Courage is the Gift I Offer

Chapter Nine: Old Times

Fenwa looks me in the eye as the blade comes down. His blade suddenly falters. Seeing this, I casually step to the side and sit back down.

"Captain?" Fenwa mouths silently. I incline my head slightly. His eyes widen, and he looks up at my friends. Seeing their worried faces, he turns to the Hyrulian soldiers. "Guys, I don't think this wolf is wild. I think he is tamed." I'm glad for him keeping the secret. Not that I trust the drunk cowards behind me, but I would like to be the one to tell my soldiers. So all I do is bark and wag my tail. The soldiers seem confused, and I resist another eye roll. Playing along, Fenwa pets my head. Colin then kneels down and rubs my back. I feel the wolf instinct to stomp my back leg, but resist it.

"Thank you for not killing my dog." Colin says. I'm surprised that he is a good actor.

"Yes. Well, Colin," Rusl says, not as good. "We should probably go home."

"Yes, daddy." Colin says. He walks up to Fenwa and hugs him. Then he walks to the door. Upon seeing that I haven't moved, he leans over and whistles. "Come here, boy!" He calls. I bark again and race over. Rusl opens the door and we exit into the night air.

"Are you going to change back, Link?" Colin asks. I lead them into an alley and transform.

Rusl shakes his head. "How do you do that?"

"Twilian magic." I reply. His brow furrows. "Midna's people are the Twilians." I explain patiently.

"Wouldn't you need a Twilian caster?" He asks. I smile sadly.

"I used to use a crystal, but ever since I became part Twilian..."

"Part Twilian?!" Rusl explodes. "How is that possible?!"

"I'm not quite sure. Somehow, when Midna healed me, I became part if her race." I lift my shirt over my head so that they can see the bright green design on my skin. I am slightly surprised to see it glowing. In closer inspection, I realize it only covers my a four inch area above my heart. It is roughly round in shape, with no real meaning to the design. Colin pokes it hesitantly. His hand immediately retracts.

"You don't feel any different." He says, visibly confused. Rusl and I crack up, which confuses Colin even more. I slip my shirt back on, vaguely noticing the marks glowing through it. I ruffle Colin's hair and put my arm around his shoulders.

"We should go to the castle. I have a room there. We can talk to Zelda in the morning, and then head to the stables. Unless you would rather stay with your dad...?"

Colin shakes his head guiltily. "Sorry dad, but I'm going with Link tonight."

I grimace over Colin's head at Rusl. He meets my gaze and shrugs, though I can see pain behind it. Colin doesn't notice. "I'm gonna travel the world with Link, dad!" He says excitedly. "It's gonna be awesome!"

This time, I wince visibly. I hadn't meant to steal the kid from his own father. Now I feel like a jerk.

"Hey, Colin." I say, putting on my normal voice. "How about you go to the store around the corner? Some Gorons work there. I'm sure they'll be happy to meet you. Make sure to mention my name."

"Okay." He looks worried, like he knows something is going on. But he turns to his dad and hugs him, then runs off, waving at me. I wave back until he turns the corner.

"Crap." I mutter so that Rusl can hear me. "I didn't mean..."

"Link, it isn't your fault." Rusl says understandingly. "He needs a father figure to look up to, and I just haven't been there for him. I wasn't in the past, either. Ever since he could walk, you were the one there for him." He sighs. "How is Uli? And...Lily?"

I sigh. "Lissa." Rusl used to be so caring. He practically raised me. So, why is he not paying attention to his own family?

"Oh." He blushes.

"They're doing fine. Uli wants you to come home, though. She's worried."

"Oh." Is all that he says again. I furrow my brow.

"And...she's not the only one, honestly." I say slowly and kindly. I lean down to see his expression, but he only ducks his head further. I frown. "Rusl, why are you so panicked recently? What's wrong?"

"I..." He gulps. "I was at the Temple of Time recently."

"The old one, in town? Or the one in the woods?"

"In town. I was investigating the connection between the two." He pauses. "I found a...a hidden chamber." He looks up at me, then back at the ground. "Zelda was standing in the middle of a circle. I ran out after that, not wanting to bother her. As I left, I heard an ominous cackle. It sounded like..."

"Something that you cannot quite remember." I say softly, knowing just what he had experienced. "Something out of your nightmares."

"Yes." He says. "But when I heard it, I remembered. Link," he pauses. "You were..."

"Link!" Colin calls. "Look what the Gorons gave me! For free!" He runs up and shows me his right hand. On the middle finger is a ring. "They say it will grant me the strength of a Goron!"

I laugh. "So that is their latest development."

"What do you mean?" Colin asks.

"They have forged many different items that imbue a human with their strength, the most recent being iron boots." I reply. "Let's see if this one works." I motion for Colin to come at me. He hesitates, then charges. I meet his fist and am forced to stagger back. "Yep." I grunt. "They did it again. If only I had that during my journeys....I wouldn't have had to clomp around in heavy boots all of the time. Although it entertained Midna..."

"Come on, Link!" Colin says. I realize that he let go a long time ago, and I have been still a while. "We need to get going." He forces back a yawn.

I shake my head, forcing the memories away. "I'm coming." I call. "Stay in sight!"

"Take good care of him, Link." Rusl says with a sad smile. "Hero of Time."

That hits me harder than Colin's punch. "That...only Zelda, Navi and I know..."

"I told you, I remembered once inside the Temple." He says. "How could we have forgotten those dark days, or the one that saved us?"

"Because it never happened." I say, suddenly very confused. "We reversed the timeline..."

"Link!" Colin calls, exasperated.

"I'm coming!" I call impatiently. "Rusl," I say, lowering my voice. "did you see an ocarina?"

"Zelda was playing it." He answers.

"...okay." I say, distracted by thoughts. "...I should go." I snap myself out of it enough to say a heartfelt goodbye to Rusl. Then I led Colin through the streets to the Castle.

With my thoughts racing through my mind, one sentence trumped them all: What is happening to Hyrule, and what does Zelda know about it?