The Legend of Zelda: Light and Shadow

Chapter 21: Up In Flames

Castle Town was much quieter than it usually was under the continual night sky, even despite the fact that its streets were still filled with their usual activity. Though it had been a few days ago now, word of the Hero of Twilight's mysterious, dark powers had spread amongst the citizens like wildfire, and with it came an endless barrage of rumors, very few of which were actually true. Quite a few people believed that he had actually killed the queen already, while others had claimed to have heard from Ordon and Kakariko that he had caused destruction and chaos in those villages as well. And of course, there were certainly whispers among the people that the hero might return to Castle Town itself and wreak havoc upon it. Overall, the entire populous was still quite shaken up, and as the days continued to go by without hearing a single word on the status of their queen, the people continued to grow more and more anxious and worried for what might become of them.

It was because of this growing cloud of dread hanging over the city's head that the local soldiers had decided to take a small initiative. Even though Queen Zelda had not sent out any official commands to heighten security, the guards still hastily set up a volunteer task force to protect the town both inside and out. The soldiers stationed outside of the city walls were the first line of defense against danger, in no matter what form it might come in. Of course, since all of the guards still believed that the queen had ordered for the hero's immediate capture, he was their number one priority should he decide to return. What none of them knew was that Zelda herself wasn't even within the vicinity any longer, having long since left to search for Link in Ordon with Midna. But even so, the soldiers believed that they were doing their unreachable queen proud by attempting to apprehend the rogue hero, knowing now more than ever that his capture would ensure the safety of the public overall.

A slow, steady snowfall was falling upon the town as two armored sentries dutifully stood before its east gate, watching in silence for anyone who might be heading into town. They had been given orders to check over everyone who wanted clearance and ensure that they were safe to let into the city, but thus far, no one had come and no one had left Castle Town either. And so, as the hours dragged on slowly, the guards steadily grew complacent and lax in their assignment, believing that no one would seek to come in such dark, wintry conditions.

Which was why neither of the soldiers noticed as the thick fog began to roll in, completely obscuring the portion of Hyrule Field that lay before the east gate. The two soldiers were unable to see anything after the end of the long bridge that led into town, and so they didn't see the mysterious figure approaching the town on horseback until they could hear the steed's upcoming gait. The guards stood alert as they heard the horse gallop towards them, even if both it and its rider were visually obscured thanks to the impossibly thick, wintry fog. However, after a while, a vague outline appeared in the white mist, soon becoming clearer as the horse cantered onto the bridge itself. There was still very little that could be discerned about the rider of the brown mare thanks to the long, thick, black hooded cloak they were wearing, concealing nearly their entire form from view and putting the two sentries on edge.

"H-halt!" one of the guards called somewhat uneasily as the figure continued to direct their horse across the bridge. Surprisingly, they did as they were told and dismounted the steed, their cloak hanging upon them ominously as they took a step forward before stopping almost expectantly. The soldiers exchanged a somewhat nervous glance as the other one continued.

"No one is permitted to enter town unless they have been approved," the guard said, gripping his spear a bit tightly. "Remove your hood, and state your name and purpose for coming if you want to go in."

The figure made no attempt at responding as they merely stood still, the rolling fog serving as a sinister backdrop behind them while their cloak slightly blew in the gentle wind, still hiding their face well. After several minutes of stated silence and building tension, the guard tried once again. "You won't be permitted entry unless you give us your identity and let us see your face!" he called, his voice a bit more authoritative this time. "If you cannot do either of those things, then we must ask you to leave immediately! Loitering on Castle Town outskirts is against the law!"