"We are being watched," Elder whispered to Zelda.

Elder continued beside her as a four-legged man leading the way. Zelda briefly scanned the trees without turning her head. She didn't see anybody, but there were eyes of beasts in the distance. She didn't feel threatened with the Fae beside her and nearly a dozen soldiers at her back. She continued without breaking a step.

"They're just animals," Zelda replied.

"Do not be fooled. Everything here is Majora."

The path became steeper and rockier as they went until Zelda found the only one keeping up was Link and Elder. She stopped and looked back. The soldiers were hiking diligently, but their stamina was shot. They were leaning over, holding onto the rocks, trees, or their spears, just to keep stepping forward and climbing the path. Sweat poured from their faces.

"Jeez..." Link grumbled. "If you keep dragging your feet then the Chancellor bastard's gonna end up as king! We're not out for a walk! Get a move on!"

"What was that, bastard?! Try saying that one more time!" A soldier yelled back.

"If you keep dragging your feet then the Chancellor bastard's gonna end up as king! We're not out for a walk! Get a move on!"

"Do you even know how fatigued we are!? We have been hiking up a cliff for days!"

"Yeah!" A little voice squeaked. Zelda looked down to find a Fae had possessed her robes and lifted the sleeve to point at Link. Zelda forced the robe back down saying 'Don't do that.'

"I don't care! If you're slow, you're slow!"

"Enough." Zelda stepped down towards them. She was exhausted but felt she could make it. The problem was the soldiers were weighed down by armor. "Elder, if the Majora ambush us, what are the chances we will win?"

"None."

Zelda sighed. This wouldn't do. She didn't want to continue without them. Odds are one of the two groups would be killed without the Fae present to intervene. She felt the only reason they had not been ambushed yet was the Fae. She also did not want to dally.

"Elder would you be able to alert them and request a meeting with the Majora's leader?"

"No need. They are aware of us."

"Dogs don't count."

"I am not referring to dogs."

Elder gazed up the mountain and pointed. Zelda followed his finger. There were a few men on the mountain high above them. The men wore furs and painted marks on their dark skin. Their weapons in their hands were miniature scythes, short swords, clubs, spears, and other things. They had no armor or shields or helmets, but there was a mask dangling from their hips. At the same time, the beasts in the woods crept closer, just enough to be in view. They were wolves.

"The Majora?" Zelda guessed.

"Indeed."

This was it. "I know nothing of their ways. What do you suggest? We must avoid conflict."

"Gather together. Do not draw a weapon even if they threaten you."

"Do as he says!" Zelda yelled. "Sheath your blades, lower your shields!"

The men hesitated but obeyed. Matsubi went first, sheathing the blade he had just drawn at the sight of Majora. He even went so far as to unclasp the belt holding the blade to his hip, and let it fall to the ground. Link grumbled but followed suit. Zelda handed her bow to Elder.

They waited.

At first, no one did anything. Zelda kept her attention on the Majora above them, and they, in turn, watched her. The wolves inched their way closer and closer, inch by inch, until they were but a scant couple feet away. The wolves growled loudly. The Qin soldier's itched to raise their weapons but did not. The wolves growled louder as one soldier snapped and grabbed the hilt of his sword, but Matsubi grabbed his wrist in a death grip.

"Let it go." He ordered. The men shook in fear but obeyed.

Finally, Zelda heard footsteps and turned to see men and women approach from behind. Zelda narrowed her eyes at the woman in particular. The woman wasn't naked, but the amount of skin revealed under the fur was nothing short of scandalous. At the same time, the Majora from the mountain dropped down to their level with a grace that spoke of a lifetime on the mountain.

The Majora stepped closer, weapons drawn. The wolves crouched. Still, Zelda did not move. She didn't flinch as one Majora made a threatening swipe at her. It hit nothing but air. She matched their gaze with her own. Zelda felt her clothes whimper in fear.

The woman among the Majora said something in a language Zelda did not understand. To her surprise, Elder spoke the same language back. Zelda breathed in and out deeply, forcing her nerves to calm a bit. She had yet to experience 'fear', but her body had grown tense.

The two talked for some time before the dark-skinned woman nodded. She stepped back, roped her arms together, and said in the language of Qin, "This is our world."

'So, she can understand Qin?' Zelda considered. The speech was scratchy and with an accent that spoke of a lack of use. The woman did not speak the language of Qin often, but she knew it.

"When the flatland people enter on their own, we gouge out both (of their) eyes and drop (them) from a waterfall. But you have all come to meet our king. We will decide what to do depending on your reason for doing so. Our king is waiting (to meet) the young king of Qin. We will take you to the king's castle." The Majora woman said.

Despite the broken speech, Zelda understood and nodded. She breathed out a hidden sigh of relief. It was going well so far.

"Great! Let's go!" Link cheered. He walked past Zelda and started up the path behind the Majora woman, seemingly without fear of being close to them.

The woman, with one arm, grabbed Link by the collar and threw him into the air. He was caught by two of the soldiers. They fell back on their butts from the impact of catching him.

"Do not misunderstand." The woman said. She roped her arms together again. "We will bring the king alone. The rest of you will stay here."

"Wha-!" Matsubi yelled. "Why should we?! We are her guard!"

Link struggled to his feet and rubbed the bruise he was developing. He glared at the woman. "What if we say no?!"

"Then we will kill you all." The woman replied.

"That's ridicules!" Matsubi exclaimed. "We can't just leave the heir here on her own!"

"If we intended to kill her (we) would have already." The woman started to get impatient. "The king knows the king of Qin has come into Majora mountain. The king wants to meet the king of Qin."

A wolf stepped forward, snarling and lowering itself. The woman reached out and placed her palm on its head. It calmed, but only slightly. "Hurry and make (your) decision. The Majora smells blood."

Zelda glanced around. True to the woman's word, the wolves and men were ready to pounce at a moment's notice. They did not understand the language of Qin, so they were left without an understanding of where the meeting was going. Link being thrown back into the Qin group, and the yelling, would have triggered their hostile instincts further.

Elder said nothing, nor moved. He watched Zelda only, watching to see what she would do in this situation.

"Everyone," Zelda said. "I thank you for following my selfish request this far. But if this is what it takes, I will do it."

"What!" Matsubi and Link yelled.

The woman cocked her head to the side. "You will comply?"

"Yes." Zelda stepped forward.

"You can't be serious!" Link yelled.

"..." Zelda said nothing. Inwardly she thought that keeping them with her into a land death waited was little more than a selfish comfort.

"You're just a slave," Zelda said. "What can you know of a burden? What can you know about every breath being measured as life and death? Your strength is in your muscles and work. Mine is merely being. Being a figurehead, a martyr to bear the responsibility for the actions of millions. My very life is my strength. Perhaps that is the power of putting your life on the line... If Midna's life was the power of a slave... how much more is the power of a queen's life?"

"I said that to get you to move your ass and do something!" Link yelled.

Zelda did not respond this time. She said what she wanted. She walked up to the female Majora and looked up. The Majora nodded. "Then let us go."

The Majora woman motioned for Zelda to follow. Zelda entered the path. The Majora surrounded her, leaving the Qin behind.

Elder put his arm out to block anyone from following. Link looked back up at Zelda's retreating form and grumbled. He felt the pulse in his hand pick up, and he rubbed it gently. "This sucks."

From the other's grumbling, they agreed.

"I know this bodes ill with you, but we must be patient. This is all happening for a reason." Elder looked down at Link's hand as he rubbed the back of it. It was glowing gently under his glove. "One could almost say this day was destined..." Elder whispered to himself.

Without warning, Elder lashed out at Link. One of his wooden hands slashed out at him like a whip. Link was caught off guard and thrown back. He had barely managed to get his sheathed sword up to block it. Link fell hard and gasped as Elder was still on him. Elder was massive to the young man. Link drew Midna's blade and evaded the first hit while lashing back. Elder blocked the attack and knocked it aside with his other hand.

For a moment they exchanged blows, and the soldiers rushed in to restrain them, but Elder stopped just as quick as he had started it and stepped back.

Elder considered what had just occurred. 'I don't think the mortal realizes he had tapped into divine power.' Elder thought. 'My attacks were too fast for him, but he had managed to block them... and one attack had been in his blind spot, but he evaded when it should have been impossible to know. Interesting... the princess wishes to keep others away, physically and emotionally, and so forms the power as arrows. This young man is a born fighter, and so forms it as a sixth sense.'

"Go." Elder said.

"Wha?" Link muttered. He blinked in surprise.

"I apologize for the deception, but I was testing you. You have passed my test. Now go."

Link lowered his sword, now realizing the attack wasn't a full betrayal. "What-what about the Majora? I mean... I'll be the first to say I want to chase after that girl and give her a piece of my mind, but-"

"If this meeting is the will of the Goddesses, then no mortal can stop it. If this meeting is not their will, then it will fail regardless. Go."

"I agree," Matsubi said. "If anyone can do it, it's you. You're the only one with the strength left to make it."

"Alright." Link said, still a bit confused. The change of decisions was confusing.

"But first, allow me to accompany you." After a moment, a Fae left the wooden construct and entered Link's shirt. The wooden centaur still stood strong, though, by the way, it stood in its stance, Link got the impression 'it' was a different person now.

"Let us go." Link's shirt said.

Despite the gravity of the situation, the soldiers couldn't help laughing at the sight of his old slave shirt's cleavage moving like a mouth. Link clicked his tongue and avoided their gaze.

"You know, it's disturbing when my clothes are talking to me."

(edited 2/29/2020)