Shadow of the Hero

The Plan

I spur Lenaigrima once before settling into the rhythm of his gait. The cold wind bites my cheeks in passing, and my legs feel slight discomfort from riding bareback. It is no different from normal. I may be sore for the day after riding, but the pain will be minimal.

The green grass sways gently as I pass. A few trees stand tall here and there, and a lake sparkles in the distance. The dirt road beneath Grima's hooves stirs as we ride over it. Another path branches off from our own, but I ignore it and continue to ride towards the abandoned city far from the prying eyes of man.

The past few days replay in my head.

The Six Sages, which used to be Seven before Zelda was frozen in time, instructed me on the plan, going into more detail. Since the evil that emanated from Ganondorf may have radiated to the whole kingdom, there is fear that the different races may cause a war. I am to stop it by allying myself to all of them. If I gain their trust, then maybe I can stop them before they decide to shift the world balance.

Each of the sages is of a different race, and each told me how their kind think.

Saria is the young girl with green hair. She is a Kokiri from the Forbidden Forest. Link spent his first ten years there before his first encounter with Ganondorf. Saria was his best friend. Now she is a sage that watches over Hyrule. Her people apparently all act like children. (Mostly because they are). They are led and created by the Great Deku Tree. Each one has a Guardian fairy for council and protection. (Grrrr....Link said he'd get Navi for me......he forgets things often).

The Gorons, as Darunia told me, are probably the toughest people I will meet, but also the most loyal. By looking at him, I could believe it. His body was huge and his fists looked like they were made for punching. Tattoos covered his body as some sort of ritualistic act. He was the first to hug me though.

The Zoras are quiet, like their princess-turned-sage, Ruto. Apparently, she was engaged to Link during his first journey, although I kind of doubt it. She spoke about how her people used to be respected and happy. Now they are filled with tragedy as their rulers keep dying. They have a range of blue to green skin, and have many fishlike qualities.

The Sheikah are a dying race. Impa is very sad as she tells me this. They were pledged to the royal family, and many died to protect them. Because of this, very few are left and most of them are hidden from sight. Impa suggests that I find them soon because they can teach me a lot if I give them time. She thinks they might be found in the mountains somewhere.

The Gerudo are often misunderstood, according to Nabooru. They are a strong race of mostly women. Every once in a while, a male is born. (Don't ask me how they procreate....maybe they live a long time and have long pregnancies?.......I don't know......). They enforce their laws strictly, and therefore come off slightly threatening. They are masters of secrecy. If I'm honest, they seem the most suspicious.

The humans in Hyrule are probably the least straight-forward. All of the sages had a different opinion on them, it seems. I had revisited the castle before leaving. The captains there took a lot of convincing, but when Auru, Ashei, and Shad heard my distress, they stepped in and vouched for me. Now the castle knows that Zelda is safe in the temple. The guards didn't like the idea of me doing this mission alone, but they agreed. (If you ask me, they're lazy.....).

So here I am, riding across Hyrule in search of the first race-The Sheikah. The Sages finally agreed that I should find them first for many reasons: I could train with them and prepare for the other races, the Sheikah would then have time to recover themselves, and they are the hardest to find.

"'Somewhere in the mountains' my ass" I mutter. Cussing is strange for me. I always hear the soldiers do it, but Fenwa always tells me that I should stay dignified if I want to be a captain. Now Darunia tells me that if I want to be accepted faster into the Gorons, I need to start cursing. All of the sages agreed for their individual races except Saria and Ruto. So I'll have to watch my mouth in those areas.

The day continues in a fruitless search. There is nothing in the mountains. I have to fight a few more monsters than normal, since we are so far from civilization, but there is no sign of anything else.

A few hours after dark, I decide to rest. I tie Lenaigrima to a rock, more out of habit then concern that he will run away. Then I grab a blanket and rest it under my head. As I stare at the stars, I wonder if my life from now on will be lonely.

Is this how Link felt?