The Legend of Zelda: the Secret of the Sages (ZEROKI PLEEEZE)

Link was about to respond before he heard the screaming. He wasted no time in following Warren inside, only to find himself looking upon a sadly amusing scene. This woman truly had no understanding of Nyx. Link couldn't fault her for her reaction to the Hylian girl's stunt.

Sighing, he reached up to pull the little sword from the wall, all but lovingly cleaning the tip off with his own tunic. "I think you're right, Warren," he said, nodding, "I thank you for your hospitality, and... I hope we meet again, under better circumstances." He slipped the Kokiri sword into his belt, just to help calm the fisherman's wife.

"C'mon Nyx... Let's go. Morgan... I apologize again for the misunderstanding." He turned and walked out the door, ready to head for Furni... but not before stopping to scratch the dog's head one more time.

"I thank you for your hospitality, and... I hope we meet again, under better circumstances." Warren nodded his head, a smile on his grizzled face.

"C'mon Nyx... Let's go. Morgan... I apologize again for the misunderstanding."

Nyx had been in the process of pulling her boots on, hopping from one foot to the other as she did so. She snatched her cloak off of the nail it hung on, now blessedly dry. Morgan's face was still tinged red, a sign she was still in some part of herself fuming. Whether at the two visitors or at her husband, one couldn't entirely be sure.

Dante leaned his head into the scratching as Link and Nyx left the room. As the scratching hand retreated, the dog whined piteously; following the two with a bark and another whine. He followed some 15 feet from the house before he stopped, head and tail drooping as he barked and then whined again.

Turning her tired green gaze to the canine following behind them, Nyx reached up to touch Link's shoulder; to make him stop as she turned around. A brief smile flitted across her face as Dante stood there with his head, ears, and tail lowered with a pitiful whine to accompany.

"Link, I think you made a friend."

Warren watched from the porch while Morgan busied herself inside, watching the dejected Dante practically beg to go with the two. He chuckled, shaking his head lightly. Technically, Dante wasn't Warren's dog. He had belonged to their son Gregory but he no longer lived there so it had fallen on Warren and Morgan to care for the dog since then.

"Take him with you if you feel so inclined! A loyal beast he is, good nose and all!" He called from the porch as Dante looked behind him to Warren standing there and back to Link, standing as he waited to be called either which way...

Link wasn't surprised that he'd made a friend in Dante. Afterall, he'd befriended Epona easily enough, but... he WAS surprised when Warren insisted he take Dante along. The young Hylian knelt down, reaching out to scratch the dog between the ears, mulling it over in his mind.

"It's gonna' be dangerous, boy," he warned, "Still sure you want to come?" Of course, he already knew the answer, so he stood up and gave Warren a firm, reassuring look. "We'll bring him back safe and sound... I promise." He was certainly promising a lot to the old man. Deep down, Link wasn't sure he could deliver, but he'd dealt with more impossible tasks before.

"It's gonna' be dangerous, boy,""Still sure you want to come?"

Dante gave a sort of happy groan, his tail stirring up small clouds of dust as it wagged enthusiastically on the ground behind him. The dog leaned into Link's touch, a definite gesture of trust for any creature.

"We'll bring him back safe and sound... I promise."

Warren's eyes crinkled in the corners as he smiled broadly, a house on the wooden door of his home. "You all be careful! Take care of each other!" He held his hand up in a sign of farewell, a gentle wave following.

Nyx smiled lightly at the dog, scratching his ears a moment. Dante barked before he stood, running about the two in an excited manner. She laughed a bit, watching the dog grab the hem of Link's tunic and gently tugged. It was a playful gesture, though gentle in force; Dante wouldn't rip the fabric.

Leaning down, Nyx gave the dog a gentle tap on the side of his muzzle, a sign to let go. He gave an excited bark before he ran ahead, stopping some 10 feet away and looking at the Hylians as though asking why they were taking so long....

Link nodded, promising to do just that before turning to follow his companions. Dante seemed the most eager, the dog all but pulling Link along as he went. At least he seemed to know where he was going. Link knew well enough that animals were nothing if not intelligent, or at least instinctual about what needed to be done next.

He walked in silence for awhile, at least until the little house was a spot on the horizon behind. Then he paused, turning a moment to look back at them. "I hope Warren and his wife will be alright," he said, "I had no idea until last night how far the evil of Ganondorf reached."

He started on his way again, reaching down on occasion to give Dante a friendly pet or a scratch between the ears. At least the day was warm and the morning breeze was refreshing. Unlike Hyrule field, there were no peahats to spoil his travels, no stalchildren to pop out at night and scare the living daylights out of him. Just the call of birdsong, and the soft whispering wind.

Nyx smiled lightly, her eyes closing a moment as the breeze brushed past them. It was quiet, it was peaceful. A radical change given the events of the previous night.

"I hope Warren and his wife will be alright,""I had no idea until last night how far the evil of Ganondorf reached."

Looking from the scampering Dante to Link as they walked she sighed a little, looking at the bright blue skies above in a brief moment of thought. "I think they'll be okay. The only thing we can do is hope and find the rest of the sages. Then they don't have to worry at all."

She smiled at Link a brief moment, meant to be reassuring but her smile seemed to reflect how tired they both felt. Looking ahead again, she watched Dante sniff ahead in various spots; his tail wagging back and forth. The black and tan dog looked to the right of the path before he disappeared into a clump of trees, barking and growling as he sniffed inside what seemed to look like a trench.

Rolling her eyes, Nyx jogged a bit ahead to see what had captured the dog's attention so vividly. She stepped past the trees, following him as the dog growled low in his throat, fur bristling and tail straight. Hushing Dante a moment, Nyx stepped into the trail he was sniffing. It was nearly 12 feet across, and the center of the trail dipped almost 2 feet into the relatively hard-packed earth. There was nothing here now, but evidently something had been; something incredibly large.

Moving a few feet from Dante she looked deeper into the forest, looking at where the trail led. It weaved through the trees, and some rather strong looking trees appeared as though whatever this was, had all but uprooted them.

"Link, you'll want to take a look at this!" she called as Dante came closer to her, and she scratched and rubbed his ears; a successful bid in calming the agitated dog...

Link was grateful for Nyx's reassurance. Though he was said to have an unbreakable will in the face of danger, the truth was, Link needed the encouragement his companions could offer him. He needed to know that there was a light at the end of the long, dark tunnel, especially so far from the land he called home. He was about to respond to her when Dante suddenly alerted, and Nyx ran to investigate.

Upon her urging, he followed, eyes widening as he knelt down to examine the trail, eyes travelling along it until it disappeared into the forest, presumably leading to more destruction down the road. "Well, we know one thing now," he said, "The boy whose family Warren knows... is anything but crazy."

He reached down to scratch Dante between the ears. "Good boy."

"Good boy

Dante gave a groan as he leaned his head upwards into Link's fingertips, tail thumping on the ground. The dog stood and padded about while the two Hylians conversed.

"Well, we know one thing now,""The boy whose family Warren knows... is anything but crazy."

Nyx nodded lightly, looking about a moment; seeing if there were any other clues to be seen but could find nothing of the sort. "I have to agree, he's telling the truth but no one's listening." It was a sad thought, one that reminded her strongly of her childhood in Horon City. There had been many times that she could've told the truth until she was blue in the face and not a one would believe her.

"Let's get going. If no one else is going to listen to Ethan, then we will." There was a certain burning anger and determination in her eyes that in her sleep-deprived state she couldn't manage to hide. She headed back to the dirt road they'd been walking along.

Dante however, looked from the lithe woman to Link, his head cocked as though trying to figure out what was going on now...

Link wasn't used to seeing such determination from his friend. He got the feeling that there was still a great deal that Nyx wasn't telling him. That didn't mean however, that she wasn't correct.

He followed Nyx along the dirt road, whistling and motioning for Dante to follow, though, he knew that if the dog hesitated, there had to be a reason for it.

Link had a lot of questions for Ethan. What did the bug look like? Did it have a voice? How often did he sight it, and when? The townspeople were in danger, and now their fate rested upon the testimony of one scared little boy none of them believed. Link knew the feeling well.

Nyx certainly still looked determined and even a little angry as hey continued down the dirt road. She wasn't angry with Link in the slightest. However, the slim woman seemed to have picked up the pace, as though the slight increase in speed would get them to Furni faster. (Truth be told, it wouldn't)

Dante perked his ears and trotted after Link, tongue lolling out as he followed the green-clad Hylian a moment before he bounded forward, clearly trying in some way to soothe he irate woman who was some paces ahead ofthe other. Barking twice, Dante gently tugged on the back hem of Nyx's cloak. Turning to look at the black and tan dog, the features on her face softened. It seemed that she was incapable of staying angry with Dante around. Smiling lightly, she slowed enough to grab a thick stick and chuck it some distance; which the dog quickly made chase after.

Falling back in step with Link, she nudged his arm with her elbow. "Sorry there Link."

Link walked on in silence for awhile, saying nothing. Of anyone, Dante seemed to be the one who was really trying to lift spirits. He couldn't help but smile, thanking the fisherman in his mind once more for the black and tan gift he'd given. It was no bow and arrow set, but Dante was already proving valuable in his own way.

Link kept his eyes forward even as Nyx dropped back to his side, nodding his head in response to her apology. "Don't worry about it," he offered, "We're all tense right now... I've got so many questions right now... I imagine you do too." He watched as Dante grabbed the stick and started to bring it back. This time, it would be Link who grabbed the stick and tossed it down the path.

"Hopefully it won't take too much longer for us to get there... The sages.... I knew all of them. They were my friends... Saria was like a mother to me. Darunia, the Goron... he called me his sworn brother. Ruto had this crazy idea about us marrying... Impa was Princess Zelda's protector, and one of the best fighters I ever saw... Even Nabooru the Gerudo Thief and I worked together once... To think of any of them suffering the fate Ruto suffered... It's like... it's personal."

"Don't worry about it,""We're all tense right now... I've got so many questions right now... I imagine you do too."

Nyx smiled a bit, patting him on the shoulder lightly; more of an attempt to ease the tension that she couldn't deny had settled over both of them. "My questions are probably much the same as yours are. It's just..." She seemed to trail off a moment as Dante brought the stick back, tail wagging and eyes bright. Pulling it from his mouth (despite it being covered in dog slobber), she chucked it again; still smiling a bit as Dante ran full-belt to catch up with the elusive stick. "It's a sad day, when adults choose not to listen to an honest child so desperate to have someone believe them."

There was moment that Nyx gave a sort of sad smile and derisive snort through her nose, like a quiet laugh. "I couldn't get anyone to believe me on anything before I came to Hyrule. No one would pay two cents to hear what they thought were lies back in Holodrum. Didn't matter if I was telling the truth, they wouldn't have listened for all my begging in the world."

She fell quiet. Any smile that had been on her face had slipped away at her own mention of Holodrum and she looked to the path where Dante hadn't yet come back. However, the sound of giggling reached their ears as they came closer and found Dante licking a little girl, who couldn't have been older than five years old. She had bright red hair that fell in gentle waves as she giggled, her small hands trying to push Dante's tongue away as he seemed to make every attempt to lavish the small child with plenty of dog "kisses"

"Dante! Come back here!" Nyx called before the dog obediently moved back to Link and Nyx's side. Stooping down, she smiled at the little girl."What are you doing out here alone?" Nyx questioned, her smile a soft but fake one that made her look more inviting. The child held up a basket of obviously fresh picked raspberries. "I'm Sarah! Mom wanted berries for a pie!" She flashed a big smile while her teeth had been temporarily stained a pale pink in the crevices; no doubt from eating plenty of berries along the way.

The hylian woman laughed a little at Sarah's bright but stained smile. "We're trying to get to Furni, do you live there?" Sarah nodded, pointing to the steep hill behind her. "Yeah! It's down there!" She smiled again. "We're also looking for a boy named Ethan. Do you know him?" The little girl gave another broad grin. "Yeah! Ethan's my big brother!"

Looking behind her to Link, thanking the goddesses for their providence. "Can you take us to him, Sarah?"

Sarah giggled before she picked up her basket, starting down the hill towards a town, clearly more developed in size than Eten had been. Nyx looked to Link, looking just as tired as they had felt earlier but there was some relief in there; too. Following the girl who was now skipping on the dirt road, she moved down a few roads before she stopped in front of house that had indeed been painted a deep shade of green.

"Mommy! Mommy! We have visitors!" Sarah called into the small barn next door to the house.

Moira had been reaching up to put some pottery on a set of shelves when Sarah called out about their visitors. The bowl fumbled in her hands but she narrowly caught it, bracing it on the edge of the shelf as she breathed a sigh of relief and slid it onto the top shelf. Moving from the area where she clearly ran her pottery business, she came out to meet her daughter; picking up the basket of raspberries in the process along with the small child.
"Well that's alot of raspberries isn't it? That'll cheer your brother up I'm sure!"

Sarah leaned outward from her mother's grasp, pointing at Link and Nyx. "I was gonna get more, but she says they're looking for Ethan."

Sarah and Moira were all but spitting images of each other. Moira's dark brown eyes leveled at their visitors as she noticeably hugged her daughter closer. "What do you want with my son?" If Nyx didn't know any better, she would've said that the air around the red-haired woman was crackling with a certain protective anger. Warren had been right. Moira was a spitfire, they would have to tread carefully here...

Link smiled a little bit as Nyx recounted her childhood in Holodrum. "You're not the first child to have an adult not listen to them when it counted," he said, attempting to console her, "Princess Zelda herself warned her father about Ganondorf but... he wouldn't listen. Ganondorf was charismatic, and he claimed loyalty to the king. That was enough for him." He shrugged a bit, only to fall silent as, with Dante's astute nose and... tongue, the two managed to encounter only the third person they'd met since coming to this strange country.

The girl was definitely young, and it struck Link that technically, she wouldn't even be born for two years yet after he returned to his proper time, but she seemed bright and happy, and friendly. Before Link could say a word, she was leading Nyx, Dante, and him off to her house. He stepped inside just as the boy's mother made her query.

Link knew he must look strange, with his green kokiri tunic and his sword and shield slung over his back, but with any luck, she wouldn't judge him based on appearance alone. He offered a polite bow. "My name is Link, and this is my friend Nyx," he began, "We're here to talk to your son about something he apparently encountered in the forest recently... and to help get rid of it if we can."

"My name is Link, and this is my friend Nyx,""We're here to talk to your son about something he apparently encountered in the forest recently... and to help get rid of it if we can."

Moira looked particularly suspicious of Link, glancing the young man with a gaze that could pierce through metal. She set Sarah down on her feet, whispering in her ear to go inside to the kitchen. The little girl skipped away further into the house, her footsteps becoming faint as she did so.

Turning her attention back to the visitors, Moira looked them both up and down with the critical gaze of someone who had already done this a few times. She was a young mother, no doubt but she tired of this.

"And exactly how do I know you're not the same as the other four swordmen and warriors that have all sought a chance to sharpen their reputations and take home a trophy? We've been hounded by young men like you, Link. While I admire your courage, both of you; my husband will be home soon and I have a pie I would like to bake for my son."

Her voice was stern and unyielding, with the strength that told of and iron will and unbroken resolve. Moira continued to watch the two, her arms crossed over her chest. Evidently, Moira was waiting for them to leave her property.

A short bark brought her attention briefly to Dante, who was sitting outside the work area as though he were waiting to be invited in. Looking to Link once more, Moira looked momentarily confused. "Why do you have old man Warren's dog with you?"

Link was a little surprised to know that so many were taking Ethan's story seriously. And he was stung to know that Moira thought he was after nothing more than a trophy. He wished desperately that he could use his adventures as his claim to fame, but in this world, none of that had ever happened... Even if it had, Ganondorf had been a problem in Hyule before anywhere else.

He was brought out of his contemplations by the bark and Moira's subsequent question. Smiling a bit he knelt down. "Warren gave Nyx and me lodging last night," he explained, "When morning came, I guess Dante didn't want to part ways. He's actually the one that led us to your little girl." His fingers stroked between Dante's ears as he looked up.

"As for your questions... I'm not sure anything I'd say would convince you. Simply know that my intentions are pure... And if your son encountered what I think he did... then finding a trophy is the least of my concerns."

"Let them try Mom! I'm tired of not being taken seriously, and if Link and Nyx think they can do something..." The grown-ups had been too engrossed in their conversation to see the boy. He couldn't have been older than nine years old, with sandy-colored hair and scraped knees. His blue eyes had a look that Link had come to expect from those who encountered the likes of Ganondorf's creatures. "Do you... do you really think you can get rid of it?" Ethan asked, almost desperate.

Link nodded. "You might not believe it, Ethan... but it isn't a matter of whether we can or can't... We must get rid of it, if we're going to complete our quest..."

"Warren gave Nyx and me lodging last night,""When morning came, I guess Dante didn't want to part ways. He's actually the one that led us to your little girl.""As for your questions... I'm not sure anything I'd say would convince you. Simply know that my intentions are pure... And if your son encountered what I think he did... then finding a trophy is the least of my concerns."

Moira's dark eyes continued to watch Link as he explained. He seemed genuine and sincere, but then again; so had the other four who'd heard the story. Three had come back injured in various degrees of severity and one had not returned at all.

"Let them try Mom! I'm tired of not being taken seriously, and if Link and Nyx think they can do something..."

She turned to look at her son, a sort of sad look crossing her face. If Moira could've, she would've erased this incident from her son's memory; if only it worked that way. If she could erase that look from her son's eyes. In what seemed the universal motherly fashion, Moira came to stand next to her son; brushing the hair from his face. It was a sort of comforting, reassuring gesture that she'd been doing for a very long time. She placed her hands on Ethan's shoulders, squeezing lightly as her son's question came.

"Do you... do you really think you can get rid of it?"

"You might not believe it, Ethan... but it isn't a matter of whether we can or can't... We must get rid of it, if we're going to complete our quest..."

Looking upwards to Link and Nyx, Moira's dark eyes leveled with those of the two standing before her. She looked back down to her sandy-haired son. "You're as stubborn as your father, you know that?"

Standing back to her full height (which wasn't very tall), she looked to the others.

"Well if my son is going to explain, you may as well come into the kitchen." Turning, she motioned to the inside of the house where her daughter had disappeared to not too long ago. "Sarah! You'd better not have your fingers in those raspberries!"

Her motherly instinct had proven correct, as the little red-headed girl had been reaching for the basket of raspberries she'd put on the table earlier...

Link was glad that Moira had given in. Ethan seemed genuinely scared, but that wasn't the whole of it. There was something deeper. Link wondered if that would be him, but not for the fact that he was the chosen holder of the Triforce of Courage. As he stood, he found himself idly rubbing his hand, hidden beneath his glove though it was.

Ethan for his part seemed relieved that his mother would at least let him share his story. He led his would-be saviors into the family kitchen and had a seat at the round wooden table in the center. Link did the same.

Once everyone was assembled, an awkward silence settled until Ethan finally spoke. "Have... have either of you ever heard the legend of the Moldorm?" he asked, unsure of how best to present his fears.

Link shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Ethan... We're from Hyrule, so I'm not familiar with any local legends."

Ethan sgihed and nodded his head. "It lives in the forest... It's a centipede creature with a body as thick and long as a hundred year-old tree. Its fangs are like saw blades and its eyes are red and glowing...." He shuddered at the memory. "I'd heard legends about it ever since I was young.. People used to say it feasted sometimes on the children that ventured into the local forest alone, but that no one had seen it in hundreds of years.... But I did.... No one believes me... Mother doesn't believe me, my father and sister don't believe me... The village elders don't believe me, but I saw Moldorm!"

Nyx followed the group though she remained oddly quiet. One would've expected her to be rattling off questions faster than Ethan and Moira could answer them. Instead she watched Ethan and the way he was presenting his story. She shook her head when he asked if they knew about Moldorm.

It seemed as through Ethan's retelling of the events he was getting worked up near the end. She reached across the table and gave the boy's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Don't get so worked up Ethan, you'll make yourself sick that way. But is there anything else you can tell us, anything particularly odd? Did Moldorm have a voice, did it say anything? Any particular area where it appears? We believe you, so don't hold back. Anything can be helpful, even if it doesn't seem important right now."

Nyx's eyes were soft as she looked at Ethan, but there was not a trace of pity to be found. She felt emboldened more instead to help rid the town of the creature, if only for them to get back to some sense of normalcy.

Looking upward from Ethan, Nyx noticed that Moira had taken the raspberries and was in the process of making a pie as she had mentioned earlier. Saria was trying to 'help' by trying to sneak a raspberry and Moira quickly smacked her hand away with a spoon even though she hadn't been looking in that direction. The redheaded child giggled as though it were a game as she ran to pet Dante, who only glanced at the child with what could be called a bored expression as she proceeded to pet him and tug on his erect ears...

Link let Nyx handle most of the questioning. He was intently studying the boy even as he tried to determine from the description what possible weakness this creature could have. Large insects were generally well protected by their exoskeletons. Their weak spot, if any, would not be easy to find. Still, Ethan's description didn't offer up anything in that regard, and Link doubted it would. Overcome with fear, it would be all but impossible for the boy to remember such seemingly-insignificant details.

Ethan was quiet for a little while. "I... I don't remember it having a voice, really," he admitted, "It had a.. a shriek, like one of those ghosts you hear about in the old stories, and its legs were... chittering, like clattering bones..." He shuddered again as he looked up at Nyx, fist tightening a bit beneath her hand. "I don't honestly know where it lives or... or how you could defeat it... I just know that it'll start eating the children from the village again, just like in the stories... If something happened to Saria...." The boy finally broke down, laying his head down upon the table.

Nyx listened to Ethan intently. The sounds he was describing would help them find Moldorm. Clattering bones and shrieks of that nature were not common in normal forests. Well aware of the fact that Moira was now done assembling the pie and had it going in the oven with the still smoldering wood beneath it, the mother had taken to watching the three at the table like a hawk.

When the boy finally broke down, Nyx reached her hand out to gently stroke Ethan's sandy hair. It was a comforting gesture, and Nyx didn't quite understand why it felt so natural to do.

"Ethan, look at me." her voice remained strong, though she felt as though she wanted to cry too. "Moldorm isn't going to eat anyone. Least of all you or Sarah. Link and I are not going to let that happen." Sarah had heard her name mentioned and ran toward her brother, hugging him tightly around the middle. "Wassa matter big brother? I'm righ here!" The red headed girl said, wondering why her brother was crying...

From toward the front of the house, the sound of a heavy wooden door closing could be heard. "Hey! Where is everyone?" Moira looked up "In the kitchen, Troy!" she called, her voice carrying well through the house. The man that walked into the kitchen was clearly the one Ethan got his appearence from. Sandy-blonde hair and bright blue eyes made the relation unmistakeable. He was a hard-working man, with heavy calloused hands attached to arms and an overall body that seemed a bit on the lithe side.

The blacksmith looked from Moira to his children and then their guests, unsure of what he had just walked into. "What did I miss?" Troy asked, a sandy blonde brow raised with a serious look on his face...

Link was glad that Nyx was here this time. He'd always done well in interacting with those he met during his adventures, but comforting children... well, that wasn't his strongest skill. To everything she said, he simply nodded his head in agreement.

He looked up as the male entered the home. The family resemblance was obvious, and Ethan looked up, smiling a little at his father. He did his best to wipe away the tears, to appear strong. It was Link who spoke though.

He stood up and offered a hand to the man. "My name is Link, and this is my friend Nyx," he made the introductions again, "We're travelers from the kingdom of Hyrule, and we've come to help solve your... bug problem." Ethan bit his lip. He knew his dad could be even more skeptical than his mother when it came to Moldorm's existence, and the ability of supposed adventurers to be rid of it.

Troy smiled warmly at his teary-eyed son before he scratched at his scruffy unshaven chin as he regarded the green clad young man holding his hand out to shake.

"My name is Link, and this is my friend Nyx,""We're travelers from the kingdom of Hyrule, and we've come to help solve your... bug problem."

The sandy haired man reached out and shook Link's hand with a firm, confident handshake. "Well I imagine that Ethan has told you all about Moldorm, then."Looking from Link to Nyx, he seemed to study them carefully a moment before he turned and reached on top of a shelf, pulling down what appeared a set of two daggers.

Turning back to the two that were currently seated at his kitchen table with a raised sandy-blonde brow, Troy's mouth twitched lightly as he looked back to Link. "Clearly you have a blade." he said, motioning to the Master Sword. "You however..." he turned his gaze to Nyx, who couldn't help but twitch a bit in her seat under his studying gaze. "...don't appear to have any. Plenty of arrows, I see." he motioned to the multiple quivers she was currently carrying. "But arrows will do you little good with the trees in Evergreen Forest as thick as they are."  

It seemed a surprise to Moira that Troy seemed to be taking this so in stride, given that he had been so resistent to believing that Ethan had indeed seen Moldorm. The man tossed the daggers onto the table in front of Nyx, who being as ever-curious as she was; removed them from their sheathes and began inspecting them carefully.

"I am not saying that I entirely believe it is Moldorm out there, but there is something in that forest and it is dangerous." Troy said as Nyx began balancing the blade on her fingers to find the center of balance as Sarah piped in from next to her brother. "Daddy! You didn't tell them about Jack! He could show them where Moldorm is!"

The older man was clearly resisting the urge to roll his eyes as Sarah pointed at him accusingly. "Don't you do that, daddy! You know he's real!". Moira was across the kitchen, her hand clapped firnly over her mouth, stifling her laughter as Troy's ears bloomed red. "Jack is a local prankster. Rumor has it the boy lives wild in the forest and that he's only a couple of years younger than Ethan here. If it weren't for the fact that the boy wrecked my smithing studio some weeks ago, I'd say he was another legend."

Moira looked between the faces in her kitchen, between her children and their visitors. "There's a little inn here in town. I would offer you to stay here, but we have little room with only the two bedrooms." While Moira did sound regretful of such circumstances, Nyx was not. The incident in Warren and Morgan's home pushed it to the forefront of her mind that her life and habits from Holodrum had followed her to Hyrule and Zemlya. She would always sleep with a sharp implement in her hand, whether a rock or even a broken bottle as a child. Now it was more likely a dagger or an arrow, both of which could harm someone if her aim was true in a sleep-deprieved state. "That's alright Moira, I'm sure we can afford one night in the inn." Nyx said, hiding the fact that she was internally grateful for that fact...

Link remain quiet for the most part as Troy handed the daggers over to Nyx. He was secretly glad of that. He'd given her his Kokiri sword but... Truth be told, he was much more comfortable with it in his own hands, even if he had no intention of using it now. He leaned back in his chair to listen to the rest of the conversation, committing every detail to memory.

"Moldorm does exist," he said finally, "I can't give you the details but... there are forces moving in this world, and this country in particular right now it seems that would seek to plunge us all into darkness. Moldorm itself isn't one of them. If my theory holds true, based on what Nyx and I have experienced so far, Moldorm may be a corrupted sage, a being of good heart and great magical power taken and corrupted... though by what I don't know. My friend, the sage of water, a Zora by the name of Ruto was one such creature herself... Nyx and I will do our best to free this sage as well." He stood up then.

"I thank you all for your generosity. When Moldorm is defeated, we will return and let all of you know, especially Ethan."

Ethan had listened to the story, his eyes only growing bigger with each word Link spoke. He looked questioningly at his parents. "So... they really are adventurers!" he said, "Can you believe it?! Real adventurers in our house! Can't they at least stay until after supper?! PLEASE?!" He looked up at his mother, giving her those puppy-dog eyes no mom can resist.

Nyx listened to Link's explanation of what they believed was happening to the sages, looking discreetly from Moira's face, to Ethan's, Troy's, and finally little Sarah's. Apprehension was apparent on all three faces, while Sarah remained blissfully unaware of the gravity of the situation as she continued to pet the black and tan Dante, who had melted under the child's firm petting of his head and ears.

"I thank you all for your generosity. When Moldorm is defeated, we will return and let all of you know, especially Ethan."
"So... they really are adventurers!""Can you believe it?! Real adventurers in our house! Can't they at least stay until after supper?! PLEASE?!"

She had started standing from the table when Ethan's statement and subsequent begging brought her to freeze mid-stand, looking from the boy to his parents and back again. Moira looked at Ethan with a raised eyebrow at his being so star-struck. Her brown eyes regarded her son as she tossed the idea around in her head. “If they're going to stay for dinner, then you need to go into the back garden and start pulling more of those potatoes and vegetables that we haven't harvested yet; young man.” The young mother pointed to the backyard, where a small garden waited with vegetables that were ripe for picking and pulling; the look on her face was clear that she would broach no argument from the boy. It was one of his chores, one that Moira found was like a dentist pulling teeth, incredibly difficult and required a great deal of force.

“Sarah, you go help your brother.” She instructed, pointing her daughter to a basket and out the backdoor. The five year old snatched up the basket and ran outside, Dante hot on her heels as through he were thankful to escape the tension of the room that the five year old had been so oblivious to.

Nyx nervously sat back down, still holding the daggers in her hand before Troy clapped a heavy hand on Link's shoulder. "Link, might I borrow you a few minutes to haul in some firewood? Moira is a wonderful cook, but the best we could hope for is sliced vegetables and bread without enough fire." He said with a deep laugh, as though trying to forget what had been said only a few moments prior; more for the sake of his children than for his own. Troy knew the situation was serious and it rubbed him the wrong way of how Ethan's innocence of the world had been so shattered by his encounter with Moldorm. By goddesses, the man would give everything in his power if only to bring back that beautiful innocent light that had once filled his son's eyes...

"But Mom-" Ethan started, but he stopped short when he saw that look in her eyes. The boy turned around and slowly walked toward the back door, obviously disappointed. He wanted to hear more stories from these adventurers. Since Moldorm first appeared, so many men and women had come in search of it, most of them fakes. In Link, for the first time the boy saw somebody he could look up to, a real adventurer and hero. He turned his eyes toward the young Hylian, who simply gave an affirming nod. A moment later, Ethan was outside, hard at work on his chore, accompanied by his little sister.

In the meantime, Link focused on the family, until Troy put a hand on his shoulder. He gave his own nod and stood up. "Of course," he said, "Nyx, why don't you put those daggers to some constructive use and help with cutting and peeling the vegetables?" He grinned wryly as he would turn and follow Troy outside, leaving the two women alone in the house.