The Princess and the Wolf

Chapter Two: Archery

As Link breathed in the dry, cold air, he coughed; due to the transition from the warm air inside the castle to the bitter air outside of the castle.

Zelda laughed at him, "Don't you hate it when that happens? One bad thing about the winter is the drug air."

"Tell me about it," Link replied.

As they made their way to the large oak doors, the two guards who's post was there, pulled them open for the Princess and the Hero of Twilight.

Zelda smiled as she walked through the opened doors and into a crowded Castle Town. The guards closed the doors behind them with a thud.

Many people stopped and stared as Link and Zelda caught their eyes. A few noble women saw them and giggled, as if sharing an inside joke. After Link started his job as Zelda's general, many gossiping women would talk how lovely Link and Zelda would be together.

Link lead Zelda through the large town, until they reached the South side of Castle Town. "What do you feel like doing?", Link asked Zelda.

Zelda smiled at Link, "I think we should spend some quality time with Epona, don't you think?"
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Epona flew through Hyrule Field like a bullet. Even with two Hylians on her back, the strong horse could still easily maneuver through the snowy plains.

Zelda screamed at the top of her lungs with joy, as the wind whipped through her air. Link grined when he heard Zelda's laughter behind him.

"Feels like the good old times," Link yelled to Zelda over the wind.

"Of course!" Zelda cried with glee.

"Except for the fact a Demon King isn't chasing after us," Link called back to her. "Although, that was kind of entertaining watching you try to shoot a bow!"

"Oh really," Zelda said in her normal tone of voice as Link slowed Epona down to a gallop. "Wanna bet, Hero?"

Link smirked, "That will be amusing. Let's do so..."

The Hero of Twilight steered Epona toward a hill with a few trees on it. He stopped and got off. When his feet touched the ground, he promptly offered Zelda his hand and she hopped off.

"So," She examined the bare, snow covered branched of the trees on the hill in the middle of the vast field. "This is where we're going to have our little archery contest?"

"If you had a better idea," Link shrugged, and started to trudge up the hill. When he got to the tree in the center of the bunch he took out his Ordon Sword. Link started to carve a make shift target into the tree's trunk.

"Nice handy work," Zelda told him when he was done and walked back down to her.

Link put his hands on his hips and admired the carved target, "You're right, now it's time to make the bet."

"If I win," Zelda tapped her chin thoughtfully. "You come with me to all my meetings for a month, got it?"

"Alright", Link smiled mischievously at her. "And if I win, you will let me take you to Telma's to get a cup of hot chocolate."

"Sounds good. How about you start, Link," Zelda gestured to his bow.

Link took it out and got into an archer's stance. He aimed the tip of the arrow at the center of carved target on the tree. Exhaling, he let the arrow fly free. In milliseconds it was lodged in the center of the target.

"Top that," Link handed his bow to Zelda, who took it happily from his hands. Link gave her an arrow and she got into an archer's stance. She was so busy with aiming her arrow to split the shaft of Link's arrow, Zelda didn't notice him get out his clawshot. She let go. And a metal streak crossed the arrow's path.

Zelda blinked and saw that her arrow didn't make it to the target. It was nowhere in sight, in fact! She looked at Link who was smiling like an idiot. In his hand the clawshot, and in the claw shot her arrow. At that exact moment she almost tackled Link, but stopped herself when he started to speak.

"Like, I would let a perfect opportunity to get hot chocolate with the Queen-to-be of Hyrule," Link joked. "I knew you'd win...but I only had two arrows in my quiver. Also I wanted to see your reaction when I did that!"

Zelda just stared at him for a moment, "You're one strange man, Link. If I had the right mind, I'd have a rematch; but since you already admitted I'm the better archer, you're forgiven."

Link smiled at her and extended his hand to her, "To Telma's?"

Zelda took his hand, "To Telma's."

Link got to Epona who didn't wander far when he was having the archery contest with Zelda. He got on, then promptly helped Zelda on and they rode back to Castle Town.