimaced in sympathy. "It's awful. Can't stand the place."

Rorah hummed and looked back up to appreciate the glittering spires which were beginning to take up more and more of the sky. "Pretty though."

"Figures you'd say so."

They would have kept chattering on, but Link halted them with an upraised fist. The horses came to a halt just as the riverfront started to give way to forest, and ahead Link could see another horseman in the shadows.

"Who goes there?" said Lukan.

The rider urged his horse forward, and Link could see he carried a standard bearing the Hylian Crest. He was dressed lightly, without armor and only a bow for defense. A scout, or a messenger perhaps.

"I was told to expect you," said the rider. "Welcome, Sir Link and his fellow knights of Hyrule." The rider inclined his head. "This is the boundary of the Princess' camp. Please, follow me."

The man did not wait to be answered and turned his horse back in the direction of the trees. Link kicked his own mare into a light trot, ducking under the first few low-hanging branches of the pines. Navi hunkered into the gap in his tunic and he could feel her nervous tension as she vibrated against his skin. The traveled in relative silence for a few minutes, the three knights in the rear muttering amongst themselves while Link, Navi, and their guide rode without word. In his mind, Link tried to imagine Zelda's response to all that had happened since he'd left his post at her side and how best to convince her that going after Dark was more important than whatever was going on with the Zora.

After some careful maneuvering of the horses through a particularly dense patch of trees, the forest dwindled away to reveal the enclosed shores of Ralis Pond. The mountainous border of Upland Zortana engulfed the northern border, while dense trees lined the rest. The array of Hylian tents erected in green and gold hugged the base of the rocky foothills and fanned out in either direction around the pond. A quick survey confirmed what Link suspected, the area provided proximity to the Zora Kingdom, but was inaccessibly by river. Any approaching Zora would have to make an uncomfortable trip by land through dense forest in order to reach them.

The group acquired a small following as they cut through the eastern wing of the camp. A few scattered knights and their squires, curious to see the Princess' appointed knight arrive so late after his sovereign. Link ignored them, drawing up the vestiges of the Hero of Courage. He could feel his spine straighten where he sat and the muscles in his jaw tense. Against his neck, Navi gripped a stray lock of his blond hair; a quiet reminder that she was there.

Link swallowed down the lump that was threatening to choke him and focused on the path ahead. He'd nearly forgotten, while spending time with Dark, what it was like to have his every action weighed and measured.

At the epicenter of the campsite, Zelda was waiting for them. Standing before her massive, three-winged tent and adorned in a regal, blue riding outfit, she stood with her hands clasped before her and two bodyguards standing sentry on either side of her tent's entrance. Her expression was soft with a slight uptilt to her lips, but Link could read tension in her eyes. Off to one side, he could see Impa sending him a warning look.

Their guide pulled off and Link led his group the rest of the way, quickly dismounting and dropping to one knee. By the sound of it the other knights followed suite, and soon the camp was quiet but for the ambient sounds of night. Zelda kept him and the others kneeling with their heads bowed for about a minute before Link felt the familiar brush of her fingers against his shoulder.

"Rise, Sir Link. You and your companions."

Link lifted his head, rising to his feet and not quite smothering a flinch. It had been a long time since he'd seen that expression of well-hidden rage on the Princess' face. She smiled and her hand stayed firmly set on his arm as she took a step forward to address his fellow knights.

"You must be tired from your journey," she said. "Rest, and take as much time as you need to recover. We will make for the Great Zora Bridge in a week's time." The gathered assembly took the dismissal for what it was, but for the sake of those who lingered, kept her words light as she pressed her lips to Link's cheek.

"Come, let us discuss the results of your mission."

She turned and threaded her arm through Link's, hand resting on the tight knot of his bicep. A little stiff, he nodded and led her back into the candlelit interior of her tent. Impa trailed behind them, and pulled the flaps shut behind her.

As soon as they were granted privacy the Princess dropped Link's arm and stormed to the large map table that had been erected in the body of the tent. She planted her hands and Link could see her shoulders bunch.

"Explain to me," she said, not quite turning her head to meet the other occupants'. "What part of, 'escort Dark to the borders of the Gerudo Desert but no further,' was unclear to you?"

Navi pulled herself from the safety of Link's tunic and flew over to hover in the middle space between them. "Princess, we-"

"With all respect, Navi." Zelda lifted her hand in a cutting demand for silence. "I was not speaking to you." The Princess turned and met Link's eyes for the first time.

Shame war with frustration and he looked away.

"Look at me, Link."

It was difficult, but he did. As much as he might not have felt it at the moment, he held the Triforce of Courage for a reason. He'd disobeyed his Princess and was prepared to face her anger as consequence.

"What were you thinking? You deliberately disobeyed me, sent no word of your location or what you had found, and come back to me having nearly died and revealed our vulnerabilities to the enemy." The Princess' face was flush with anger as she stared down her nose at him.

Unable to do much more, Link bunched his hands into fists and dropped back into a bow. He kept his head bent as he heard Zelda shift around and sigh.

"I needed you here. If you had done as I ordered we could have resolved this business with the Zora long ago." There was no hand on his shoulder to give him leave to stand this time, so Link stayed on one knee and studied the grass beneath him as Zelda vented her frustrations. "As it stands now, we could lose our single greatest foothold in the wars to come. And for what?"

Link bore it all in silence. Navi on the other hand, felt no such obligation. The fairy drifted over to plant her feet on Link's shoulder and drew her head back to shout. "Okay, enough!"

Zelda cut her tirade short and Link flinched on Navi's behalf. "Excuse me?"

Navi stomped her foot. "You know he's not going to defend himself, so just stop! We did what we thought was right!"

The Princess stomped the length of the tent to stand right before the duo and Link felt Navi lift of his shoulder to hover at Zelda's eye level. "That is his choice to keep his silence, it was not his choice to disobey me and put all of Hyrule in danger."

Link's head sank further.

"Fine, we screwed up! But what's important right now, is what we found out."

Zelda had to acknowledge the fairy's point there, and after a moment of silence, turned away. "Stand up, Link."

Lifting himself slowly to his feet, Link caught the eye of Impa, who was standing in the far corner of the room. To his surprise, the attendant looked almost sympathetic. He averted his eyes before he could be caught staring too long and looked to his Princess' back.

"What happened out there? All I could glean from the messenger hawk I received was that Dark had been captured."

"He was." Having calmed some, Navi returned to her place on Link's shoulder and took a seat. "We followed Chief Naifigi of the Gerudo into the ruins of Palu. There was a meeting of Gerudo, Goron, and the Yiga Clan held by someone who worked for Ganon."

Zelda turned back around to face them, sitting back against the table. "And you were discovered."

Link nodded, making a vague gesture to his ears and then to the master sword.

"Dark was injured in the ensuing battle?" At the shake of Link's head, a furrow formed between the Princess' eyebrows. "Then what happened?"

Link bit his lip, punched his left fist into his open palm, and then brought them both to his chest. Navi watched him, wings drooping, and put a hand on his neck.

"He saved Link's life. Then this sorcerer named Vaati took him."

"Vaati." Zelda brought a finger up to her chin. She cast her eyes over to Impa who started to pour over one of the many books piled on another table. "We will look into this person. Perhaps we can still salvage some useful information from this mess."

Link watched, wrong-footed, as Zelda went over to join Impa. He opened his mouth and made a small, wordless noise.

"Link?" Zelda cast a look over her shoulder. "If that is all, you may go. I have arranged suitable attire for you in your tent."

Link shook his head vigorously and wandered over to the map table. He gestured to himself with both hands and then pointed to the red-brown area designating the Gerudo Desert.

Zelda sighed and shook her head. "Link," she sounded like she was speaking to a child. "No."

Unable to comprehend just how the conversation was playing out, Link grunted and made a sweep of his arms encompassing the tent and everything beyond. Then slapped his chest and pointed to the tent opening.

"What do you mean, no? We need to go rescue him!"

Zelda pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm sorry, truly I am. But in all likelihood Dark is already dead, and I need you here."

"Why?"

"You are the Hero of Courage, Link. Champion of Farore." Zelda took a scroll from Impa and handed it to Link. He unrolled the paper for Navi to see. "And that comes with responsibilities. The Zora have refused us a seat at the table without you there."

Navi studied the messy scrawl on the paper, muttering to herself as she sped through the script, and gasped. "They found it?"

"Nayru's Blessing," said Impa. Link looked to her and the attendant gave him a gentle nod. "The second of three existing blessings. We had hoped to secure it before the knowledge could get to Ganondorf's followers, but it's too late."

"What do you mean?" Navi's hover started to jerk from one side to the next, her flight pattern becoming erratic with agitation. "You mean King Jaro told Ganondorf? Why!?"

"The Zora have stated their neutrality on a number of occasions," said Zelda, voice rising to quell the others. "While we waited for our messengers to find you, the Zora presented an invitation for Lord Ganondorf to send his own representatives as well."

Impa stepped up beside the Princess. "In one week King Jaro will hold an assembly. You and I shall accompany the Princess as the representatives of Hyrule and Lord Ganondorf will send three of his own emissaries."

Zelda cleared her throat. "King Jaro and his two children will also be present to represent the Zora, and they will decide who will be given access to the blessing."

Link shook his head and tapped the back of his left hand. Navi dropped to the top of his head, wings unsteady with nerves. "Does that mean Ganon knows about Farore's Blessing? Has he already found Din's?"

"We don't know," said Zelda. "But that does mean Farore's Blessing is no longer safe either. We must obtain Nayru's Blessing here and then you will depart for Korok Forest."

Okay, Link was beginning to understand how critical his presence in the coming week was. But still… he couldn't stop seeing that spear pierce Dark's back. The spear that had been meant for him. A little desperate, he cast his eyes up to where his fairy was staring into blank space.

"But… but what about Dark?" she said. "He needs our help."

Zelda sighed and stepped up to take Link's hands in hers. He was tempted to pull away, but couldn't. "There's nothing we can do, Link. You don't even know where this Vaati person has taken him." She lifted a hand to brush Link's loose hair from his face and cupped his cheek. "I'm sorry. But all we can hope now is that he kept his loyalty to the end."

Link frowned, pulling his face away.

"Otherwise," said the Princess. "If by some power he survives, it may be as our enemy."

Link jerked his hands free. "He wouldn't," said Navi. "He's a jerk sometimes, but Dark's not evil.

"There's just no way to know," said Zelda. "His origins are suspect to say the least. And discounting that, we cannot ignore the possibility of him shifting allegiances out of some sort of need for revenge or vindication."

For the first time in his long tenure as a knight of Hyrule, Link turned his back on a member of the royal family. He turned away from Zelda and braced himself on the map table.

After a moment, he heard Impa speak. "From what you said, it seems Ganondorf has cemented his hold on the Gerudo and the Yiga Clan. Has Dark ever shown himself to sympathize with either of these groups?"

Link's hands balled into fists but it was Navi who spoke. "... not really. But he did find out a little about Kakariko Village and what happened after the blood moons started in the Gerudo Desert. He wasn't happy."

Impa gave a thoughtful hum. She looked about to say something, but was interrupted as a paige came rushing in through the tent flap. "My Princess," the boy mumbled, trying to look as unobtrusive as possible. "There are three Zora approaching. One appears to be Prince Viras."

At the news, Zelda and Impa snapped to attention and Link stepped into place beside them without thought. They would finish the discussion, Link had in no way given up on finding Dark, but for the moment it would do them all good to focus on the here and now.

"Very good, you are dismissed. Impa," the paige darted away and the Princess turned to her attendant. "Make sure the other knights remain calm. Link, with me."

"Yes, Princess."

Link nodded and fell into step behind Zelda as she left the tent. He saw Impa peel away, presumably to give orders to the other knights in the area while he and Zelda strode to where a collection of Zora stood on the far side of the pond.

Link had never personally met Prince Viras, but he could pick him out easy enough as they drew close to the group. Standing in the center of the trio, a good head or two taller than his two companions was a navy-colored Zora. Outer skin so dark it was almost black, it made the gold rays of his trailing fins seem to glow. The armor he wore across his chest and the armguards around his wrists were finely crafted and bore the Zora crest.

Zelda strode right up to the Prince, unflinching even when the two Zora guards brought their forked tridents to bear. Link drew the master sword free and made it clear in the way he flourished the weapon, just who exactly was wielding it. The Zora guards hesitated, glancing between one another unsure, but Prince Viras only grinned. The toothy smile revealing a flash of pointed teeth.

"Ah, the infamous Princess Zelda!" Viras crossed his arms and looked down the crest of his tail fin at the much more diminutive Hylian. The long end of the tail fin swished in what Link supposed was mirth or amusement. "I see you have finally tracked down your wayward champion."

"Prince Viras." Zelda brushed her hair aside and smiled. "Yes, as you can see the Hero of Courage has returned from his mission. You can tell your father that we will be ready for the assembly."

"Hm." The Prince's focus drifted from Zelda to Link and held. Link could see the Zora's pupils dilate and his gold fins flared. "I've heard stories about you, champion. I should like to test their validity." The double rows of serrated teeth exposed when Viras gave an open-mouthed grin made him look almost feral. Link frowned but did not flinch as the much larger Zora took a step towards him.

One of the Zora guards made a series of low whistling sounds mixed with the occasional high clicks. Viras snapped his head around and whistled back at a much lower, more pulsating pitch. His gold fins flared wide and he bared his teeth. Link could see Zelda watch the exchange with marked fascination.

They continued to trade calls for a few moments before Viras made a dismissive wave of his hand and turned back to the Hylians. "Forgive my subordinates. They doubt my self-control." Then more directly to Link, "I am meant to say that my Father has ordered this to be a peaceful exchange. But I must confess, my jaws ache for combat." The Zora flexed his claw-tipped hand. "So, feel free to take one step out of line. I'll be waiting."

"And have Ganondorf's emissaries been given this same warning?" said Zelda.

Prince Viras' expression turned wry and he straightened himself up to full height. "Of course. My sister has seen to it."

"And who exactly, has the Lord of Evil sent in his stead?" Zelda held fast as the Zora Prince stalked towards her, but Link got between them before Viras could get too close.

Viras scoffed and made a series of clicks that, by the looks of his companions, was more than likely some rude expletive. "Some sorcerer of wind, or the like. I care not for such magics."

Link gasped and Navi flew up into the space between the Hylians and Zora. "Vaati! Was there a Hylian with him!" She flew back down and stood on Link's head. "Was there anyone who looked like Link?"

Unmoved by the fairy's excitement, Viras shrugged. "All your kind look vaguely similar to me. But the sorcerer is as of yet alone."

"Oh."

Disappointment brought bitterness to Link's mind and his hand flexed around the master sword. The holy steel hummed and the back of his palm flared.

Viras let out a series of excited clicks. "Fascinating."

The second of the two Zora guards whistled and made a sound like the spines of his fins rubbing together. Viras clicked and nodded. "It seems my time grows short and we must return to Zora's Domain. When the time comes we will send guides to lead you to the assembly."

Zelda dipped her head in farewell. "We shall be there."

The Zora spared a glance towards the treeline. "One last thing. Your choice of campsite has been marked, Princess. And it will not be forgotten." With that Prince Viras turned his back on the Hylians and departed, his two guards trailing behind him as they disappeared into the trees leading back to the Zora River.

When they disappeared, Zelda let out a breath. "That was… enlightening."

"Hm?" Link cocked his head a little to one side.

"Viras will try to goad you into a fight," she said. "Be sure when the time comes that he does not succeed."

Link looked down the master sword in his hand and sheathed it. Then he met the Princess' eyes and nodded. He had no urge whatsoever to fight the Zora Prince. Not to mention, any fight Viras started would undoubtedly have circumstances align to favor the Zora. As long as Viras did not force his hand, Link would be more than happy to keep the peace.

"Did you hear him? Vaati's here too!" Navi spun in a little circle of blue light. "We need to find out where he took Dark!"

"Perhaps," said Zelda. Link sent her an unimpressed look that he could guess was seconded by Navi. The Princess lifted a hand and sighed. "I only mean that this is a delicate situation. I will not jeopardize our chances of retrieving Nayru's Blessing, but if at all possible we will try to discover what came of your shadow."

Link let out a breath and his shoulders sagged. That was all he needed, her promise to try. All at once the night's fatigue seemed to rock him, and he wanted nothing more than to sleep. Zelda seemed to notice and put a hand on his shoulder. "Rest, Link. We can talk more in the morning."

"Yeah come on, sleepyhead. I think our tent is this way." Following Navi's blue light, Link departed from Zelda and began to weave his way through the camp. But as he did so, his mind drifted to thoughts of Vaati and the week to come.

He would not fight Prince Viras. But Vaati… as soon as they left Zora's Domain, the wind mage would either deliver Link's shadow back to him, or he would spit the sorcerer on the master sword like a roast pig.