Stolen Hearts

"…Ah…"a cracking, feminine voice hissed, her tone echoing against the cold masonry walls of her prison cell. Deep crimson eyes the shade of blood cracked open from years of disuse, thick lashes framing the angled, almond shaped irises. "…I have company…"

Bones creaked and popped as she rose to her feet, as if it was the first time in months. She ran her tongue over the surface of her lips, wetting the parched skin, and opened her eyes again, taking in her cell. She walked over to the iron door that confined her, and ran her slender fingers along the metal doorframe, as if searching for an inlet, a weakness, a means of escape.

She released a warm breath through her mouth, steadying her hands on the higher of the two hinges.

"…Pando, O Principo," she breathed, her voice a raspy whisper dripping with venomous hatred for her confinement. "…Libera te tutemet-!"

From the other side of the iron door, a velvety smooth voice murmured.

"…Expergiscimini et furor, O odibilem…"

Her fingers momentarily bounced away from the metal, as if being pushed away by an invisible force. She ground her teeth together, and pushed her fingers back toward the metal, forcing them to touch, and she let loose a shriek of laughter. Her voice was drowned out by an earsplitting bang, and looking onward, she smiled condescendingly at the open space where the door once had been. The hinges still clung to the doorway, attached to the wall and nothing more.

She strode out confidently into the dark, foreboding hallway beyond, snarling a warning at a few curious rats that had scurried over to investigate. The rats squeaked and retreated, but not before she snatched one up by the tail and leered into its beady yellow eyes.

Strangely, there was no one to be seen in the hallway, the voice had belonged to someone, and yet she couldn't see them.

"I'm so hungry…" She hissed, smiling again and this time revealing her pointed canines. In one fluid motion, she threw the rat into the air, and swallowed it whole, sighing at the satisfying sensation of food in her stomach as she strode into the shroud of darkness that was the Shadow Temple.

"It's time for a feast!"

A hot summer breeze blew gently across Hyrule field, carrying the scent of hay and fresh flower blossoms and cooling the otherwise sweltering heat of midday. On the sprawling compound of Lon Lon Ranch, horses whinnied and sighed in the heat, taking refuse under the massive oak trees that were scattered through the main pasture.

Amid the gentle sounds of resting horses and songbirds twittering to their mates, a long, low groan reverberated from within the barn. Link opened the door to Epona's stall, carrying a bucket of water in one hand, and a bundle of blankets and towels in the other. The big red mare lifted her head from the thick bed of straw, sweat dripping down her long neck, causing several strands of her white mane to stick together.

Link set the bucket down, and slung the towels over the stall door. He moved over to Epona, kneeling in the straw and gave his attention to the foal that had obviously been born mere seconds before he entered the stall. He quickly broke the birth sack open, and set about cleaning out the foal's nose and mouth with gentle fingers, ensuring that it's airways were open and it could breath freely.

He then grabbed a towel and started to clean off the excess fluid, revealing that the foal would be a beautiful mahogany color, a few lighter hairs peppering its back and haunches. He left the umbilical cord alone as he cleaned, knowing that breaking it too early could endanger both mare and foal, and instead rubbed his hands over the foal's head, rousing it, and smiling when it gave a tiny, meek little whinny.

Epona lifted her head from the straw again at the sound, and swung her neck around so that she could reach her foal. Link stood, and, again being careful of the cord, lifted the foal up and moved it closer to the mare's side. She immediately began to nuzzle the newborn, making soft noises from deep in her throat.

He backed away, leaning back against the stall door. He turned his head when gentle fingers brushed along the back of his arm, and smiled as Malon leaned around him and stared down at Epona and her new foal.

"Is it a filly? Or a colt?" She asked in a hushed tone, leaning her shoulder against his side.

"I haven't looked too hard, but I'm pretty sure it's a filly." He responded, looking first at the foal, and then to Malon. Both adults looked out of the stall when the barn door creaked open, and two young children came bounding inside, fits of laughter following them closely behind.

The first to enter was a girl, probably about six years old, with medium-length strawberry-blonde hair that had been tied into a tight braid behind her head. Racing along after her was a boy, closer to the age of three or four. His hair was nearer to a light shade of red, and was just as messy and unkempt as Link's. They both scrambled over to Malon, the little girl dancing around her feet while the boy clung to Malon's legs.

"What'cha doin' mommy?" The little girl asked in a bubbly laugh, standing up on her tiptoes and trying to look over the stall door. She was just a tad too short, and could only catch a glimpse of the top of Epona's head.

"Here," Link said, pulling away from the door and letting it swing open wide enough for both children to peer inside. The little girl gave a small, joyful squeak as soon as her eyes caught sight of the foal, and the boy stared at it unsurely.

They both watched with excitement as the foal stretched its gangly legs out in front of it and pushed upward, standing up shakily. After only a moment, it plopped back down onto its knees, giving a soft, breathy sigh as it folded its legs inward.

Epona stood from her place on the stall floor, and moved over to the bucket of water that Link had brought in with him, lowering her head and taking hearty drinks of the warmed liquid. Again, it was another trick-of-the-trade among horse people that you always offered the mare a bucket of warm water after the foaling. It was easier on the mare's stressed body to drink lukewarm water than cold, and the touch of molasses that had been added helped to energize.

Upon lifting her head, the mare pressed her muzzle against Link's shoulder, breath ghosting over his skin. He gently rubbed a hand over the bridge of her nose, whispering a few encouraging words to her and watching as she pulled away, reaching down and nuzzling her foal.

Malon moved over to stand on the other side of the stall door, leaning against Link and watching the newborn filly as she tried yet again to stand. She pushed up onto her tiny hooves, legs wavering beneath her frame, but as she gained her footing, she took a few shaky steps, making her way over to her mother.

Malon gave a soft cheer as the filly reached up under Epona, suckling for the first time and getting the valuable antibodies she needed for a healthy start in life. But as they watched the foal, Epona threw her head up, frightened, and the foal slumped back down to the floor when a gigantic commotion came from outside the barn. Both children yelped, and immediately took shelter behind their parents' legs.

"What is that?" Link breathed, carefully pulling out from in front of the little boy and striding out of the stall, quick steps taking him down the isle and out of the barn. Malon gently ushered both children out of the stall as well, and with a final check to make sure the foal was alright, closed the stall door and headed out after Link.

She blinked in the bright sunshine, her eyes took a moment to adjust to the difference, and as her vision came back to her with clarity, she saw that the compound was still in one piece. The pasture fence was still intact, and the house was still standing. What had caused the ruckus?

She quickly jogged over to Link, who was standing near the east-facing wall, staring up at the sky. She followed his gaze, and her heart skipped a beat. A thick plume of white smoke was swirling up into the sky, partially blocking out the sun as it spread across the horizon.

Fire was bad news in the middle of summer. It had been close to a month since the last rain, and the grass was dry as tinder, and would feed a fire like nothing else. It could overtake the entire sprawling field within hours if the fire came their way.

Link stared up at the plume, and, noticing that he was standing next to one of the tall oak trees, dodged over to it and started climbing. He climbed quickly, until he could see over the wall.

"It's coming from the forest!" He called, taking one last look at the plume of smoke that was towering over the verdant expanse beyond and swinging back down.

"From the forest? What happened? What about the estate?" Malon asked, looking between Link and the plume. He shook his head softly, and strode back toward the barn, entering the darker area and quickly grabbing a saddle from the tack area.

"Link? Wait, what are you doing?" Malon asked, following closely behind him, a suspicious tilt to her head. He opened the door to one of the other horses' stalls, and quickly started to saddle the horse within.

His second choice of horses to ride, seeing that Epona was taken, was one of the two stallions they owned, a smaller gray horse Malon called Tau. It was a much different experience than riding Epona, there was no connection with this horse, and he tended to be a bit hot-tempered, choosing to do as he wished and requiring a stronger hand to control. But he was fast, and could go longer distances than the other mares.

He tightened the cinch around the stallion's midsection, and took a bridle from the peg outside his stall, slipping it over the horse's head and fastening it securely.

"I have to go and see." He said, checking the straps one last time and leading the stallion out into the isle. Malon's expression turned to one of sudden fear. A sense of terrible foreboding washed over her, and she suddenly took a hold of his arm, a fierce intensity swirling in the pools of her irises.

"No! Link, do you remember all those years ago? Every single time you left on your own, you would end up nearly dying!" She said desperately, staring up into his eyes. The determined smile he had been sporting faded, and he leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead.

"I have to check, the estate is out there, I have to make sure dad, Saria, Malikai and the others are alright." He responded, hugging her for a few seconds, and then leading the stallion out of the barn.

Malon looked toward the hay pile, where the two children were playing, laughing in ignorant bliss.

"Kara! Rinku! Come on, its time for lunch." She called, walking slowly toward the door after making sure that they were following. Upon reaching the outside, she saw that Link had mounted the stallion, and was heading out of the front gate.

The little girl noticed this immediately, and tugged on the skirt of her mother's simple blue dress.

"Momma, where's daddy goin'?" She asked in a sweet, innocent voice, looking up at Malon with huge blue eyes. She smiled down at the little girl, a fake smile she hoped would fool her.

"He's just going to visit your grandpa…"

Link rode quickly toward the forest, urging the stallion to continue as the scent of smoke became thicker and more cloying. He steered Tau easily through the thick underbrush, knowing the route to the estate and guessing that he could reach the place blind.

The air around him became thick with smoke as he ventured deeper, clouding his vision and making him fear that he would loose his sense of direction. But it only took a few minutes to reach the crest of a hill just before the sprawling estate, and a terrible scene was laid out before him.

The estate was destroyed. The beautiful stained glass windows that had adorned every wall had been shattered, and the walls torn down. Embers sparked on the wood like tinder and kindling, and sent glowing specks into the hazy grayness that was swirling around.

"What the hell…" He breathed, rasping voice drawling off. He kicked the stallion forward, urging him down the steep decline and toward the destruction. His face was set firmly in a consistent look of shock and fear. Where was everyone? Where they all dead?

As they made their way carefully over the rubble, the stallion suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, ears flicking forward, twitching and muscles tightening beneath him. The stallion stared straight ahead, whites showing up on the corners of his eyes. Link looked ahead as well, and his stomach nearly dropped out from underneath him.

Wordlessly, eyes glued to the spot that the stallion was staring, he slipped from the horse's back, thick leather boots thudding on the rubble. He carefully crossed the area, staring at the limp, lifeless body before him.

Aldric, his father, was dead. He was lying over the rubble. He was holding something small, which glittered like gold, in his hands, ridged fingers clasped tightly around the object. His face was drawn with the pain he had felt, and Link felt like he was going to vomit when he saw what had killed him.

The older man's thick leather tunic had been ripped away from his chest, leaving it bare, and where his heart should be, an empty hole remained, bloody trails snaking over the remainder of his unharmed chest and staining the ground where he lay.

His heart had literally been cut out.

He had never regained the kind of relationship he had had with his father as a child, but over the past six years, he had rekindled it somewhat, making this all the more painful. He reached forward with shaking hands, fingers wrapping around his father's icy hands and prying them open.

Within, he found that his father was clutching a golden Triforce pendant. It was the one that he had always worn underneath his tunic, but apparently, the clasp had broken, which was why he had been holding it. He had never gone anywhere without the pendant.

"Looking for something?" A cold, feminine voice hissed, an unfamiliar voice to Link's ears and quite unwelcome. He jerked away, staggering to his feet and staring into the haze. Two glowing red irises appeared from beyond the veil of smoke, and he gulped softly as a woman approached.

She was tall, easily as tall as him, if not taller, with matted black hair. She strode effortlessly, gracefully over the rubble, and stopped mere feet away from him, a condescending smile on her lips. She licked her lips, bright red blood was covering them, pooling on her chin in large droplets and dripping onto her scantily clad chest. She wore a long purple dress, one that left her shoulders and a good portion of her chest bare, and was cut up one side, allowing her more flexibility.

As he glared at her, he suddenly realized why blood was dripping from her mouth, and he seriously felt sick.

"Oh, poor little man. What's wrong?" She cooed, raising her right hand to the air and pressing thumb and forefinger together, snapped them together. The stallion reared up, throwing back his head and giving a scream of fright before bolting, stumbling over the rubble and disappearing beyond the haze.

He watched her, and his chest contracted involuntarily as several more pairs of glowing red eyes appeared from the mist. The other people she had summoned were men, tall as well, with black hair the shade of a moonless night and malice glinting in their eyes.

A sudden severe pain filled his upper, left arm, followed closely by an intense burning sensation. He over, and cringed when he saw a large dart was lodged in his arm. The group laughed at his perplexed expression, and the woman wiped the blood from her mouth as he wrenched the dart from his flesh, giving a small groan as the pointed needle dragged through his skin.

Looking closer at the group, he found that they were shadows. He could tell by the blood-red shades of their irises. Why were shadows here? Why had they attacked the estate and killed everyone? And why did the woman look familiar?

He couldn't reason with any of these questions. His mind started to feel like a clingy, cloying fog was settling over it, clogging his thought process and making him feel like he was off balance, like he was going to fall over at any moment.

"Mistress, should I-?" One of the shadows started, moving toward him with a knife in hand and teeth glistening with saliva as he smiled toothily at him. The woman flung her hand out, stopping him before he could take another step.

"No, Chesed. Leave him be, the poison will kill him soon enough." She said calmly.

"But Lore-"

"Back down, Chesed. I would watch my tongue if I were you, or would you rather end up like that one there?" She hissed dangerously, pointing toward Aldric's body and putting a bloodied hand on the shadow's chest, long fingernails tapping against his skin. He looked first toward Aldric, and then backed away quickly, eyes widening at her insinuation.

Link suddenly lost balance, and dropped to his knees, still glaring at the shadowy group.

"We've gotten the ones we needed, and killed the ones we don't. Lets go, Her Grace is waiting for us in Ikana, and she won't take kindly to us if we're late." The woman said finally, turning her back to him and leading the shadows back into the haze without another word.

The rush of blood in his ears was deafening, and it took only a moment more before he couldn't even sit up straight. He slumped backward onto the ground, heart pounding painfully against his ribcage, and his vision blurred mere seconds before he fell unconscious…