Fields of Gold

Safehaven

A soft noise interrupted her daydreams. She could hear the faint sound of footfalls outside of her door. Tension tightened in her chest. This was not the usual sound of the guards or Zant. Something else had come to visit her. She heard the distinct sound of a chain being rattled.

To her surprise, Zelda heard a deep, throaty growling. The Twilight beasts made no noise except for their shrill cries. Perhaps Zant was in the throes of madness and came to her room to growl at her like a beast. Lightning suddenly illuminated the sky. Tension thickened the air. Zelda felt a familiar, underlying power enter the room. No, Zant was not with her. Somebody who bore one of the Triforces was in her presence. For a panicked second, her mind flew back to Ganondorf. He held the Triforce of Power. She had felt it in him when she saw him that day in the throne room. Zelda turned around in haste, suddenly terrified that she might find the Gerudo towering over her in the small, dark room.

Yet it was not he. She was faced with a shaggy gray wolf. He was soaking wet, dripping cold rainwater onto the floor. Strange markings covered his muzzle. A silver shackle was bound tightly around his paw. Of course it wasn't Ganondorf. He wouldn't be growling at her...

A petite figure was perched on the wolf's back. It was incredible how such a tiny little body could support the weight of the stone headdress perched on its head. Scarlet eyes narrowed mischievously at her. An impish smirk tugged at her mouth. Turquoise blue lines grew over the smooth black and white skin like vines on a wall. A mocking girlish giggle cut the air.

Midna had returned.

She paced down the hallway of her castle, flanked by two Twilight beasts. A rush of excitement flooded through her. The goddesses had not abandoned her! The blessed guardians of Hyrule had heard her prayers through the Twilight and sent the kingdom a Hero. The Twilight had cursed his form into that of a wolf, but Zelda knew that he was the one. On his left paw, shining through the wet fur, were three golden triangles; the Triforce of Courage. There was no denying that the wolf, a boy in his true form, was the reincarnation of the Hero of Old. That visit alone had invigorated her hope far more than the trip to the sunlight.

Zelda desperately wanted to speak more with Midna, but she had heard the guards coming up the spiral stairs and told her guests to flee the tower. They had come to take her to the field, she supposed. Zant had not accompanied his minions to retrieve her and for that she was grateful. As the beasts marched Zelda through the wide doors of the castle and into the courtyard, Zelda saw with disappointment that the rain had already receded. The air was damp and the path to the field was muddy. Zelda plodded through the soft earth with her dainty slippers and tired to hold the hem of her gown out of the way of the dirt. The beasts nonetheless splashed mud on her formal gown. Growing increasingly annoyed with the mindless creatures, Zelda was relieved to see the wall of Twilight at the end of the path. Without hesitation, she stepped through the blackness. The world beyond was dripping from the recent rain. The sky boasted of cool, slate gray clouds. The heads of the barley were weighted down from raindrops. The air was scented with the wonderful smell of a freshly fallen rain. Zelda breathed in deeply, savoring every bit of the solace she found in the field.

As the last dredges of thunder rumbled in the distance, Zelda thought of the Hero of old who bore the Triforce of Courage, on a quest to liberate Hyrule from the Twilight curse. With him was the incurably brazen Twilight imp, Midna. Zelda was certain that the girl was hiding a world of secrets behind her sharp tongue and tough demeanor. They were her only hope now. She prayed for them a safe journey.

Zelda wandered through the field, her thoughts far away and, for once, peaceful. The walls of Twilight made a black stain on the distant horizon, but Zelda was able to pretend that they were not even there. After a while, Zelda found an old, weathered log. She sat down on it and rested her chin in her hands. The hem of her dress was hopelessly muddy and ruined from where she ripped it the day before when she was running away from Ganondorf. She contemplated asking Zant if he would allow her to fetch one of her simpler gowns for her to wear to the field instead of her soiled Royal attire.