Hero by Heart

Chapter 59

Zelda was beyond terrified.
The skies were starting to get lighter, and everywhere around her she could hear weapons clinking and soft voices murmuring.
     Their attackers hadn't shown themselves yet, but she was certain they were close.
     The Rito had given her hourly reports, telling her what she had feared. The enemy had moved steadily all night, and had stopped just out of their eyesight.
     Zelda herself was standing on top of the Main Gate, and had been for the last hour or so. She had barely slept, hadn't had the stomach to eat anything, and had been anxiously staring into the distance since she came here.
     The warriors around her seemed just as nervous, trying to relax a little before the battle started.
     She could see some Hylians steal glances over the wall every sixty seconds, as they chatted and occasionally laughed a little too loud.
     Behind them was a group of Gerudo warriors, who seemed to be much better composed. They had enough experience not to waste energy on worrying, and were sitting with their backs against the stone, some of them even napping.
     On the ground behind the gate was a group of Gorons, to prevent the large doors from being blown open.
     They were sitting still, their weapons clenched tight, as they waited for any signal from above.
     Zelda was confident that most of the army that they had assembled would not doubt for a second to fight and die for this cause, but that knowledge weighed heavy on her.
     She knew that these people would be safe inside their homes, far away from any battle, but she had summoned them here. They would fight to protect her home.
     Zelda wasn't making any illusions for herself, and knew that many of them might die here today.
     If only it wouldn't be for nothing.

The sky was a beautiful, bright blue now, as the sun was about to peek over the edge of the horizon, but there was still no sign of their attackers.
     Link appeared beside Zelda again, having inspected the rest of the troops on the walls, to make sure everyone was in place and that every inch of the castle was protected.
     He smiled at Zelda, a little tense, but reassuringly enough.
     She smiled back, trying to look brave and fearless, knowing that Link could see right through her.
He wordlessly grabbed her hand and squeezed it, looking out over Hyrule Field.
     It was a beautiful day, one that Zelda would call peaceful on any other day. Right now, though, it felt like the quiet before the storm.
A slightly louder murmur from behind them signalled the arrival of several Gerudo warriors, marching up the steps heavily armed.
Zelda turned to see Reeza, Laine and Merina, grinning proudly as she shot them a questioning look.
'We will resume our duty to protect you,' Reeza said cheerfully, before glancing at Link. 'If that's alright with the both of you.'
Zelda smiled, secretly quite happy with the reinforcements, while Link simply nodded.
'I'd love to have your company,' she said. 'Thank you.'
Reeza smiled kindly. 'We first wanted to ask Riju for permission, but it seems like we're not too late yet.'
Laine scoffed. 'It was nothing short of begging.' She chuckled. 'She only just refrained from getting on her knees.'
Reeza pushed her away playfully, shooting her an exposed look.
They all laughed, and for a moment Zelda felt a little less tense.
That moment was soon over, when a Rito flew over, his bow clenched tight in his claws, as he called out to their little group.
     'Enemies in the west! The gate is under attack!'
     As quickly as he had come, he disappeared again, flying over the remains of Castle Town back to the West Gate.
     Before any of them had time to process the news, another Rito took a dive towards them, pulling up just above the wall.
     'Attackers at the Eastern Gate!' She exclaimed. 'It has begun!'
     This Rito, too, quickly flew back, leaving the warriors on the wall in confusion as an excited uproar broke out.
     Zelda looked at Link, her eyes big in fear and anxiety, as realization settled in that they were now really at war, for whatever reason.
He smiled grimly back at her, giving her a small, reassuring nod.
'We have to help them,' Zelda muttered, but he shook his head.
'It could be a diversion. We cannot leave this gate unprotected.' He shrugged helplessly. 'I know it sucks, but we have to wait.'
Zelda sighed, knowing he was right. Still, it didn't help the pit in her stomach, or the clenching of her heart. She hated this. She wanted to do something, not let others deal with her problems.
With her jaw clenched tight in anger, she stared out over Hyrule Field, almost hoping to see a glimpse of the enemy there, so that this terrible waiting would end.