Hero by Heart

Chapter 65

This was not what Zelda had expected to happen when she had first seen the group of enemies.
     She had charged right at them, without really thinking about it.
     Looking back, she didn't know what she had wanted to do. Maybe demand an explanation for why they attacked her home, or to kill them all at once, angry as she was for how they had had the gall to waltz in here and expect them to hand over everything they had built.
     Anyway, it wasn't anywhere near what had happened in the end.
     When the woman had first attacked her, it had taken her precisely two seconds to decide that these warriors were way out of her league.
     The woman was fast, and so incredibly strong. Within two swings Zelda had been pushed back, fearing for her life.
     Luckily Link had intercepted her in time, and Zelda was in no hurry to try and take it up against one of them on her own again.
     Sadly enough, they did not feel the same way.
     While Link was busy dealing with the two women, the guy with them had stood back, his eyes focused on the princess instead of the knight.
     Zelda had felt his eyes on her, and had tried to slowly back away, but in the end he had come after her.
He had moved slowly, as if he had had all the time in the world, making her tremble in fear.
He was so confident, and he moved with such ease, that she had no trouble believing that he was a skilled swordsman.
She wouldn't last a second against him.
Thank the Goddess that Link sent out that blinding flash of lightning, which made the man crawl over the ground in agony.
Zelda knew then that Link would win this fight, and he would come to her aid. She would be alright.
Instead, the man had slowly gotten up again, still shuddering every now and then under the electric shocks, but his eyes settled on her.
Link was busy with the important-looking figure, and she was alone.
Zelda's anger had flared up again, and she was determined not to go down without a fight. She had raised her sword and waited. Every second had taken forever, and yet he was there before she knew it.
     The man still wore a mask, but his hood had fallen off. She could see his eyes, a beautiful light brown, glowing in the sunlight. A scar ran through his eyebrow, and she briefly wondered what had happened to this man in his past. How had he come to be here, with these people?
     Zelda kept waiting until the man was within two steps from her, where he stopped.
     For some time they just looked at each other, and she felt a shiver run up her spine. Those light eyes really started to creep her out, unblinking and cold, despite their warm colour.
     'You're the princess,' he said matter-of-factly. His deep voice would probably have sounded rather pleasant if she had met him in better circumstances. Right now, it just felt threatening.
'What do you want?' Zelda shot back, the anger keeping her fear at bay.
The man cocked his head, as if judging how much he could tell. Then his mask moved, and she realized that he was smiling.
     Another shiver ran up her spine. She felt unnerved by his behaviour. He seemed so normal; a young man with brown hair, brown eyes, and probably a quite pleasant smile, but he acted completely contradictory.
     'What is the princess herself doing out here on the field?' He asked instead of answering her question.
     Zelda refused to answer, but she couldn't resist to shoot a glance at Link, to see what was taking him so long.
The man followed her gaze and chuckled softly. 'I should have known.'
Zelda didn't get the chance to ask him what he meant, because he looked back at her and suddenly his sword was coming at her.
She let out a startled gasp and jumped back, fear forming a pit in her stomach.
The man was no longer smiling, and swung his sword at her again.
     He was fast, and strong. So incredibly strong.
     The first three swings she managed to avoid. Barely.
     The fourth came down on her own sword, making her hairs stand up at the sound of screeching metal.
     The blow was so fast, so hard, that she did little more than slow it down in its path to cleave off her head.
     With a strangled scream she jumped aside, her blood turning cold when she lost her grip on her sword and it went flying over her shoulder.
     She was now unarmed against an opponent that seemed very intent on killing her on the spot.
     With big, pleading eyes she stepped back, holding up her hands in defence.
     The man stepped closer, looming over her, and her knees buckled under her. The fear in her heart paralyzed her, making it impossible to get away.
     She couldn't go down like this. After all they had gone through, this simply couldn't be the end.
     Where was Link?
     She didn't dare to look, not wanting to take her attention away from the dangerous man in front of her.
     If she was to die right here, she would meet it with open eyes, her head raised high.
     In silence she shot a plea to the Goddess, followed by an apology to Link for failing him.
     He would always keep blaming himself. She knew he would never be able to forgive himself for her death, never get over it.
     The thought of him waning away in guilt and sorrow was unbearable, and she decided she had to keep fighting. As long as there was any chance, she would not give up.
     But she saw the sharp blade climb higher into the air, shining brightly in the light of the setting sun, and knew it would be a very short fight.
     When the sword reached its highest point, she stared at it in anticipation. Time seemed to have frozen around her, and she noticed the wisps of wind as the blade cut through it.
     This was it. This would be her end.
For one last time her eyes shot towards Link, only a short distance away, but impossible to reach.
His face was a mask of horror and fear, and she realized he screamed her name.
A small smile tugged at her lips, full of love for her knight.
A strange calmness settled over her, a feeling of resignation, and she looked back at the man in front of her, his sword still cleaving the air above her.