Written in Blood

XII . Picking fights

It's been about a week since we got back from Goron City, and I fell back into the routine I'd had before. Zelda's shut back in her room again and I've started spending more time training with others, like Edmund. Malon sometimes comes to watch- and judge us.

Now that I'm actually sleeping again, the nightmares are back, but I just try to forget. They aren't that bad.

I'm messing around with a bow right now, trying to remember the feel of it. I hunted some while I was in the woods, but these bows are a lot bigger since they're made for combat, not just hunting game. The bowstring's a lot harder to pull back then I'm used to, so it takes more effort to make it taut.

I don't even know why I'm practicing my archery, I'm one of the expendable soldiers, sent in to die with only a sword and shield to my name. Just one of the pawns. As cynical as that sounds, it's the truth.

So far, I've only made one bullseye and that seemed like a miracle within itself. Most of the arrows are scattered on the ground in front of the target in a messy pile, some have their arrow heads buried in the dirt. Most are parallel to the ground through.

I try a few more but then call it quits. I've had enough for today.

I toss the bow onto the grass and walk over to the bullseye to pick up the arrows. It's a little past noon, and the day's been largely uneventful. I expected there to be a flurry of activity after I returned from the war consul, but there's been no stir from the routine, it even seems more relaxed than before. I guess that comes with planning, the concerns and stress are ironed out from the consul, but there were still a lot of loose ends that didn't get resolved in Goron City. There isn't a solid plan at all. Sure the end goal has been acknowledged, but the path to regaining control over the Castle and exterminating Ganondorf's forces isn't just unclear, it's unknown. May even be nonexistent from what I've seen of it. After the original panic wore out of the Hylian people, they seem to have settled into this new crowded, chaotic life. Is that complacency? There doesn't seem to be that visible drive anymore, that want to regain what was taken from them. It seems they've settled into this new life of theirs. I just want to leave, and if that means I'll have to fight Ganondorf again and almost die, then I'll do it. I guess that's one heroic part of me, I'm called to action, I don't want to sit here and grow weak and wait for evil to come and smite us, I want to do something. Except while the other Link had noble and honorable motives for serving justice to that giant green man, this Link is just looking for a chance to slither away back into a life away from others. My reasoning now just seems selfish.

I drop the arrows into the quiver and do my best to clean the clumps of dirt off the few arrowheads that got embedded in the ground.

"Hey,"

I hear a rumble of conversation begin from behind me and look to see Edmund, who's come from the newly formed ruckus.

"What's that all about?"

"Oh, that?" He turns his head back at the group of people, formed in a circle around something, "Some of the soldiers decided to have a swordsmanship competition."

"So a brawl?"

"No. More like a duel. An affair of honor. A challenge. What have you."

"Okay, okay, I get it."

I notice him still standing there, waiting for something.

"What?"

"Do you wan-"

"Don't even say it, you know I'd just humiliate myself. And besides, would they even let someone of our rank join? It's probably just a fun brawl for the knights or something." I grin when I see his face flash with irritation when I say 'brawl'. So I like messing with people, sue me.