A Rebel's War – Part 4

-Link-

After fruitlessly searching the alleyways for the old woman, Link and Ouhon Mitagi were able to track down where she had gone to shop before Link's brief encounter with her. Now at the market district and not one to let circumstances go to waste, Link browsed through many shopkeepers' wares. There were a variety of market stalls selling everything one could think of, and one by one, the pair took each shop keeper aside to ask about the woman. They asked for everything: a name, a place of residence, anything they could use to find her. After Link went into excruciating detail about the woman to clerk after clerk, one finally knew who Link was talking about. However, with so many customers in the day, the clerk did not know details such as where she lived or where she goes. They got the name and nothing else. It was Roku Cian. Ouhon did not recognize her nor her family name.

Every shop keeper was selling wares related to some recent celebration the Mitagi had. Ouhon expected this, but Link had never seen so many colorful things. He had never seen a confetti pop nor a firework. He had never waved a little hand-held flag of Qin nor seen so many colorful masks. He had never seen so many pretty dresses to dazzle his eyes. Every article fed his imagination of what beauty meant for female and male attire. There were games, prizes, and more than Link could ever hope to experience in a day.

The next shop to question was owned by a masked salesman. So far as they were told, this salesman was new to town but already built a steady customer base. He was quickly becoming renowned for the variety of his masks and the incredible talent put into them. Link could see why: the shelves held hundreds of different kinds of masks, and the artist who drew them must have been incredible. Link had never seen masks look so real.

The shop bursted with customers trying to obtain masks and reach the counter where the seller stood. People pushed and bumped by each other so much that Link and Ouhon couldn't see the shop keeper amongst the masses.

Link shoved his way into the crowd and disappeared. Only a moment passed and he was roughly thrown back out.

"This is a madhouse..." Link said.

Ouhon stepped forward. "Allow me," he said. He then cleared his throat and exclaimed towards the swarm. "All of you!" His tone brooked no argument and immediately the room stilled. Link even froze. "By the authority of Ouhon Mitagi, you are to clear me a path. We are to have words with the shop keeper." Every word Ouhon spoke bore the power of a Mitagi.

Instantly, a path cleared.

"That works," Link ungratefully muttered. He glared up at Ouhon before following him to the counter.

At the counter was a spindly man who constantly rubbed his hands together, either out of nervousness or greed. He also had a smile stretching from ear to ear.

"What can I help you gentlemen with?" The excessively happy mask salesman asked.

"We are looking for a woman by the name of Roku Cian," Ouhon explained. "She bought the mask of a fox from you." He described the woman with the details given by Link. The salesman steadily nodded as he spoke.

"Yes, yes, I know of this woman," The mask salesman said. "I have sold many such masks, but I shan't forget her. Her grandson gave quite a cry when I had sold out on those masks last time, and we agreed for her to be among the first orders in the next shipment. She came to my shop two days... No? How long ago was it? Yesterday? I swear, I haven't slept since I came to this town! Either way, she came and picked it up. I told her not to, I could have just brought it to her, but she wanted to pick it up while she was out."

"So you know where she lives?" Link questioned.

"I... yes," The mask salesman answered, uncertain of the reasons behind the question.

"Can you show us?" Ouhon pressed.

"Is this important? As you can see, I am at the peak of the sales day."

"It is very important. Surely you heard of the attempt on the princess' life yesterday?"

"I- oh, my- yes! I do hope she is alright!"

"She is alive and well, but we believe Roku may have information that can help us with finding who made the attempt on her life."

"I understand then. Why you come to me. I shall do what I can to help you." The happy mask salesman faced the crowd. "Everyone! I will return when I am done with these fine gentlemen. For now, everyone gets one free mask of their choice! Show it around with your friends and family!"

Everyone cheered, picked a mask, and filtered out. To Ouhon's great surprise, Link also picked some masks.

"First, while we're here, I need your help deciding," Link said. "I want to get a little something for the princess. What do you think suits her?"

"Are you serious?" Ouhon asked.

"Very. She is in such a bad mood that it just might pick her up a bit."

The mask salesman looked between them. Ouhon sighed and motioned for the salesman to help Link. "Be quick about it. We have a job to do."

The salesman passed Link and selected a mask off the shelf. It was another fox faced mask, but white, as opposed to the typical yellow. "This one should be befitting of a princess. It is the mask of the snow fox: the most beautiful and noble of the fox spirits."

"Then I will go with this," Link said. "And that one." He pointed behind the counter. There sat a mask of a woman with red hair and dark skin.

"A Gerudo mask?" Ouhon questioned. "What point is there in that?"

"Are you sure?" The mask salesman inquired.

"Yeah, I'll take these two. How much?" Link asked. The salesman told the price for one mask, as one was free, and Link handed over a small fistful of rupees without counting.

"This is way too much!" The mask salesman exclaimed.

"Meh," Link shrugged. Ouhon stared.

"Are you done now?" Ouhon pressed, allowing a hint of annoyance in his voice. Link nodded, so he bowed his head for the mask salesman. "Thank you for your patience, but would you kindly show us where this woman lives?"

"Certainly. This way, gentlemen." The salesman locked up, and the three left his shop for the streets.

As they walked, Ouhon watched Link. He expected certain things when he first heard of the young man, but what he came to experience was different, to say the least. "You are certainly an odd one for your reputation," Ouhon said. "When I heard the Spear of Nayru was passed on, I expected the new bearer to be someone... different than this."

"What did you expect?" Link wondered.

"In all truth, someone more typical of the reputation given to you. I expected a noble, a noble's son, a commander, or trained soldier in our military. I didn't expect someone so young or... impulsive. Not to mention you surely must own better attire at your mansion?"

Link burst out in laughter. The mask salesman did not turn around, but he listened closely to them all the same.

"You find this funny?" Ouhon seriously asked. "I find it disconcerting. I wish to understand the noble spirit Ouki Mitagi saw so much of to pass his weapon on to you."

"Noble spirit!" Link snorted. "Sorry, but I think you have me confused with someone else. I'm just Link. Back home, I was always kinda the village idiot who boasted a lot."

No wonder Ouhon was always so incredibly polite to him, Link thought. The guy thought he was a noble! If Link was of a more mischievous mind, he might keep Ouhon's belief going, but he was too honest.

"Ouhon," Link admitted. "I'm just a war orphan who was raised as a slave. I worked hard, came upon a friendship with the princess by chance, and have been rewarded with some small honors for my effort. I don't own a mansion nor an estate. I own a hut that's barely better than an outhouse."

"You're really a friend of the princess?" The masked salesman inquired.

"Yep," Link said.

"Is that so... How very interesting..." The mask salesman whispered, smiling even wider.

Ouhon stopped walking entirely. Link noticed a little late and backed up to him.

"So... you're not a noble?" Ouhon asked, his eyes wide.

"Nope," Link said.

Ouhon raised his voice. "You aren't an officially trained officer in our military academy?!"

"Technically, yes and no," Link continued, oblivious to Ouhon's growing anger. "I am officially in the military. I am an independent officer appointed by Ouki, but I was never officially trained and didn't go to the academy. I'm just a slave who worked my way up the ranks."

"You... you're a slave," Ouhon murmured. "No... you were a slave. Now... you're just a commoner."

As Link watched, everything he was said processed in Ouhon's eyes. Before, the man had been respectful, polite, and accommodating. Then, he was confused by Link, but went along with it. All of this went away and Ouhon's eyes slowly narrowed in anger. What little respect Ouhon felt for Link disappeared.

"Ouki Mitagi, the Bird of Qin, gave his most prized possession to you, a nobody?!" Ouhon hissed. He trembled in rage.

Ouhon snapped up his spear so the point of it stared at Link's face. "Drop it! You dirty my house with your touch! Ouki was a fool! He should never have let you even hold it!"

"He did, though," Link firmly answered. He didn't flinch at the spear in his face. He didn't want to be angry with Ouhon, but he wasn't going to put up with his insults. "You want to have a problem with me, go ahead. But don't you dare spit on Ouki's decision. He was ten times the man you are."

Ouhon spit. He glared down at Link. "Ouki was an outsider."

Link grit his teeth. "Shut up."

"He was a traitor, through and through. He betrayed his own house to join the lowest branch of the Mitagi."

"Shut up."

"Then, like the thief he was, he usurped our glory for his own, as if to overtake us as well. And he gave away one of our prizes to you... a nobody. As if for no other reason than to spite us. He was a thief and a traitor to the end!"

Link heard enough. His blood boiling, he activated his Gift.

-Meanwhile-

The Guardian beneath Mitagi Fortress lifted his head from where he sat. He looked up at the stone ceiling and clenched his fists tightly.

"No... It can't be..." He growled. "How long... how many times will it take before you are satisfied?!"

-Link-

Link dropped the Spear of Nayru and closed the distance between Ouhon and himself. He punched Ouhon across the jaw and knocked him to the ground. Link hissed, his cheek suddenly stinging. He raised a hand to it, and to his surprise, blood was on his face. The same blood dripped from Ouhon's spear. Despite Link's speed, Ouhon had kept up.

"You are fast, I will give you that," Ouhon said.

Ouhon raised himself up and swept himself down. Link managed to ruffle his feathers, at least. A deep bruise developed on Ouhon's jaw, but to Link's disgruntlement, it didn't faze him at all. Ouhon looked down on Link with disdain born from a noble's pride. His ego was not wounded by the injury. It seemed he had instead found satisfaction in it. He looked as if he was proven right about something.

"But not so fast that my spear cannot find you," Ouhon whispered. "Attack me again, and next time it will find your heart. Remember this. You may possess the Spear of Nayru, and you may be a servant to the princess, but you are a hundred-man captain. I am a three-hundred man captain, and the heir to the Mitagi house. If you were to injure me, your life, by law, would be forfeit. There wouldn't be a question asked if I killed you."

Link grit his teeth. He allowed Ouhon to get under his skin. He had tried to be more mature, but he was still too spontaneous.

Ouhon faced the mask salesman. "It appears my peer is not one for politeness, so I must apologize on his behalf for this interruption. I also apologize for my contribution to our wasted time. I was not thinking clearly. Despite his methods-" Ouhon gave a wicked grin, "-It succeeded in calming me. We still have a mission. Let us return to it."

"C-certainly," The no-longer-happy mask salesman stuttered.

"If that is okay with you, commoner," Ouhon challenged Link.

Link said nothing. He was angry. He was angry with Ouhon, and most of all, angry with himself for being influenced by Ouhon's words yet again. Despite his personal misgiving, they was on a mission. The least he could do was remember that and contain his anger.

"Yes, let's find her," Link agreed.

Without any further interruption, the three of them entered an alley and the salesman presented them to where his delivery would have occurred. For all extents and purposes, it was a normal house. From the amount of noise coming from it, there must have been several occupants.

"This is it?" Ouhon asked.

"That is correct, my lord." The mask salesman said.

"Then you may return to your shop. I apologize for having taken so much of your time."

The mask salesman bowed, wished them well, and returned to the markets. Ouhon returned to face the door and knocked. The one to answer was the grandson, wearing his new toy mask. Link smiled. He thought the boy looked absolutely adorable.

"Young man, is Roku Ciao present?" Ouhon asked, once again perfectly polite.

"Yeah! One moment." The boy yelled into the house. "Grandma!"

After a bit to walk to the door, the old woman presented herself. Thankfully, it was the correct person. Link recognized her and confirmed to Ouhon she was the right one. At first, the woman was predictably fearful. Most people would be afraid when armed officials show up at their door. However, there was nothing for her to be scared of. They inquired further about what happened to her when Zelda was attacked, and Ouhon observed her closely. The inquiry only lasted a few minutes, but they left satisfied.

"She was not lying," Ouhon said.

"How can you tell?" Link asked.

"Live with a father with no discernable facial expressions, and you naturally learn body language."

"F-fair point," Link conceded. With their job done, the two of them returned to the castle without incident, and Ouhon reported their findings before disappearing somewhere. Link got the impression that the man wanted nothing to do with him. The feeling was mutual.