The Legend of Zelda: Light and Shadow

Chapter 17: Nowhere to Turn

The steady cover of nighttime silence remained over Ordon Village in what the villagers supposed was the late afternoon, though it was hard to tell considering the unending darkness outside. Snow still blanketed the ground, but the children of the village did not play in it as they usually would have, since the lingering night had most of their parents concerned. After all, the last time they had lost their children, it had been to a similar cover of shadows, and they were not about to allow it to happen again.

Ilia stood in front of her window on the upper loft of her house, looking out towards the entrance of the empty village worriedly. Over the course of the past day, she had often found herself looking that way anxiously, wishing for something that she knew would never be now. Of course, the girl knew well that the hero most likely wouldn't be returning to Ordon any time soon, especially after what had happened in the woods right before he had left, but she still held onto the small hope that he would come back eventually, even if he had already promised himself to the queen. Even despite her broken heart and broken dreams, Ilia still deeply cared for Link, just as she always had since they were both little, and she was certainly concerned his well-being and the poor choices he seemed to be making.

And of course, the girl was still unnerved about the hero she had known almost her entire life suddenly having what appeared to be magical powers. She had not told anyone in the village about it for Link's sake, but Ilia still thought about it quite often. Though her initial reaction had been a panicked one, she had quickly realized once she had calmed down that the hero had also been taken aback by this revelation, meaning that this was all new to him as well. And because of that, the girl couldn't help but regret how she had hastily retreated from him out of both fear and anger, when she should have tried to help him in any way that she could.

But he has Zelda for that… Ilia thought scornfully, knowing that certainly Link would have no reason to return to his hometown as enamored as he was with the queen. This thought soon gave way to another one though, one that made Ilia's heart sink even more: what if he never came back at all? What if she never saw her best friend, whom she had found herself hopelessly and unrequitedly enthralled with over years of longstanding devotion to one another, again?

The girl's thoughts were suddenly shattered by a familiar sound breaking through the still silence of the village outside. Ilia's breath caught when she heard it, her hands flying to her chest as she stared out the window with wide eyes. Though most in the village would most likely ignore the lofty, almost nostalgic sound, the girl knew exactly what it was, and exactly where it had come from. It was a melody that had been a long kept secret between her and the hero, one that was something of a symbol of their friendship and the bond that they shared: the horse call. And Ilia knew that hearing it now could only mean that Link had returned, but for some reason he couldn't come into the village. He was using the call she had given him as a signal, one specifically meant for her. And though she had abandoned him after their last encounter, she wasn't about to let him down now.

"Goddesses, that looks bad…" Midna commented with a fretful frown as she inspected the heavy wound on Link's side, which had bled out quite a bit over the course of the night. They had finally made it to Ordon mere moments ago, and yet it had been immediately clear that the hero was unable to keep going for much longer. The strip of cloth wrapped around his middle had been soaked through with blood and his skin had paled to the point that the newfound Twili markings upon his face were much more visible than they had been before. The exhaustion and pain in his expression were clear to see as he leaned against Epona for support, since he had gotten to the point that he wasn't really able to remain standing on his own anymore. "What makes you so sure that she even heard you play that thing?" the Twilight Princess asked, her tone doubtful as she glanced down at the horse call that had fallen out of Link's hands the very moment he had finished playing it.