The Legend of Zelda: The Hero's of Hyrule

Ordon Village

I closed my eyes and took a big silent breath. I held that breath, reopened my eyes and saw only my target. A deer, maybe a doe, tall and elegant, drinking from a small lake in a clearing.
I drew an arrow from my Quiver and knocked it against my bow. I finally let go of my deep breath, leaving a chilly early morning mist, only to breath in deeper this time. As I did, I pulled back on the bow string, clenching onto the arrow, until the tension couldn't take it anymore. As I breathed out, I let the arrow fly. It sliced through the air with immense speed, the deer would have had no time at all to avoid it. I heard the shriek and then silence.
I waited, hoping that my one arrow was all it took.
After a few seconds I stood up and checked my handiwork. Lying on its side, motionless, was the deer. I knelt down next to it and prayed, thanking the goddesses for my kill. Once I was done, I picked the deer up and draped it over my back, it wasn't too heavy, I had been lifting deer and goats my whole life, my shoulders were used to it.
I took a look around at my surroundings. This clearing was beautiful. The new sun shone beams of light through the holes of the tall trees. Leaving bright spots on the forest floor, where the flowers danced, happy to receive food. The small lake glistened in the sunlight, looking inviting for a swim. I crammed my neck towards my arm pit and dared a sniff. I reeled back from the stench and decided I should bath here while I can. I gently placed the deer down and stripped naked. I lightly stepped into the lake, hoping it wasn't freezing cold. Luckily the warmth of the sun had made it easier to step in.
Standing straight, the water reached the middle of my torso. I took a deep breath and fell below the water. I moved around a little and hit a few cold spots, however it didn't feel uncomfortable, the warm and cold water mixed well together. I quickly came back up for a breath of air.
I was suddenly face to face with a horse and I fell backwards making a large splash. Once I had resurfaced, I heard laughing.
Riding on the back of the horse, in hysterics, was Ilia and Colin. Noticing my situation, I quickly covered myself with my hands and swam backwards to a dark corner of the lake.
'I knew I would find you out here Link, so what are you...' Ilia trailed her sentence off as she noticed the deer and clothes left next to it, including my under garments.
Her face grew red with embarrassment, and so did mine.
'Oh no!' Colin exclaimed, with a light laugh.
He jumped off the horses back and quickly gathered up my clothing. He pulled on the horses' reigns and turned her around.
'Okay Epona, just take Ilia this way for a bit, Link is kind of nude right now.' Colin couldn't help but laugh at that.
Once Epona had taken Ilia away, Colin came back with my clothes and held them out for me while shielding his eyes. I swiftly stepped out of the lake, the sun helped a lot in drying me quickly, and I slipped back into my clothes; a pair of tan trousers, a white undershirt and the traditional Ordonian garb, a piece of colourful fabric tied around the waist with a some cloth. I slipped my sandals back on and my arm brace for my bow.
"No need to thank me." Colin said with a grin before I could, I smiled and nodded a thank you.
I asked Colin to grab my bow and quiver for me and I retrieved my game. I hoisted it over my back and then and gestured to Colin; Lets catch up with Ilia.
Epona was slowly walking towards our village when we caught up. Ilia smiled and waved, but wouldn't meet my eyes, I couldn't exactly look right at her either. The four of us walked back to our village together, Colin did most of the talking, he always did. Colin was the son of the greatest Ordonian swordsman Rusl, who was also the man who saved my life. So I had always been around since Colin was born and he's been a great friend. He had sandy blond hair like his father and big blue eyes like his mother. Colin had always been small, even for his age, but I knew he had so much courage. He struggled a little just to carry my bow and quiver.
Ilia was always looking after me for as long as I could remember. She was the same age as me but always seemed to be more mature. She was the daughter of the mayor of Ordon village, but she never acted like it. She had short dirty blond hair and green eyes, she never wore shoes and always seemed to have cuts and bruises. She loved animals and spent a lot of time in the surrounding forest. She was a free spirit, but always found time to be everyone's mother.
We finally made it to the village which was bustling with life. I loved it here. The village was always full of energy and no one was left out. It was one huge family. A river ran through the middle of the village. On one side were a few houses and the water mill. Standing on a large rock in the centre of the town was Jaggle, the village sentry. No one asked him to stand there all day looking out for trouble, but since there had been an increase of monster sightings recently, no one argued with him.
The small group of kids that lived here, were playing by the river, Malo, Talo and Beth. Colin handed Ilia my bow and quiver and joined the other kids. I guided Epona by the reigns through the village, waving to the other village folk.
'Hey Link,' Ilia said from atop of Epona, 'About what happened before, I swear I didn't see anything!' I didn't respond, I was cringing from embarrassment.
'Yeah good idea, let's just not talk about it.' Ilia agreed. I let out a sigh of relief.
I dropped her off outside her house where her father, Bo, was waiting. Ilia climbed down off Epona's back and joined her father by his side.
'Good morning Link! Seems my Ilia found you this morning then, and what a catch you have there! We will feast tonight!' Bo said.
I smiled and passed him the deer. Bo was a large man who could hold the entire weight of the deer in just his hands. Rumour was Bo wrestled with Gorons in his youth, that's how he got so strong.
'Oh Link, I think Fado was looking for you, something about the goats not listening.' As Bo said this, we all heard shouting coming from the farm.
'Watch out! A goat got loose!' It was Fado, chasing a goat, which was barrelling towards me at full speed. I stood my ground, braced myself and held my hands out. I breathed slowly, trying not to panic.
Ordonian goats are not really something you want to stand in the pathway of. They are large and scary and their horns, well should I say horn, made a large loop, and it was as tough as stone. Well, I stood in their path many times before, and this time was no different.
Before it barrelled me over, I grabbed its horn with both hands, then twisted my hips to the left and pushed down its horns. The goat then toppled over to the left and was lying on its back. There was a round of applause from the villagers and I held my head down feeling embarrassed from all the eyes. Fado had finally caught up, panting heavily.
'Thank you so much Link, you are a life saviour!' he said. I helped the spooked goat back up, it had now calmed down, with Ilia's help of course.
'hey, the goats have finished grazing for the morning, could you come and round them up with Epona for me? Then you'll be free for the whole day.' I nodded. I jumped on Epona's back. Ilia handed me my bow and quiver back and I slung the both over my shoulder. I then waved goodbye and followed Fado as we both walked the goat back to the grazing area. I guided it through the open fence, which Fado quickly closed behind me and it happily bounded back towards the stable. However the rest of the ten goats were quite spread out. I kicked at Epona's sides and she sped off. I moved around the edge of the fence, making an arc around the goats. A few started to get the message and head back towards the stable, but others got spooked and ran in the other direction. I swiftly spun Epona around and guided the stragglers back in and they listened. I made laps up and down behind the goats, slowly moving forward, until they had all bounded back into the stable and Fado closed the gate.
'Amazing as ever Link! You and Epona are a perfect team!' Fado said.
I patted Epona's side in thanks, and she responded with a small whinny. Epona was with me when Rusl saved me. He told me the story of how a fairy from the Kokiri forest came to him one night and told him to follow. Rusl was led deep into the lost woods, a path he said he could not take again even if he tried. He told me he was led through a small village, and he swore he saw a child hiding in one of the small houses. Further down the path the fairy led Rusl to a large tree. This tree was magical in fact it was alive. It spoke to Rusl, it called itself the Great Deku Tree. The tree told Rusl to care for Link, who was being held by another small child who was dressed in all green, and to take this horse with you for it belongs to the child, and that horse, who was a lot smaller at the time, was Epona.
I have been living here in Ordon village my whole life. I have never questioned Rusl any further about where he found me, but I've always been curious. I've tried to go through the Lost woods a few times, but I always get turned around and end back up at the village.
I said goodbye to Fado and made my way back through the village. Colin was having fun with the other kids, and I saw Sera's, the woman who owns the general store, cat swiping at some fish near the rivers edge, getting dangerously close. I took a path that diverged a little from the village. I little bit out of the village stood a house, it was built into a tree and had two floors, but you entered it by climbing a ladder to the top floor first. I hitched Epona to a fence, which stood close enough to a small lake where she could drink some water. I then climbed the ladder and entered my house. I first placed my sandals by the front door and then I took my bow and quiver off my back and placed them against a chair. I then undid my bow brace and hung it on a hook. I flopped onto my bed, and exhaled loudly, peace and quiet.
I was done for the day, already had hunted some good game and was now left to do whatever I wanted.

After some time had passed, and I think a naplater, I sat up and my eyes met the chest in the corner of the room. Somethingwas calling me, and I stood up, walked towards the chest and opened it. Inside wasa scabbard for a sword. I held it in my hands, it felt light. It was paintedblue with gold markings which were beautiful. Epona had this scabbard strapped toher when Rusl had found us. He never told me about what sword went with it,because even he didn't know. All he could tell me was that he saw a bladeresting in a pedestal of stone that sat in front of the Great Deku Tree. As Iheld the scabbard, I felt something pulsing through me, a kind of energy, orpower I had never felt before. The scabbard seemed to vibrate in my hands, asif I would to let go it would fly off, finding the sword it belonged to. Adistant voice shouted out my name and I dropped the scabbard in fright.
'LINK!' The voice shouted again; it was Rusl. I laughed nervously to myself andplaced the scabbard back in the chest. I stood on the balcony and waved atRusl. However, his expression was serious.
'There is someone to see you Link.' His voice was low, and he seemed somewhatworried. I grabbed my sandals from behind the door and slipped them on. Iclimbed back down the ladder and followed Rusl to his house. The village wasstill alive, as the sun shone high in the sky, but Rusl did not say a word. Rusl'shouse was a small quaint cottage. It had a small farm outside the front and theriver ran along side it. Uli, Colin's mother and Rusl's wife, was standingoutside hanging the washing out on a line that stretched from one tree toanother. She struggled to reach it a few times, needing to hold her back, forshe was pretty far through her pregnancy at this point.
She smiled at me as I walked past, but I saw fear in her eyes. Rusl held thedoor open for me and I entered. There were two strangers sitting at the table.
An older looking woman was at the head. She wore a large black shroud, whichcovered her body completely. She also had a scarf that hung loosely around hermouth and her eyes were red, not blood shot or anything, her irises were red. Standingtall in the corner of the room was the other stranger. He was thin and slender,but the uniform he wore defined his muscles. He didn't wear a large shroud, butsome sort of blue and black suit. It looked flexible enough to move aroundquickly, but strong enough to handle most attacks. The man also wore a scarf,but his was tight around his mouth, and he also wore a wrap around the top ofhis head. All I could see of his face was one red eye and a tuft of hair thatbroke through the scarf and head wrap. As I stepped into the light the woman inthe shroud stood up and stared at me with wide eyes, even the mans one eye waswider than before.
'It's true, you do live!' she exclaimed. I was confused, what did she mean I live?Of course I do.
'I knew you would be all the way out here, but no one believed me! And the timeline matches! He looks aboutsixteen and he has blonde hair!' She was looking at the other man and he studiedme with his one eye. There was something about him that stumped me a little.
'Oh so sorry!' The woman explained turning her attention back at me.
'Let me introduce myself, my name is Impa, and this is Sheik, we are the lastof the Sheikah tribe, the protectors of the royal family. And we have been insearch of the Hero of Hyrule for sixteen years.' She explained. Both Rusl and Istared at her blankly so she continued,
'as you may know, the Kingdom is falling, Agahnim, the Kings closest advisorhas taken control of the castle and the princess has been lost. The only hopewas the Hero of Hyrule, but unfortunately, he was killed in battle. but hereyou are, sixteen years later and you look just like him!" she was ecstatic now,her shroud moved around as she got excited and I noticed a white tattoounderneath her right eye, a large tear drop. I was still confused and didn't reallyprocess what she had said, I turned to Rusl who stood beside me.
"Link, Impa told me something that makes how I found you make a lot more sensethen it ever did. Link, you are the son of the Hero of Hyrule who died inbattle sixteen years ago." He said.
"Yes, and we now need make our way to The Great Deku Tree to retrieve the swordof evils bane." Impa said, leaning in closer.
"The master sword." Sheik spoke, we all turned to him and the room fell silent.