…and came back out in the City of the Drex. The Queen and Endeavor were walking away towards the Queen’s tent. Zelda was waiting for Link on the other side. He walked over to her. She asked, “What do you think a Drex celebration is like?”
Link sheathed his sword, saying, “I’m not sure…”
“Well, I suppose no one but the Drex know,” Zelda replied. “But maybe there’s something we can do to help with things.”
The sound of thundering hooves echoed through the valley. Link and Zelda looked up as the Drex who had greeted them chased after Epona through the city. The fiery mare raced up to Link, before sliding to a hard stop in front of him. Stable’s horse slid to a stop, turning hard to try to not run into Epona. Stable got launched from his saddle, tumbling over himself.
Zelda rushed over to the Drex’s side. Link took the two horses’ reins in his hand and walked over to the Drex as Zelda asked, “Are you alright?”
“Heh, yeah,” Stable answered, standing up. “Happens all the time.”
“Really?” Link asked, handing the reins back to Stable.
“Well, no, but if it makes you feel better, I'll go with it. That’s quite the spirited horse you have there. I’d love to see that mare’s lineage. Hasn’t been a draft like that since the Time Split. You’re pretty lucky to have a horse like that,” Stable said.
Epona nuzzled Link’s neck, obviously aware she was being complemented. Link rubbed the mare’s nose. Stable went on, “I suppose you won’t have to worry about anyone stealing her. Won’t let anyone near her. Trust me, I tried...” Epona whinnied, accepting the complement. Stable said, “If you ever want to train, my wife and I teach the Drex riders. More her than me, but I’m sure we could find some time to help prepare you two.”
“We were trying to see if we could help with Endeavor’s ceremony,” Zelda said.
“That’s all Drex stuff,” Stable replied, mounting. “Cultural, ceremonial set up. You’d spend more time having to learn the significance of it all than actually doing any work. It’ll take ‘em at least a day on their own, and you don’t have time to spare. The Queen may be smiling now, but it’s not been sunshine out here either. It’s been chaos.
“The Sages’ Temples are being pillaged,” Stable contiued. “The Wild Gerudos haven’t let up on Fort Lanayru in days. There’s an everlasting blizzard of Frostbite Village. Port City is about to wage open war against Sir Dragmire’s warships. The post has been cut off, the Lost Woods is dying, and that’s just the beginning of it all. Dragmire is waging war against Hyrule, and right now we’re losing. But I'm sure you'll learn more about that later.”
Zelda gasped. Link looked between Stable and Zelda. “Well…”
“We can’t leave…but we have to,” Zelda said, her face covered in horror. This was her kingdom.
Stable smiled and nodded. “I understand. Well, we’ve got about a day. Give me half that time, and I’ll have you set to ride through anything.”
“What are you doing?”
Another Drex walked up behind them. Her blacksmith’s apron was filthy, but it was still the brightest thing in her outfit. Her hair was pulled back in a bun. It was quite the contrast; her fixed, sharp upper half to the rugged craftsman’s outfit. “You aren’t trying to rip off the Hero, are you, Stable?”
Stable’s face turned red. He replied, “Of course not. Why would I be doing that?”
The Drex crossed her arms and sighed. “Stable…Endeavor was going to send them anyway while she prepared. She asked me personally to see to it, knowing what you were likely to do. Where do you think I’ve been?” Stable looked away, grinning. The Drex turned to Link and said, “I’m Umbra Stalker. Call me Umbra though.”
Zelda’s eyes widened. “Umbra Stalker! You taught my father’s father’s horsemen! How did you end up here? How are you still...” She cut herself off.
“I’m half Drex,” Umbra replied, piecing together Zelda's question. “And half Hylian. The Drex asked me to choose between my families when the war began. I choose the Drex. And I haven’t regretted that choice yet.”
Stable kept looking away. Umbra went on, “But Endeavor did want me to train at least you, Hero. You will be riding into some ugly weather. She wants me to make sure you and Epona can handle it.”
“Can a draft handle that?” Link asked, thinking of what Stable had listed off as he pat Epona’s side. Epona pushed him back.
“If I have anything to say about it, yes. She’s already got the muscle for it, she just needs the push. And a few of these,” Umbra said, pulling a horseshoe out from her apron. “My specialty. Created after years in the King’s service, now perfected thanks to Reechka. This is what makes the Drex horses the finest in Hyrule. Now since you’re back, you can convince her to stay still long enough for me to put them on her.”
“Well since we have the time…” Zelda muttered. “I don’t see why not.”
Stable said, “I’m sure we can try, but Princess, your horse isn’t…exactly the breed…”
“If the Princess wants to learn, then we’ll teach her,” Umbra answered. “But I won’t be able to equip your horse with these as well. They take a while to make, more time than you have right now.”
“I understand,” Zelda said.
“Then Stable, go start with the Princess and her horse on the Scramble. Link, you come with me,” Umbra said, beaconing Link to follow her. Taking Epona’s reins, Link followed Umbra to her workspace.
It was a small smithy, about the same size as the one in Eveningale. Umbra pulled out four horseshoes. She said, “I have to be honest. Endeavor sent a letter a while ago about these. I was surprised. She knows better than to send a request like this so early. These are enchanted. They needed to be applied as soon as they’re solid again. But, who wants to argue with Endeavor?”
Link grinned a bit. Umbra smiled as she pulled out a hammer. “I see you’ve come to know Endeavor fairly well then. You know she’s really a good person. A lot of terrible things have happened to her, a lot of things that have brought her to where she is now. Becoming the Queen’s Ambassador isn’t a simple task, even for someone like Endeavor, particularly for someone like Endeavor. She was already entitled to a good deal because of her…Triforce and all, but she didn’t want that.”
Umbra paused as Link brought Epona over to the anvil. She said as she took one of Epona’s front hooves, “I don’t want you to get any bad ideas about Endeavor though. She’s a good person, as I’m sure you can tell. And she probably understands you more than you think she does. Between her mother and her father, Endeavor has gone through so much...”
“What happened to Endeavor’s father?” Link asked.
“Are you two going to be done anytime soon?” Stable’s voice echoed down into the smithy.
Umbra dropped Epona’s front hoof as she finished. “We shouldn’t keep them waiting.”
About thirty minutes later, Umbra led Link up the hill towards where Stable had called for them. Zelda was riding around in a pasture with Bliss. Despite the barren appearance of the field, Zelda was hunched over her saddle, shivering by the looks of it.
“Is she ok?” Link asked, worried about the Princess.
Stable gestured to the pen, saying, “Why don’t you find out?”
Link mounted Epona as Umbra pulled the gate open. A bitter wind blew threw the gap as Link rode in. He and Epona soon found themselves buried deep in a snowy bank. Epona’s broad chest pushed the snow back before it could gather around her chest, but she was having a hard time walking either way.
Umbra leaned over the fence, her voice echoing against the snow, “This corral is enchanted, if you hadn’t noticed already. Right now, it’s mimicking the climate on Snowpeak. This should be the hardest for the both of you, coming from the humid south of Hyrule. What you want to do is keep moving, and keep close to Epona’s head, keep that heat trapped between the two of you. Keep your legs straight in the saddle, she’s going to have to take high steps in that snow, and you do not want to ride every bounce.”
Leaning up in his saddle, Link asked Epona on. She resisted at first, before pushing into the snow. They hadn’t gone two steps when the fence vanished. Epona started to rear in panic but Link leaned into her neck, and patted her shoulder. Frost was gripping the back of his tunic, and he tried not to shift his sword or shield too much to prevent from their chilled touch. Epona settled down, and walked on.
The chill bit into Link’s clothes, and he felt Epona shivering as well. At least she was getting the hang of it. Then, as suddenly as the cold had appeared, it vanished into a hot blaze of heat. The snow turned to sand, and Epona slid for a moment before Link could pull her to a stop.
From some distant place, Umbra’s voiced called, “This is the Gerudo Desert, or a bit of it. Riding fast is going to send you both sprawling if it’s on sand. Don’t waste that energy. You're exhaust yourself in this heat if you do. If you need to go fast, find some red rock and dash. That’s the only thing you can trust to be solid in the desert. But if you don't need to, take it slow, and concentrate on energy.”
Link followed the distant voice’s instructions, and before long, the climate changed again. And again. And again. And over and over, before soon enough the sun began to set in the worlds it was visible in.
The dust settled. The snow stopped. For once the earth was solid. Epona quivered as she came to a halt, only feet away from Bliss and Zelda. Link hadn’t seen the Princess since before he had come in the ring.
Stable came through the gate with two buckets in hand. Umbra followed her husband as Link and Zelda dismounted. She said, “Stable’s got the horses. In the mean time, you two are late for Endeavor’s ceremony.”
“Have we really been here that long?” Zelda asked.
“Time flies when you don’t know what’s going on,” Stable said as he poured one of the buckets into a trough.
Umbra went on, “When you’re focusing on something else, like staying on your horse, time isn’t the primary concern, as I’m sure you noticed. But enough training. You two did very well, and you should get down to the village before Endeavor starts her ceremony without you.”
Gesturing towards the town with her head, Umbra finished, “We’ll see that your horses are taken care of. You don’t keep the Queen waiting.”
Zelda grabbed Link’s wrist. “They’re right. Let’s go!”
Nearly dragging Link along, Zelda rushed them back to the village. Hundreds of lights had been set up since they were gone. A purple glow kept the city alight as the sunlight faded.
It was a surprising transformation that the city had gone through. When they had arrived, the city as barren and stone cold as the mountains that surrounded it. On this night though, there was more warmth and light than on any other night that Link could remember.
Queen Justice’s tent was the only dark thing in the village. But the nearby party overshadowed its small circle of darkness. A long table stretched out underneath countless more lanterns. The golden winged hawks of the Drex perched on the thick ropes that held the lanterns up, shimmering in the failing sunlight. A few wolves made a ring about the table, acting as sentries.
Zelda whispered, “For such a solemn race, they do seem to come together quite nicely.”
“Indeed.”
The two turned around to see Endeavor standing over them. A faint smile was on her face, but her calm and controlled demeanor had returned. “And this is little more than a formality at this point. Queen Justice as already appointed me as a full Drex. She will give a speech in a bit, and then we must go. I'm sure you've heard what's happened since we left.”
The two nodded and stood there for a moment. Something had changed about Endeavor, but it took a while to figure it out. Link noticed it first. “Your cloak.”
Endeavor glanced down at her clothing, before responding, “Yes. For your people, green is the symbol of heroes.” She inclined her head towards Link. “For mine it is the color of our Goddess. And only now am I allowed to wear it.”
The deep purple cloak could have passed as black if it wasn’t for the pale purple Drex symbol stitched into it. Endeavor had shed the navy blue from their first meeting. She know regally wore the Drex’s purple.
Zelda opened her mouth, but Endeavor inserted, “I believe you should find your way to the head of the table. The ceremony is about to begin.” And without another word, she left them.
“I think that’s the best mood I’ve ever seen her in,” Zelda said. “It suits her.”
Link glanced at the Princess. She smiled back at him. “Well, we shouldn’t keep them waiting, should we?” With that, the two of them headed towards the head of the table…