"So, you saw the candidates together," Hena spoke up when she was nearly finished with her soup. "What do you think of them? My uncle sure can go on, can't he?"
"He was very friendly," Link replied, then gulping down the rest of his soup and biting into the bread bowl.
"Yeah, he's always been like that." Hena's smile was a little crooked. "He's really popular with just about everyone in town thanks to that. But, as an outsider who just met them, who do you think will win?"
After considering for a moment, absentmindedly tearing off a large piece of the bread, Link answered slowly, "It depends on what the people in town are looking for in a Mayor."
"Yeah, yeah." Hena nodded. "It depends if people want someone official and fancy or somebody… well, like my uncle. And as I said last night, people are leaning towards fancy. Not that Brian Koru won't do a good job."
They finished in silence. After paying, they headed outside, where a twilight sky loomed above them, a pale, washed out orange to the west that faded into a dark blue, partially hidden behind dark clouds that were thickest to the north. Link took a long breath and smelled snow on the chilled northern wind.
"I'm off to vote, then," Hena said, pulling her scarf more snugly around her neck. "It's too bad, really. My uncle has been so excited for this, but I know even my own sister will be voting against him." She rolled her eyes. "I tried to tell her not to, since we'll be getting Brian Koru's wife as our joint representative. Don't tell anyone I said this, but she's worst part of this whole deal."
Link frowned, remembering the squinting, silent woman he had seen by Brian Koru earlier that day."She didn't seem very interested in what was happening..."
"Oh, don't be so sure about that. You should have heard her a year ago when the election process started and her husband became a candidate officially. She was always so obsessed with status, and when things first started, I heard plenty about how much of the town's money she was going to use to buy herself even fancier dresses and jewelry…not that I heard it from her own mouth, but I wouldn't doubt it. But maybe you're right. Maybe she has mellowed out. It's too early to really tell though."
Hena bade him goodbye, reminding him to put out the lights around the Fishing Hole and to salt the walkways. After he nodded in affirmation, she turned and joined the crowd, which was now dividing, the townspeople leaving the tourists and heading towards the voting booths. Link walked against the flow, heading towards the gate.
"Hey!"
Link ignored the small voice by his ear, rolling away from it, pulling his blanket and his cloak which was laid on top of it closer around him, immersed in its warmth, thinking of nothing.
"Hey! Don't ignore me!"
Recognizing Hena's voice, Link abruptly sat up, sleep still making his vision blurry as he looked around, seeing her outline, illuminated by the light of the uncovered windows. His vision cleared, and he saw she was dressed in an olive green top, a brown coat and pants, and boots with leather fringe, the yellow hat on her head again and a nice bright red scarf around her neck. Her hands were on her hips, and she was frowning down at him.
"I..." Link rubbed his eyes, still feeling this orientated from sleep. "Did I sleep in?"
"No! And you don't even need to get up today, because no one's coming, anyways!" She began to pace, saying, "After I voted, I went to check out the schedule in the festival committee's office, and they told me to close up shop this morning, because they had told everybody not to leave town so everyone would be a part of getting ready for the Yule Eve hunt today and to be sure that no one will be out of town when the election results are announced after the hunt!" She threw up her hands in exasperation. "This is absurd! Of course everyone will be back in town in time to hear the results! And I've always gotten some decent business every year at this time; I'm not open on Yule itself, so this is my last chance to earn some extra money to spend on my day off!"
While she kept ranting, Link saw movement in the corner of his eye, and glanced over to see that Truett, sleeping inside his hat, was making it lurch around, inching in different directions randomly as if she were rolling in her sleep. He snatched up the hat and put it on, asking, "So, do you not need my help this morning?"
Hena, who had been going on about how her sister probably had something to do with her troubles, cut herself off abruptly, saying, "Clean everything up and get rid of any snow on the walkway between here and town, at least! I'm not going to let you stay here for free or anything!" Pulling her hat down on her head firmly, her frown still fierce, she said, "I'm heading out to town to give my sister piece of my mind. I'll see you there, but be sure you completely finish your work first!"
He nodded. FI promise I will."
She nodded curtly, irritably tugging her hat down again, and then stomped out, though she closed the door behind her without slamming it.
Link immediately took his hat off, and Truett flew out, saying, "What's your deal? I really didn't want to wake up to your nasty hair first thing in the morning!"
Not bothering to answer, Link stood up, stretching, and then began to put his things together, getting ready for the day.
"So, we get the rest of the day free?" Truett asked as they left the Fishing Hole, heading towards the lakeside town. Link had quickly, though thoroughly, straightened up the Fishing Hole, and then shoveled the small layer of snow off of the walkway to town. He had just returned the shovel and now as they headed back towards town, Truett flew in the air around him, her wings beating energetically, her voice loud and without any sign of the lethargic tone of yesterday.
"Yes, and it looks like that apple helped, huh?"
"Oh, yeah," she replied dismissively. "But anyways, it's Yule Eve, right? What do Hylians and humans do for the holiday?"
"Well, back at my home we would usually just have a feast and a ceremony with offering up animals hunted Yule Eve, and then a bonfire. Do fairies celebrate the holiday?"
"No, but we celebrate something similar around the solstice. We don't do any hunting, of course. Have you done the hunts?"
Link shook his head, answering, "No, I never went."
"Oh? Why's that?"
He was about to answer that he had been too young, but then remembered that Bolek, who was younger than him, had been on the hunts. Frowning, he tilted his head, thinking for a moment before answering, "I think it had something to do with me being the oldest able-bodied man in my family. There were wolves in the woods that time of year, and people have died on the hunts."
"Too bad. But maybe you can do it this year."
"You want to go on a hunt?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
"I'm not so much interested in the hunting down and killing an innocent creature that probably doesn't even taste very good as I am interested in the tradition and technique of it all. I've been told that supposedly there's a lot of skill involved, like tracking and things like that."
"But you're already such a good tracker, Truett," he couldn't help saying, unable to keep a twinge of sarcasm out of his voice.
"Watch it, or else you'll have to find some stupid, ugly, slobbering mutt to track down your friend for you."
“Sorry. If you are that interested in it, we could try to get involved.”
“Humph! Now you're just saying that to get on my good side. Don't patronize me.” With an indignant sniff that sounded like a newborn kitten sneezing, she flew inside his hat.
When Link stepped into town through the gates, he found that every area that was not already covered with decorations were now laden with bunches of holly, wreaths of ivy, and red ribbons. The streets were now stuffed with even more booths stocked high with food, drink, and a wide assortment of trinkets, clothes, and jewelry. The crowds seemed to have grown, though this was only due to every single person in town being outside of the homes, inns, restaurants, businesses, and shops, everyone either shopping or eating outside, or working to clear the snow from the main streetway and main square, setting up huge fire pits to cook over, and setting up fences to corral the flow of people. Walking around the workers, Link overheard that the arrangements were for later in the day, when the goods of the hunt would be cooked, offered up, and shared amongst everyone in the town, all eating together in the main street and square.
After wandering around for a little while, trying to figure out where to go and who to ask about the hunts, he was abruptly shoved hard from behind, and stumbled forward, nearly falling on the icy street. Catching his balance and looking around, he saw a short young man following a tall, olive-skinned woman who was pushing everyone out of her way, not noticing, as she was focused on yelling at the young man.
"You said that you would do it this year!" the woman shouted, her huge dark curls that were piled on the top of her head and held by a pink headband bobbing as she shoved past. "It's been five years since someone in our family has been in the hunt!"
"You could always do it if you're that keen on it," the young man muttered. He too had thick, huge curly hair, which was drooping slightly, and he tugged on his jacket in a nervous, though not aggressive manner. Link recognized him as someone he had briefly spoken to yesterday when Princess Zelda's advisors, Gonzo and Zuko, had come into town.
The woman did not hear his reply, and he did not stop or leave her, but followed her onward through the crowd. Link stared after them for a moment, then followed. They quickly headed towards an eastern side gate of the town, outside of which a group of young and middle-aged men was forming. Although several in the group already had weapons, others were talking to salesmen by the gate, who were selling bows and arrows, crossbows, slings, and other weapons.
Realizing all that he had on him was his sword, Link stopped at the gates as well, looking over the available wares. The curly-haired man and woman stopped as well, the woman convincing the man to buy a crossbow, even though he insisted he had never used one before, with the logic that it was somewhat automatic and that it would be easy to learn. They separated, the man heading towards the group outside of town, his head hung, his curls flattening in defeat. Link followed him out to the group after buying a good sling and a few cheap, but perfectly shaped stones to go with it.
"Why didn't you get the bow?" Truett whispered at him from inside his hat. "There was a longbow, right? That sounds so much cooler."
"I haven't used bow and arrow as much as I’ve used slings," Link answered, tying the sling and pouch of stones around his belt. "Besides, the bow was too expensive."
He joined the group outside of town, though he stayed on the outskirts, listening absentmindedly as they chatted and laughed and argued about the election. Looking around, he saw the still, enormous lake to the south, more of it frozen over then yesterday morning. Staring at it, he spotted a few miniscule, distant white islands in the distance. Looking away, back to the shoreline, he saw the cleared trail that led to the Fishing Hole, and then, further to the north, black woods, and then the sheer cliffs of Hyrule Field. The plateau and all around it was in a haze that at first he thought was fog, but then, noticing the snow clouds that dominated the northern sky, he realized it was the foretold blizzard.
“Heya, do you have a second?”
Link looked over to see the curly-haired young man beside him, holding the crossbow awkwardly, looking morose. Noticing his round face and the lack of any sort of lines of weariness or age on his face, Link realized he was much younger than he had assumed, and quickly nodded.
“What is it?”
“Well, you look like you know if you're doing, with that sword and all…” The young man sighed, hefting the crossbow in his arms. “Basically, you have any idea how to work this thing?”
Link frowned. “Let me see it for a moment.”
Taking the crossbow from him, he looked it over, remembering when Faron had used a crossbow in the Forbidden Woods. Ignoring the part of those memories where his own life had been in danger because of the crossbow, he focused on the images of how Faron handled the crossbow, stringing it, loading it with a quarrel, and firing. Asking the young man for a bolt, he strung the weapon up and chose one of the few, short trees ten yards away. He aimed, and fired. The quarrel went slightly off the mark, but it grazed the side of the tree, leaving a scar.
“So, you know how to use it, huh?” The young man said, grinning, after Link came back from collecting the bolt. “Will you show me how, then?”
Link nodded, deciding not to mention that was his first time using the weapon.
“Thanks! I’m Coro,” the young man said, as he took the crossbow back from him.
“Link.”
They spent nearly an hour practicing, with little success, during which the crowd grew bigger and louder. By the time the sun had come up over the horizon, the crowd noisily welcomed a well-dressed man, who was on horseback and had a longbow strung and on his lap.
“That's the hunt organizer, Rulot,” Coro said aside to Link.
Rulot raised a hand for silence, and looked at the crowd, absentmindedly threading his horse’s reins between his fingers. “Looks like everyone's here. Now! Some basic rules so you don't fall into any danger. We will be hunting in teams of two minimum,” some muttering broke out at this, and Rulot raised his voice, barking, “and that's final! Anyone who hunts without a team or leaves their team voluntarily will be put in jail.” The muttering quieted, and Rulot continued, “We will be hunting in the woods to the northeast.” He waved an arm at the black forest in the distance across the small stretch of white fields, dotted with a few houses. “Once inside, we will split up into our teams. Feel free to go far into the forest, but keep in mind that you must be back at the town by noon. Additionally, we will only be hunting for official game meat. If you encounter a pack of wolves or monsters, leave them where you kill them. I've had to deal with too many idiots coming back with Skulltas and Deku Babas and saying that they should be treated like all the other kills.”
The man went on, giving several pieces of advice and rules to follow about traversing a forest in winter. Not hearing anything he did not already know from experience, save for a few tips on tracking completely silently and on camouflage, Link relaxed, checking his sling for any sign of any wear or tear to be concerned about, already knowing he would not find anything.
“You have to go on a team? I'm going to be stuck inside here the entire time, aren't I?” Truett was muttering from inside his hat.
After the man finished, they've began to head towards the forest. The men around him chattered with each other, while Link, and Coro who trailed behind him, was silent until they reached the very edge of the forest. Link stared up at it, frowning. The tall, dark trees that looked black against the white snow, looking very different than the trees in the forest around his own home. Yet, they still were familiar.
He caught his breath in his throat, realizing they looked almost exactly like the trees in the Forbidden Woods.
“Oh, this is such a bad idea,” Coro was saying behind him, letting out a small groan.
“Those woods are something,” Link replied uncertainly.
“It's not the woods or the animals that worry me,” said Coro, but he did not elaborate, and instead asked, “Hey, you want to be on my team?”
“Hm? Who else is in it?”
“Well, no one, really, just me.”
“Fine, that's fine,” Link said, nodding slowly.
Coro sighed in relief, grinning. “Great! I'll stay out of your way. Don't tell anyone, but I've never been hunting before.”
“It's fine.”
“How about you—we just try to get just one nice kill? That should be enough. This is for ritual, not for hunger, you know.”
Link nodded again, his eyes still on the trees. The wind was not blowing, but he could hear the faintest of moans, sounding like a whisper, making him grip his hilt. The limbs of the trees were not only dark, but also jagged, sharp. He did not want to linger long beneath them.
The Legend of Zelda and characters copyright Nintendo
"The Legend of Zelda: Deluge" writing and original concepts and characters copyright Mahira / Mahira-chan
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