The Girl from Castle Town

"Oof!" she huffed when she climbed down, the impact of the landing taking the breath out of her.

She was fearful that the noise would alert the armored man by the gate, but, thankfully, he seemed oblivious. While her father was a kind man, he sometimes let less than-professional people into positions they probably shouldn't have been in. Oh well, she thought. For now, they served to let her slip out of the Castle and into the pathway to the dwelling that lay ahead of her. Now all she had to do was begin her search for the one she had seen in her vision a few nights prior.

The girl winced at the thought of getting caught, yet she wasn't as worried about her father as she was her attendant. If Impa found out what the young girl was doing, she would NOT be happy with her in the slightest. Her fury would be great and terrible, but what could the girl do? No one was listening to her, and even if Impa took her at her word, the woman still wouldn't let her do anything about it! Couldn't she see that the entire land of Hyrule was at stake?

As risky as it was, she had to do it. She had to find the man of her dreams. Although she didn't mean it like that, far from it. She had no intention of developing any sort of affection for the one that held the shimmering stone of green, a small, winged light by his shoulder. The girl had to admit that she had little to go off of, but so far, she was convinced that disaster was on the horizon. And no one but her could see or would do anything about it.

She had to go find him, wherever he was. She knew the way back to the Castle, and she could just sneak back in just as easily. She changed out of her clothes, so no one would recognize her, at least none of the guards her father had in his service. "I'll find him," she said to herself as she continued on the way to the town by the Castle. "I'll find him, and he'll save Hyrule!" she declared. But she wouldn't fall in love.

She would never fall in love.

"Yet more walking," Navi observed. "Well, walking for you," she said, sitting on Link's shoulder. The boy looked at her, not amused. "Hey, any extra exercise is good. Besides," she then sighed. "It takes a lot more energy than you realize to fly around."

Yeah, whatever, Link thought, rolling his eyes. He managed to get some sleep on Ingo's wagon, but he had still been awake before dawn. He needed to get himself awake and alert, stretching out his arms while he yawned.

"Make way, kid!" a male voice called out from behind Link, catching the boy off guard.

"Dad, be careful!" someone else reprimanded, their voice far younger and female. "Watch out!"

Link looked behind him and saw a cart being drawn by one of the same creatures that pulled Ingo's wagon. It looked very similar, the same yellowish, sandy coat and brown mane. Did this creature come from where Ingo's did? The cart was being driven by a man with the same pointed ears as his and Ingo's, yet he was more portly in the figure, although his arms still bore some muscle to them. He wore a pair of blue overalls with brown patches on the knees and a red undershirt, simple brown shoes, and socks on his feet, and he possessed a beard. But those were the only details Link could get from him as he raced past the boy.

The other individual on the cart sat in the back with a collection of silvery cans or tins, Link was unsure, but they appeared to be around his age. As with the driver, he wasn't able to catch many details, but there was a flash of red as the cart passed by; hair perhaps? "Hey!" Navi's voice brought Link out of his musings. "We've got a Castle to get to, so let's get going!"

Link nodded, going down the slim pathway, wondering just awaited him when he eventually got to the end. It seemed that there was some sort of settlement ahead. Only it was far larger than that of the Kokiri Forest. Daresay, the boy thought it looked almost as big as the Lost Woods itself!

The driver of the cart ran right through the town that was beginning to become active, the day hours having passed into the late morning from the reading on the sundial in the center of the square. Of course, he was trying to make up for the lost time, as Ingo had come back with the fodder for the animals, but he had overslept and was already late in delivering milk to the Castle. Something his daughter had reminded him repeatedly of since they took off. True, he had slept in, but he had spent hours feeding the horses! Ok, maybe he took a break here and there, and his daughter had to sort of pick up the slack, but he still did some work!

Of course, what his daughter was criticizing was his driving skills at the moment. "DAD, LOOK OUT!"

"Whoa!" the bearded driver steered the beast pulling the cart to the side, narrowly avoiding someone walking along the trail. He then got the four-legged animal to monetarily stop, looking back to see a small figure in the distance. "Oh geez," he winced. "Are you ok?" he called out. The figure said nothing, but dusted themselves off and continued on their way into the town.

"Who was that?" his daughter asked, looking over the containers of milk to see who her father had nearly hit. She was a young girl no older than ten with a simple, white dress that came to her ankles, and brown boots with concealed socks on her feet. Her dress bore blue, rectangular patterns that lined the hem, and her short sleeves, and she wore a yellow scarf around her collar that was fastened by a golden ornament. The ornament, despite the girl's friendly appearance, was fashioned into the face of a monster with a wide muzzle, horns, and thick eyebrows. The girl's eyes were a bright blue, yet her most striking feature was her hair.

In contrast to her father's as well as that of her mother, the girl's hair was long and bright red, as red as a burning fire. The sun caught in her fibers and reflected its light, her father observing this reaction as she looked over the cart's edge. It was her most beautiful feature, the bearded man thought. Unfortunately, he knew that some people wouldn't see it that way.

"Well, whoever they were, they're gone now," the red-haired girl said. She then looked back at her father, clearly displeased. "Maybe Mr. Ingo's right, you DO need some more work with steering."

"Hey, I knew how to steer a cart since I was around your age!" the bearded man retorted, yet it wasn't in anger. He then looked back to the town he saw the figure enter. "Are you sure you don't want to come to the Castle?" he asked his child. "You might end up meeting the Princess!"

"Yeah, right," the red-haired girl said, hopping off the cart. "I haven't seen her since you first started taking me here, and I doubt I'll see her any time soon."

True, her father thought. Even he had never seen the Princess of Hyrule himself. He had seen the King and departed Queen, but never their daughter. Perhaps it was due to her position, yet the man felt the Princess should at least have some sort of interaction outside of the Castle. He didn't entirely understand, but he wasn't the King, he was just here to deliver milk.

"Well, ok," the bearded man answered his daughter. "I heard that some new shops were opening up in town today."

"Yeah, I heard that one of them is a Mask Shop," the girl replied. "Maybe I'll get lucky at the Shooting Gallery again," she then turned to go back down the trail leading to the now-active town. "See you, Dad!"

"Wait!" the girl's father called out. She turned back. "I know you're a tough girl, but don't let any of those kids pick on you, ok?"

The redheaded girl nodded. "Don't worry, Dad. I'll be fine," she then faced forward to continue on her way. But before she took another step, she called back to her father. "Try not to fall asleep when you get there! I can't drive back myself!"

"I won't, don't worry!" the bearded man then motioned for the animal pulling the cart to go on. "Have fun!" with that, he continued to the Castle, his daughter making her way to the town.

"You had better not fall asleep," the girl muttered under her breath. "I hate to say it, but Mr. Ingo is right. You do take too many naps," regardless of her father's general laziness, she once again found humor in his comment. "Meet the Princess, yeah, sure."

With one final step, Link exited the stretch of road and came into the central part of the now-stirring square. The boy in green had to stop, the sights he saw overwhelmed him at the moment. Unlike the Kokiri Forest, there wasn't a sign of grass or naturally flowering plants on the ground, the soil covered in tiles and brick of varying colors, as some appeared to lead to buildings a short distance away. The homes, the strange yet beautiful structures were the most bizarre-looking treehouses he had ever seen. If they were trees at all.

While some appeared to be made of wood, much of it had been painted over, and the bark shaved off the surface, the texture smooth, as Link observed when he felt the white walls of one of the houses. Beams of wood were seen on the exteriors of many buildings, and some appeared to have been partially made of stone like the Castle Link had seen in the distance back in the Lost Woods. The homes were painted in varying colors while some bore none at all, presenting themselves as made of the wood that held the rest of the structure, brown and shaven. At least, that's what Link assumed, for how could they remove the texture of the tree's bark? And why would they anyway? The treehouses in the Kokiri Forest were left mostly untouched on the outside, as dwelling within the Great Deku Tree's people meant treating their homes with respect.

Here, the homes had no resemblance to the trees that they had surely come from, covered in paints and constructed in angular shapes. They were unfamiliar and unusual to Link, yet regardless, he found an interesting beauty in the towering buildings. Some stood as tall as some trees in the Lost Woods, at least, from where the boy was standing. Some had signs with large pictures and text, advertising various services that Link had never seen before. A potions shop? A shooting gallery? What were those?

A fountain surrounded by a black railing of hardened material Link had never seen before (but was hot to the touch from the sun), fashioned to point upward, a peculiar stone circle in the center, the shadow from the chiseled dial falling over a strange symbol the boy also hadn't seen until now. This device, whatever it was, appeared to be dependent on the sun given how the shadow appeared thanks to the dial. It was well-designed and seemed to serve its purpose well, but just what was it for?

"I think it might be used to tell time," Navi told Link. At least, that was the most plausible theory she could come up with. "Although," she continued. "I'll admit I can't exactly tell what time it is."

Neither could he, Link thought. If someone wanted to tell what time it was, why not look up at the sun? Its position already changed throughout the day, and it rose in the east and set in the west, marking the beginning of the night. At least, that's how he and the other Kokiri told time. The very forest depended on the sun, yet the only area in the Great Deku Tree's domain where it could be seen was in the Kokiri Forest.

The place was steadily becoming more active, with various people, some tall like the armor-clad soldiers at the gate and Ingo, while others appeared to be children like himself. Some people and children wore green, yet many had clothing that was died a variety of colors, far more than the fashion of the Kokiri Forest. There were several stands selling everything from various fruits and vegetables (some he had never seen in anyone's garden patch) to what appeared to be toys and games. Another had jewelry on display, and another presented pottery of varying sizes and colors, all glazed and shining in the sun. Indeed, there were so many things that Link could never hope to find back home.

"Don't get too distracted," Navi told the boy. "We're here for a reason, you know."

Link nodded. Of course, he hadn't forgotten, but it was just around that time he realized that he had no idea where to go. He had seen the Castle in the distance, yes, but where should he go to try and get there?

"Hey, look!" Link heard a voice cry out from behind. Turning around, he saw a trio of three children around the same age as himself, of course, but they didn't appear to be Kokiri children.

The group consisted of two boys and one girl, each wearing colorful attire compared to Link's single-color tunic and cap. The boy positioned at the front wore a pair of red trousers with brown shoes, a blue top, and a brown vest with a red hat atop his head. A single blue feather was stuck on the right side of the cap. There was another boy behind him to the right, his figure more stout and dressed in a white top, green vest, and brown pants with boots. His hair was cut in a fashion where his bangs were straight across, far neater than the boy in the front, whose hair was wild. Then, to the left, there was a girl in a yellow dress and apron with a white, frilled cap atop her head and brown boots on her feet. Each child had brunette hair, yet the feathered caped boy's eyes were green, while the other boy's was brown and the girl's were blue.

Link pointed to himself, wondering if the boy in front was addressing him. "No, not you," the boy said, pointing to Navi, who was fluttering by Link's shoulder. "That thing," he clarified. "What is it?"

Upon hearing that, Navi grew offended. "Who are you calling a thing?" she questioned. "I'll have you know that I have a name, thank you very much!"

The more robust boy's eyes widened. "See! I told you, Otto! I wasn't seeing things!" he exclaimed. "He DOES have a fairy!"

Upon hearing this, the girl grew excited. "Oooh! Does that mean he's from the forest?" she wondered aloud. Then she directed her attention at Link. "You ARE from the forest, right?"

Link was beginning to grow bothered by the three sets of eyes on him, but he nodded in response to the question. Navi appeared to sense this as well. "Yes, we are, but we have places to be," she said. "So we really must be off-" the fairy's speech was interrupted by the red-capped boy, Otto, seizing her by the wings and pulling her away. "H-Hey! Let go!"

Link's blue eyes widened in shock, but that soon gave way to anger as the three children began poking and prodding at Navi, all the while pulling at her wings. "How can she fly with these?" the other boy questioned, feeling the texture of the thin appendage.

"Not so hard, Liam! You'll pull them off!" the other boy, Otto, chastised. "Still, these are so thin," he observed, studying Navi's wings closer. "Is the light the fairy, or is there something it's covering?"

Navi's cheeks grew hot. "If you please!" she tried to strengthen her struggles. "Stop it, you little hooligans!"

"Guys, I think she's getting angry," the girl told the other two. "Maybe you should let her go."

"Just a minute," Otto told the girl, Eda. "I want to see-" he didn't get to finish because a hand reached out and snatched Navi out of his grip. "Hey!" Link held the fairy, keeping her out of the other boy's distance. "What's your problem? We just want to look at her!"

Link shook his head, growing defensive. "She's m-mine." he stammered, but his voice still had a possessive tone.

"Oh really?" Otto scoffed, folding his arms. "Who says?" He then stepped forward. "Look, we just want to get a good look at her, then we'll give her back."

Link shook his head.

Otto didn't seem to care much for that answer. "Give her here, and I won't have to try and take her."

Again, Link shook his head. True, he hadn't come here with a fight in mind, yet he would finish it! He refused to let Mido walk over him, and this punk was no different!

"Hey, buzz off!" another voice suddenly shouted, getting the attention of all four children. Link saw a red-haired girl running towards them, calling for the others to stop. This momentary distraction allowed the boy in green to take Navi and make a run for it, running off into the growing crowd of the town.

Once Otto realized that Link had run off, he turned back to the redhead girl, clearly angry. "What'd you do that for? We just wanted a glimpse at a real fairy!"

"It's not yours, so you can't touch it!" the girl argued back. "Besides, they didn't like it!"

Otto huffed. "Whatever," he scowled. "I don't need a lecture from a Gerudo spawn," The girl's brow furrowed, but she said nothing. "Come on, let's go."

Otto, Liam, and Eda went off, leaving the redhead alone and going off elsewhere. She folded her arms, frowning as she reminisced on the boy's words. "I am not," she muttered. "Red hair is completely natural. It doesn't mean anything." at least, that's what her dad told her. Still, while she believed him, she couldn't help but feel a nagging doubt at the back of her mind.

Having run a good distance away, Link ducked into a nearby corner, standing at the beginning of an alleyway. "You ok?" he asked Navi, as he had finally released her.

"Well, aside from having my wings nearly pulled off, you almost suffocated me!" the pale-blue fairy complained, straightening out her hair. Not that Link could see it. "Still, thanks," she sighed, her wings aching as she continued to fly. She needed a moment to rest, so she fluttered over to Link's shoulder, taking a seat on the larger boy. This is why I do not like children, she thought but kept her sentiment to herself. True, Link was all right, but she couldn't fathom why her fairy companions would want to be watching over them. Children were so much of a hassle, as she was finding out, for Link had his moments of difficulty. But those ruffians were the worst! "Well, whatever," Navi huffed, standing up and dusting herself off. "For now, I have no intention of interacting with any more children, if that's all right with you."

Link shrugged. Truth be told, neither did he. The children here seemed to not be much better than the other Kokiri back home. True, the only one that harassed him was Mido, but he couldn't exactly call the other children "friends." Save for Saria, the blonde boy never had anyone that went out of their way to talk to him, save for when they needed something. Aside from checking in on the harvest of his crops (which usually wasn't that great), he never had much interaction with anyone. Not the Know-it-All Brothers, not the Twins, not Fado, nobody. The only two Kokiri he interacted with the most were Saria and Mido, and the latter was only because the redhead wouldn't stop messing with him.

But still, Saria and Mido were people he knew, in that he knew about them. He had deeper relationships with them, even if he still hated Mido's guts, but the others seemed to not generally care. They only regarded Link's existence when necessary, as if he were a stranger among them. And while he did miss his home somewhat, when it came down to it, the boy found that, even in the forest, it didn't feel like home. It was isolating and closed off, and he was only allowed there because the Great Deku Tree allowed it. All in all, despite the familiarity, the environment of the Kokiri settlement, when it came to him, always felt cold and distant.

Aside from Saria, he had nobody. And especially after what happened with the Gohma Queen, she was the only one that would probably welcome him back, but the others would never let him forget.

She tried to not let herself become overwhelmed by the sights and sounds, not to mention the ever-growing crowds that surrounded the now active stands selling their wares, but it was difficult. She had come here with a mission in mind, but all she had seen of this place was from what she had seen in the tower that held her room. To be here, in the central square of her father's kingdom, the capital, to be walking the streets for herself, it was almost too much. Still, she had to reign herself in before she got distracted. The girl had risked coming here for a reason, and she had to get this right, otherwise, her efforts would be wasted.

"Well, let's get going," Navi told her green-clad charge. "We've got a Castle to get to."

Indeed, Link thought. Still, in which direction should he go? As he turned and was about to walk forward, his journey was interrupted by a similarly-sized object bumping into him. The boy was sent back, Navi flying off his shoulder and hitting the ground with a quiet impact.

"Hey!" a voice spoke out, reeling over in pain. "Watch it!"

Link's eyes widened, then they grew angry. "You watch it!" he retorted back, but his irritation was soon coupled with curiosity as he looked upon who he ran into.

On the tiles of stone sat a young girl holding her head, her temples feeling as if they were swelling from the pressure underneath. Like the other children that Link and Navi had seen, she wore anything but green. Her attire was rather complementary to Link's in color. The girl wore a pink dress with short, puffed sleeves that ended at her knees, pink socks, brown slippers, and a burgundy, sleeveless vest, the color opposite of the boy's garments. But in appearance, they bore more in common.

The girl's hair was short and a bright blonde, lighter in color than Link's, and somewhat wavy, falling to her just below her neckline. Some of her hair was tied back in a small braid fastened with a pink ribbon, and her eyes were bright blue. But again, a lighter color than Link's, almost sky blue. The girl rose to her feet, massaging her forehead, all the while trying to conjure words to say to the one who had just bumped into her. Of course, when she looked, the young lady found herself robbed of words.

Link was expecting the girl to bark something back at him, but instead, she just stared at the boy in green, studying him as if he were some fascinating creature she had never seen before. From her place on the ground, Navi saw how she circled the boy in green, taking in every detail she could see in his appearance. The fairy wasn't too trusting of this girl, whoever she was. Just what was she up to?

"Who...are you?" the blonde girl questioned Link, raising a brow as she continued to look him over. She waited for a response, but the boy didn't answer her back. "Well? Who are you?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"

"He is Link," the girl heard someone say, suddenly startled by the appearance of the winged ball of light. "And right now, he's on a mission to go to the Castle."

The girl's sky-blue eyes grew upon seeing Navi, the fairy wincing and regretting revealing herself. "You're...a fairy?" she asked. While she appeared fascinated with Navi, reaching out for her at first, but she pulled her hand back. "Is she yours?" she then asked Link.

"He's mine," Navi corrected. "He might have a sword, but he still needs some direction on where to swing it." Link huffed, embarrassed.

"A sword?" the girl questioned. Link nodded. The girl then grew quiet for a moment, seemingly pondering something. "Well, if I can ask, do you happen to have a stone with you?"

Link was puzzled. Stone?

"A green stone," the girl clarified. "One that comes from the forest," he said nothing, but the boy's expression changed upon hearing her say that. "You do have it, right?"

Link was frozen in place, unsure of what to do. Just who was this girl?! How did she know what he was carrying?! What was he supposed to do? Did he go and tell her the truth? Just who was to know that? "W-Who," Link began, speaking slowly to sound out his words. "Wants...to know?"

The girl quirked a brow. This boy's speech pattern was a bit off, but he seemed to understand what she was talking about. "Well, the Royal Family would like to know," she told the boy. "Especially the Princess."

Upon hearing that, Link's sole focus was on her. "Princess?"

The girl nodded. "Yes, Princess," she answered.

"And who are you?" Navi questioned the girl. "Do you know her?"

The girl's eyes shifted for a moment as if she were contemplating a response. "You...could say that," she said. "I'm a friend of the Princess," and upon seeing Link's face brighten, she folded her arms. "And I suppose you want to see her, right?"

Link was surprised. It was as if she could read his mind.

"I'm not surprised," the girl said. "Everyone wants to see the Princess," she huffed, dragging her foot across the stone ground. "Well, it's fortunate for you that I know a way in."

"You do?" Link asked. "Let's go!"

"Whoa, hold on!" the girl said. "I can't take you!"

"Why not?"

She crossed her arms. "Wow, so that's all I am to you? A way in?" she then sighed. "Then again, I suppose I can't blame you. After all, the fact there's a Princess at all in Hyrule is something people won't stop talking about."

Link tilted his head in confusion. "Why?"

The girl appeared surprised by this. "You don't know?" she questioned. "Oh right, you're from the forest, of course, you wouldn't," she then said. She then looked Link over again. "But, yes, I do know the Princess. But I can't take you to her."

"Why not?" Navi asked.

"Because I'm here on an assignment from the Princess," the girl stated. "I have to find someone," she looked Link over again. "No, it can't be you," she muttered. "You're not old enough."

"Huh?" Link asked.

"Oh, it's nothing," the girl said. "But...you do have the stone, and a fairy," she then went silent for a few moments. "Maybe...you're just holding onto them for him?"

For who? Link was unsure of what the girl was talking about.

"Well, until then, I suppose I'll have to rely on you," she said. "Tell you what," she continued. "How's this? You help me find who I'm looking for, and I'll lead you into the Castle. Does that sound good?"

Link pondered this offer for a short time. He had no idea who this girl was, but he had little idea of where to go, and she did know the way. Of course, he would have to help her out first. Ultimately, he agreed, nodding in reply.

"Ok, great! Thanks!" the girl answered. "By the way, what's your name?"

"L-Link." the green-clad boy replied.

"Link?" the girl fell silent. "That's...unique." this wasn't to imply she found it displeasing, but it wasn't a name she had heard before. And yet, there was a familiarity to it. Even if he wasn't old enough to be the one she was searching for, this boy perhaps had something to do with the vision she had seen.

"And who are you? If I may ask?" Navi questioned.

"Me?" The blonde girl asked. "Oh, I'm Ze-" she stopped herself, almost as if she was about to speak something she shouldn't say.

Link quirked a brow, confused.

"I'm..." the girl bit her lip, seemingly thinking hard. "Gris." she finally said.

"Gris?" the boy asked.

"Y-Yeah. Gris," the girl answered. "My name is Gris," she then gazed around the bustling square, then at the boy in green. "Well? Let's go!"