-Again, I apologize for the late update! I've just been super busy lately... Ugh, curse you, gravity!

Anymoo, I appreciate your patience with my brain monster, who is currently nomming on my thoughts and evoking a terrible case of writer's block... This chapter is really short and it's all his fault.

Oh well. Next chapter will be longer, I promise.

Enjoy!

-Desi

Link's progress through the pass was short lived. Not even halfway through he came upon a towering blockage of boulders, obstructing the way through the pass. Link cursed at himself, knowing full well that he did not have any bombs with him to clear the obstacle. The wall of rocks was too tall to jump, and too slippery to climb.

The wolf snarled. Damn it all, he thought, scolding himself for not clearing the obstruction earlier. He would have to take the long way to Castle Town, over the Bridge.

He retraced his way out of the path before starting up his rocking lope again, tracing his own trail around the outskirts of the field. He passed through undetected, thanks to the shadows that he slipped fluidly through. His paws drummed rhythmically on the stony area of the field as he ran along the steep cliff that dropped off into oblivion.

He knew the way to the town like the back of his hand-or rather, his paw. He could easily find his way to and fro even under the cover of midnight, such as he was doing now. He sped to a gallop as he left the previous section of Hyrule Field, ignoring the sharp throbbing of the cut across his leg.

Stars dotted the sky like a million candle flames, lighting the inky canvas with tiny pinpoints of color. Link didn't need the aid of the starlight or the luminescent moonbeams, however, as he raced on through Hyrule. His eyes shone like turquoise, the broken shackle still around his ankle clinking and jingling as he ran.

The wolf made quick work of the passage that led to the lake, navigating the twisting path with ease and avoiding the Bulblin archers that lurked along the cliffs above. He narrowly avoided taking an arrow in his side, but swerved just in time to avoid the flaming projectile.

Falbi's Flight by Fowl attraction appeared on his left, a clear sign of his approach on the bridge. The colorful building always seemed to stand out against the pale green-and-brown landscape of the cliffs. Link's sensitive ears picked up the clucking of the cuccos inside.

He came upon the tall pillars marking the start of the bridge, the crumbling stone seeming to scrape the night sky above. Link's claws clicked on the rough paving as he ran, catching sight of a lone Bulblin wandering around. This one he could not avoid, as well as the one at the other end, but they could be dispatched easily. His kill was fast as he came upon his enemy, leaping onto the Bulblin's back and nearly tearing its head off. The monster flopped to the ground, blood staining the clean gray of the stone.

The harsh croaks of the birdlike creatures soaring above him didn't hinder Link as he raced onwards across the bridge, the impact of his paws on the hard stone sending jolts of pain through his injured leg. He found himself yearning to be back on softer ground again-or better yet, in the warm comfort of the Tavern.

The second Bulblin he took down with little difficulty. The creature had been facing the opposite direction, oblivious to his advance, enabling Link to rush up and leap on its back to snap its spinal cord in two with his teeth. Once the Bulblin dropped dead to the ground, Link galloped on across the end of the bridge.

Unfortunately, more enemies awaited his crossing, and the sticky squelch of Chus echoed around him as he loped into the tunnel-like formation of rocks. A second later the gelatinous creatures dropped from above, landing with a squishing plop around Link. The Chus were an avoidable enemy that lacked the ability to pursue him, so Link kept his pace and evaded the formless creatures.

Ringing wails sprung up from seemingly nowhere as soon as Link thought he was free of the tunnel. He ground to a halt as stalhounds emerged from the ground in a shower of dirt and bone. Their eerie, empty eyes cast a ghostly chill along with their gaping fang-filled mouths, but the skeletal dogs didn't deter Link even as they surrounded him. The wolf crouched and snarled as the pack of undead dogs lurched closer to him, their movements choppy as they shuffled on bony appendages.

The voice that came from the first stalhound was one that made Link want to cover his sensitive ears with his paws. He could only compare it to the sound of two rocks being ground together-or the sound of bone against bone.

"Wolf invades our territory. We must kill wolf!" it said, its limp jaw clacking together with its grating words. "Pack must attack wolf!"

At the lead stalhound's words, the other skeletal creatures took up rasping growls that mimicked the sound of a sword being dragged across a slate stone. The six monsters tightened their circle around Link, who snarled harshly with turquoise eyes flashing.

"This is only your territory until the sun rises over the horizon," the hero-beast growled, his lips curling menacingly over his teeth. "Then the rest of the world will be free to travel over this land whenever they please to do so."

The band of stalhounds did not falter at Link's words, nor did they slow their advance. Their jerky movements and jumbled limbs seemed to fall in sync as they lurched closer to the wolf. Link crouched low, prepared to spring, his teeth glinting in the bright moonlight that filtered through a crack in the tunnel.

Suddenly, without any warning, the stalhounds halted instantly, turned, and with wailing cries of obvious fear, bolted away to bury back under the ground. Link pulled himself upright, confused and suspicious, his senses wide open to his surroundings. His nostrils flared, taking in the scents on the wind like a fine-tuned tracker, searching for whatever had caused the stalhounds to flee so suddenly.

Cautiously, brilliant blue eyes narrowed, he trotted out of the tunnel. His paws met the grass and he sighed inwardly as he felt the give of the ground beneath his injured leg. He stopped a moment, taking in the sights of the area as well as the many sounds and scents that greeted him as he welcomed the open air. He felt much more secure on an open plain where he could see his enemies coming; however his nerves were on edge as the reminder of a possible hidden threat prickled in his mind.

He trotted a little further onto the field, the sight of the castle only a mile or so away bringing ease to his anxiety. But, just as he was beginning to release the pin of worry that had rooted in his mind, something made him freeze right on the spot.

He was being watched.

Slowly he turned his head to the right, towards a towering tree whose branches seemed to disappear against the darkness of the sky. The fur along his haunches prickled as his ears flattened against his skull, lip drawn up in the beginnings of a snarl.

And then he started as he caught sight of his mysterious watcher-or rather, the eyes that belonged to his watcher. His turquoise met their amber-a peculiar shade of fiery red-orange as wild as the flames of a pyre. His mind registered those eyes instinctively, those eyes with the distinctive exotic slant and feminine shape. His heart soared and he dared to think one name: Midna?

But just as he was about to break into a gallant run and confirm that his wish had come true, the flame-red of the eyes in the tree warped to an unearthly shade of violet purple as vibrant as the dark hues of a sunset. The sound of wings beating at the air echoed through the stretched silence as something took to the sky and the eyes disappeared, mischievous feminine laughter trailing in the wake like an eerie song.

Link couldn't seem to move in the seconds that followed the strange occurrence, his surprised stare glued to the spot where he had witnessed what seemed to be an achingly identical replica of the eyes of his lost love. Finally managing to tear his gaze away from the tree, he turned and launched into a rapid gallop across the remainder of Hyrule Field. Ignoring the pain in his leg, he headed directly towards the outline of Hyrule Castle silhouetted against the now-lightening sky.

-So! Link is on his way to the Resistance. What will he find when he gets there? Hehehe...You'll just have to wait to find out!

Reviews are greatly appreciated...and please tell my brain monster to quit eating my ideas.