“Yes, I was taught side-saddle as a child, but I’ve since adapted to riding astride for fighting,” she replied, her confidence and strength largely restored outside the draining dungeon. She noticed Link’s skeptical glance. He must be worried she would fall from her perch. She turned from him indignantly, and spurred her mount into a canter. Link followed suit, much less gracefully, before falling in-stride with the girl.

“Do you have any idea where you’re going, m’lady?” Link asked her, breathlessly.

“Of course,” she replied. “I have an eye for hoofprints, and a strong homing mechanism. Like a bird,” she added, reflectively. She noticed the wary expression on Link’s face after her last statement. “We’ll make it,” she told him gently. “We can't get lost. These horses know where home is.”

“It’s not that, m’lady,” Link sighed. “Your village is in great danger. The Hurali are going to attack, and your army isn’t near ready. You’re much too weak to fight with them-“

“My uncle- he’s a mage. He lives in the village, and he’s healed my ailments before. I’ll fight with them. We’ve overpowered the Hurali before. Their army lessens every time," she added confidently.

“This is different. They’re under strict orders by Garof to seize his child and burn the village. Ganondorf, his son, could well be even more dangerous than him.”

“How do you know all this? Are you from the Hurali? Have you just come to retrieve and kill me in front of my own people?” The girl looked away from Link, exasperated. Her short-lived cockiness had dissipated into frustration. He noticed a tear on her cheek before she fiercely wiped it away.

“I’m here to help you,” Link replied gently, looking to her with warm concern. “I have as much contempt for Garof as you do, m’lady, believe me... and even more for his son.” He lowered his brow, blocking the memories that suddenly flashed through his mind.

“His son? The boy is ill-disciplined, but he’s no more than five!” The girl was more confused by Link than ever. “I’ve never seen you before in my life… and surely I know more outsiders than that child knows in his own village.” The girl looked to Link expectantly.

“Before I can gain your trust, m’lady.. I do think there’s much I need to share with you,” Link replied, giving into his secrecy. Her full awareness of the situation was crucial to more than just his and her destinies. He slowed his horse to a walk, signaling the girl to do the same. Link removed his right gauntlet and held out his hand to the girl.

"Look." On the back of his hand appeared a faint golden triangle, one corner glowing just a little brighter in the moonlight than the others.

“The Triforce..” she whispered, in awe. “Is this-” she touched his hand gently, “-real?”

“Yes, but it’s not the entire Triforce,” Link started, replacing his gauntlet. “I am the Hero of Time, and I’ve been sent here from the future to save you.”

The girl listened, silent, as Link told her exactly who he was and from whence he came. Though doubtful at first, she came to believe him, to believe herself who she was, and who she might become if Garof was not stopped. Far fetched as his unfolded story became, she found herself trustful of Link. He’d already taken her through walls; what could stop him from traveling through time, as well?

As the moon slowly descended into the horizon, the pair grew far wearier. Dawn was but an hour away. The girl's short second wind after escaping the dungeon had reached its limit. Link was acutely aware of her fatigue as he watched her canter on. She would almost fall asleep, until her mount broke stride into a jarring trot, at which point she would awake suddenly and urge him back into a canter. Link stopped her the third time this happened.

“You’re exhausted, m’lady. I fear you will not make it to Sahaar..” The girl merely nodded in reply, looking to Link slowly, her head bowed. Through her half-closed eyes, Link could see only her pupils; the pleading eyes of the Raven. He shuddered, breaking his gaze from hers. After a moment of clearing his thoughts, he looked again to her.

“I’m afraid I must insist that you ride with me for the rest of the journey. I can see the village from here, and I fear the Sahaarians may not openly welcome us before they recognize you. We must be agile, Raven..” Link paused, debating whether to ask her name again. ‘Raven’ flowed from his lips much easier than a real name might have. Perhaps he was just afraid to grow to close to her. Raven nodded, lifting her head. “My horse will find his own way back. Surely they won’t shoot at him..” She sighed, then carefully steered her mount alongside Link’s, and let him lift her in front of him. He held her securely in both arms. The girl looked up to Link, questioningly. “..your reins?”

“I learned to ride without any tack at all, Raven,” Link smiled at her. “The horses respond much more quickly when you’re not restricting them.” With that, he signaled his mount into a gallop once again, easily compensating his balance to keep the girl nearly motionless. Raven’s former mount followed closely behind, not about to separate himself from the rest of the party so close to home.

As they neared Sahaar, Link slowed his horse to a walk. The creature was lathered and exhausted. Link also did not want to attract undue attention to his small caravan. He looked down to the girl, who had finally slipped into unconsciousness. He pulled her closer, her skin frightfully chilled from the desert night. She unconsciously shivered closer into his arms. He knew he must have been the only one to have comforted her in a long time. She was a strong warrior, and must have rejected any attachment aside from her duties. Being cradled in the arms of a stranger was something that she would likely never allow to happen again, even if she wanted to.

The girl continued to shiver violently. Link wrapped her in her cloak as best he could, then moved his face close to hers, resting his cheek against her forehead a moment to feel for a temperature. She was running a strong fever. Link looked up again at the lights of Sahaar. The soldiers would notice him any moment, now.

Link spoke softly, “soon, m’lady.” She stirred slightly as Link’s blonde hair brushed across her face, but did not awaken. Link returned his attention ahead once more, looking for any threats. They made it nearly alongside the village gates before he halted.

He thought he heard movement, but then decided that it was just the horse behind him. He looked down at the girl for what seemed like an eternity, transfixed. The moonlight illuminated her features, and he was able to truly see her face for the first time. This could be the last time he ever felt her this close to him, he mused, running his fingers gently over her face, pulling away strands of her windblown hair. He couldn’t resist this last chance.

He closed his eyes, leaned toward her, one last time, his lips nearly against hers.

Link jerked his head up in a split second, before he had a chance to kiss her, as he heard the familiar sound of an an arrow being nocked. His gaze led him to a figure, crouched in the bushes outside the village wall.

"Who are you.” This not a question, but a demand. His deep voice conveyed no emotion. Link spoke slowly and clearly, holding the girl out in front of him as a sign of surrender.

“I am Link, from the land of Hyrule. I rescued your warrior from a dungeon. She is alive, but very weak.” The figure stepped from to bushes; his arrow still aimed steadily at Link. As he moved into the moonlight, Link immediately recognized his long, fire-red hair.

“..Esper..?” The girl had awakened at the sound of Espergrai’s voice. Her eyelids fluttered, and she drew back for a second, aware her precarious perch in Link’s arms. Esper immediately disarmed himself and moved toward the girl, as if unaware of Link. She was safe; she was with him again. She could be healed and fight again. Espergrai took her into his arms, whispering fiercely to her that he’d never let her leave again. His gaze soon returned to Link, however. He was perturbed by this stranger, by his closeness to the girl. But he had only time to let it go for the moment.

“Warrior,” he addressed Link, "we are in debt of your service to us. Please, join us on our way to the Mage, so that we may heal you both. We will appreciate your assistance in the war that looms ahead.”

“Thank you, sir,” Link replied, dismounting. The girl was barely conscious as Link briefly took her back into his arms while Esper mounted his horse, then handed her up to him. Esper barely waited for Link to mount the other gelding before he signalled the gate open and cantered through.

Link carefully weaved his mount around the partially opened gate. The village was deserted, all but for the soldiers. Wives and children were safely boarded inside their houses and cellars. The trip to the mage’s house consisted of cutting through lawns and jumping small fences. They still had an hour before dawn, but Esper’s mind was only on the safety of the girl. He’d wept for her more than once since her absence, sure of her death. Now that he had her again, he realized his love for her. He questioned Link's motives, but also knew that the army needed all the help Link could offer.

Esper halted in front of a small house. The building was overgrown with foliage and loomed menacingly. It was painted a dark shade of blue, with black framework. Esper dismounted fluidly, cradling the girl gently on his landing. Link leapt from his mount, but fell to his knees on the landing, weaker than he'd thought.

Esper tapped the boarded door with his boot, yelling to the mage. “I have her, Consanao!” He called. “She’s alive! Please, she’s injured!” A peephole opened from the other side of the door, between two boards. Yellowish eyes peered first at Esper, then down at the girl, who was asleep once again. Link joined Esper on the stoop, then wordlessly drew his sword and pulled the nails from two of the boards. The mage, Raven's uncle on her late mother's side, unlocked countless deadbolts from inside and opened the door. Link tossed the boards aside, then stepped aside to let Esper carry the girl inside.

Consanao bustled about in his small lab, as Esper sat down on a small couch, holding Raven closely in his lap. Link sat in a chair across from them, not quite daring to catch Esper’s eye. Espergrai gently wakened the girl as Consanao reappeared, wielding a glass of dark purplish liquid. “This potion will restore her energy and heal her injuries,” the mage offered, handing the glass to Esper.

Esper gently tipped the glass against the girl’s lips, as the mage chanted a short spell. She drank the entire glass gratefully. As the girl seemed to slowly spring back to life, Consanao appeared with another glass. Link drank it quickly, as the mage chanted a similar spell. The girl looked up to Esper, about to speak. The silence was instead interrupted by the first simultaneous cry of three-hundred Hurali charging the village gates.

Next..