Toan let out a short gasp, he took a step back when Zelda revealed her identity to him, "you.... your highness, it is an honor to be in your presence" he gave her a bow and then stood upright, smiling. But he began to grow concerned and looked around, "Zelda, perhaps it is best that you hide your identity for now, who knows, there may be more Gerudo assassins or something worse hiding in this market, I know you can defend yourself, sure, but its best we don't take any chances. My friends should be back at our meeting spot by now, near the castle town entrance, follow me" he turned his back to her and began to head back down the alley, gazing over the corner suspiciously. He spotted Epona and Raye, he then edged Zelda to come closer, saying the coast was clear.

Sakura had changed into her new complete outfit without knowing about anything of what had happened. Now she was looking around in a panic for Raito.
"Raito?" Sakura called, glancing around at the stalls and carts that showed their produce. "Raito, where are you?!"
Sakura finally spotted Raito talking to a Rito, who looked just a tad nervous. Strange. She made her way over to the boy and the Rito, not noticing as Toan and two women slipped into an alley on the other side of the market.
"Raito!" Sakura confirmed as she reached him. "I didn't see you leave! I was worried!"
She glanced at Rashti and smiled. "I trust you didn't let him come to harm, eh?" She winked. She turned back to Raito.
"The sun's almost at its highest; we should head back to the place where we said to meet."

Zelda returned his bow before pulling her hood up to hide her face once more. Edging closer to Toan, she followed his gaze to where a horse and a strikingly handsome young man were standing.

"Those are your companions?" She murmured to Toan, frowning slightly beneath her hood. According to her vision, there should have been more... At least several more...

She noted how the man beside the horse held himself like Impa--like a warrior. The young man she was following held himself the same way. Perhaps her prayers to the Goddesses were being answered... These had to be the...

...The...

No. Wait. There had to be a reasonable explanation for this. The legends she had heard had told of only one warrior... But here, there were at least two, and possibly more. Had the legends been wrong? It was possible, of course, for the tellings to get twisted out of shape over the centuries. Maybe there was a reasonable explanation for this. After all, who said that legendary heroes had to operate alone?

"Is that man... The leader of your companions?" Zelda took a wild stab in the dark.

"Those are my friends alright, although it looks like two of them aren't back from shopping yet, we'll have to wait for them then, come on." He thought a bit about Zelda's other question, "you could call him our leader... though I do not consider him such, but in all honestly we never decided a type of leader, we just travel together... after the accident." Toan left the darkness of the alley and started to head toward Raye and Epona, walking at first then jogging, he skid to a stop when he got close enough. "Raye! Where are Sakura and Raito?" Toan asked him, but he changed the subject to introduce Zelda. "By the way, Raye... look who I met in the alley" He cupped his hand over Raye's ear and whispered, "its Princess Zelda, the one who we were about to go and meet!" He sounded rather excited for some reason, putting his hands back at his sides again and smiling. But then Toan spotted some people in the distance, he squinted his eyes and took a few steps toward them, trying to focus on them throughout the crowds. A woman and a child he managed to make out, it must have been Sakura and Raito heading back, he breathed a sigh of relief, knowing they were safe.

He waved at Toan, Glad he was making his way back. He eyed him over looking for any signs of a tussle. He seemed well enough, there also seemed to be someone with him, but he couldn't' tell who since the person wore a hood.

"they are still shopping I believe." he leaned in when Toan wen to whisper to him. an eyebrow shot up ((like mr spock!)) at the name then he smiled and looked to the girl, no not the girl, the princess. He gave her an elegant bow, but decided against going to his knee as he didn't want to draw too much attention.

"Your highness. It is an honor to meet you. It Surely must be the luck of the Gods that we are able to meet even before we go to address your royal family. There is much evil afoot and we had come to seek if we might aide in it's dismissal."

"Thank you for not going on ceremony," Zelda murmured back to Raye. "And in fact, my reason for coming out here disguised is quite the same as yours... But perhaps we should discuss this later, where we will not be seen. Outside of the Castle Town, perhaps?"

She looked around as she said this, impatient for the two young men's other companions to arrive (though as Crown Princess and future Queen of Hyrule, she would never admit to this).

"It is not safe to stay out in open areas for long," she mused, half to herself and half to the two young men. "I know of a ranch not far from the town... Lon Lon, it's called. It supplies the castle with dairy products. If I could pass for a man there, we might be able to secure a spare room or the stable and talk in safety and relative privacy..."

"Sakuraaaaa!" Raito cheered, hopping up and down. "You look pretty! You look like a girly girl now~!"

He looked over to his Rito friend and bowed. "It was very nice to meet you! Thank you for taking care of me and letting me buy some clothes...henrietta says thank you too!" he waved as both he and Sakura started to walk back.
Rashti looked like he was about to cry, the poor rito. He just waved back until the two were lost in the crowds and then he let his head plop onto the desk he was sitting at....crazy little boy...

Raito had long given up walking with sakura and was now playing 'dodge' by dodging past adults and children, but keeping Sakura in his sights, since he knew she would be upset if she got lost from him again.

"Toan!! Raye!" he cried happily when he saw them and ran over, spreading his arms out so his long sleeves flapped in the wind. He seemed oblivious to the figure in the black cloak.

"Lookit meee! I'mma Rito!" he cried proudly, Henrietta clucking under his hat and Navi at his side.
((I....had forgotten all about Navi. *cries* ))

Making sure Raito stayed in her sights, Sakura hurried through the crowds towards where she could see Raye and Toan. And someone else. She squinted, trying to see who it was, but they were shrouded in a cloak, their face invisible.
Sakura smiled as she reached them a moment later than Raito. "No trouble?" Sakura asked brightly, chancing half a glance at the cloaked figure.

"I'm glad you two are finally here" Toan said to Raito and Sakura, "we can get going, but first I must tell you something about our cloaked friend here." He walked over to Sakura's side, cupping his hand over her ear, whispering that it was Zelda who was hiding under the cloak and that they had to head back to the Ranch . He didn't wish to tell Raito, at least not yet, he might get too excited and blow Zelda's cover in such a crowded place. "Please, if you would" Toan said to Sakura and Zelda, "mount Epona and we shall get going" Toan got down on his knees and looked over at Raito, "climb onto my back Raito, I'll give you a piggyback ride since you can't ride Epona. Its better than having you run the whole way."

He shrugged to Zelda. "We have just left form there.... The owners are good friends of ours. In fact that is where we Got Epona from."

Raye offered his assitance in helping the ladies mount. He smiled and nodded to raito and Sakura.
"the new clothes suite you Sakura, and they look nice."

"You met a rito huh Raito? That must have been exciting." He smiled at the boy and gave him a wink.

Zelda shook her head at the offer to ride the horse. "I thank you, but I came to this market to purchase my own mount--it would have blown my cover to take a horse from the Royal Stables, you see. I will go see to that now, and hopefully will not take up much of your time."

"And if you trust the owners," she said, turning to Raye, "then I also shall. Even before we met, it was made known to me that our destinies would be intertwined... I will place certain liberties in your hands, as I hope you will find it in yourselves to do so with me."

She nodded towards each of them, then turned towards a stablery. "I will not take long," she threw back to them in her 'young man' voice before striding away.

Roughly fifteen minutes of haggling later, still cloaked and hooded, she strode back to them leading a black gelding. White markings were on each of his legs, and a white star blazed just below his forelock. He appeared to be strong and sturdy, but gentle enough in demeanor.

Zelda murmured a few words in the gelding's ear before mounting him in a smooth motion that spoke of previous experience with horses (and of the fact that she wore not a skirt, but pants). Looking at her new-found companions, she smiled a smile that they could not see. For the first time in months, she felt a ray of hope begin to peek forth from her heart.

"Shall we go?" She turned her horse towards the Castle Town gate.

Raito, meanwhile, was frowning and staring at Toan, his arms crossed in front of his chest. He'd ignored Raye's question, deciding to tell him about his adventure with Rashti later.

"What did you whisper? Tell me! Tell mee!" he whined, obviously annoyed at being out of the loop. He was, after all the weakest link of the four. At least that's how he felt, and keeping secrets from him showed that. He stared the man right in the eyes since he'd crouched down, so they were perfectly eye to eye.

He continued to pout until the cloaked woman came back and he was distracted by the beautiful horse and the riders skills.

"Wow, you're really good at riding lady!" the fact that he knew that she was a lady, and not a man like she attempted to portray herself as was beyond anyones knowledge.
Navi had been sitting atop Epona's head the whole time and knew the woman's true identity and everything thus far. She decided to stay quiet(which was surprising, considering her personality) since she had nothing to add and merely nodded when the cloaked woman asked if it was time to go.

Since Raito did not climb onto his back, Toan stood back up, "I'm sorry Raito, I cannot tell you yet, I will once we're out in the field, away from this crowded and noisy place." Toan bent over and gently picked Raito up, placing him onto Epona's back, "here, how about you get to guide Epona along this time?" Toan gave Raito the reins and a gentle pat on the back, trying to make him feel better since he knew that Raito was upset about not being told anything. "I know you can be careful with her and Sakura" he gave Raito a smile and then looked around at everyone, seeing they were ready, he then turned toward the castle town gate and took a few steps forward before stopping and looking at Navi.

"Are you alright, Navi?" He said with concern, "perhaps you'd like to ride on my shoulder along the way?" He offered her his hand and smiled.

Navi blinked out of her stupor. She'd been so focused on her thoughts of the previous days she had nearly forgotten she was there.

Toan was sweet, not as chivalrous as Raye, but kind enough. He reminded her more of the Link that he once was, who ran about and into situations without thinking.

"I suppose I could. No offense to Epona, but I am a little sick of smelling horse." she smiled smiled and hopped on his hand, patting i gently like a big sister would to a sibling.
Raito couldn't help the grin that slipped onto his face when he gave him the responsibility of holding the reins. He'd wanted to do it for while, after all. Was he being nice because he felt bad?

After giving a nod to Toan he shifted from side to side, playing with the leather reins in his hands. Maybe he could guilt him into getting some more stuff...

He looked up with wide eyes and a quivering lower lip.

"...C-can we get bombchus?"

Sakura blinked as Toan revealed the cloaked figure's identity. She stared at Zelda for a moment, stunned, then glanced around the market as if she expected to see some shadowy assassin stalking toward them through the crowds. Then she nodded to Zelda, though not making anything too flashy or obvious.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Sakura said with a nervous smile.

Sakura hoisted herself onto Epona's back with an ease she hadn't relised before. A characteristic of Link, she guessed. She laughed as Raito asked for a bombchus, and waited for someone to agree or not.

Toan smiled and gently placed Navi on his right shoulder, he laughed and looked at Raito, "Raito, it is best to save up our money for important things, I don't think we'll need bombchus..." Toan just remembered then "oh! Did you all save up your change, also, did you find yourselves weapons?" Toan turned his hip and showed everyone the dagger that the assassin used and almost killed him with. "If you don't have a weapon then we'll have to go looking for some before we leave, and I suppose we could get bombchus... maybe, they may come in handy after all." Turning it back he waited for an answer from the others.

Sakura blinked at Toan, looking oddly appalled. "If I had a weapon, I doubt I'd be able to use it," she admitted, shuddering. "It's just something about me... weapons just seem so unnecessary."
After another strange shudder, Sakura pulled out her bag of money and handed it to Toan. "That's what I had left.."

"Perhaps we should save our money for now. We may need it for other things and we do have a few weapons already....If need be we could always get more later...And yes even perhaps some bombchus..." He smiled and patted Raito's leg, since he was up high on the horse and couldn't pat his leg. Raye gravitated toward Zelda, somehow he felt pulled to her. Perhaps it was because she was royalty. He felt the need to not only watch over the others but to her highness as well.

"Well shall we be off?" Raye looked from the village square off toward the gates and drawbridge.


A shadow watched from the far alleyway. It seemed to smolder and fume at the slightly bigger party. Even minus one part of himself, the hero spent no time in finding the triforce of wisdom. He would need to ally himself with the triforce of power. Then the balance would shift once more and the darkness could grow stronger....

Sakura nodded to Raye, eager to head off. She'd had her fun for the day, and now she had the strange feeling of being watched...
Sakura glanced over her shoulder as her neck prickled, but she didn't notice anything strange in the bustling market. She scanned the stalls, the streets, the corners, but she could spot nothing. Shrugging, Sakura turned back to the others.

Zelda nodded at Raye, her hood swaying slightly, before turning back to face the Castle Town gates. Urging her horse into a trot, she quickly made her way out, nodding to the guards at the entrance as she did so. They did their job well, and a little courtesy never killed anyone.

As she passed under the stone archway and over the wooden drawbridge, she felt an inkling of apprehension. Out here, she was no longer under the protection of her father or her rank. There were no guards to defend her, no Impa to offer companionship...

Shaking her head, she banished such thoughts from her mind. It was unlike her to be so dreadfully moody... She had herself, did she not? That, combined with her intellect and fighting skills, was usually enough. Besides, now she was no longer alone. She had her new-found acquaintances--the people she had dreamed about, whom she had seen in her vision. They were after the same goal: the ultimate banishment of the coma-inducing mist and the safety of all Hyrule. United in such an endeavor, they were already stronger for that.

Once they were safely away from the gate, Zelda lowered her hood, taking a deep breath of the fresh air of Hyrule field. Her golden hair was bound up in a braid that hung down her back, and she knew from her last glance in her mirror that her eyes were solemn, lacking their normal spark. Then again, what else was to be expected? These were not normal times, and she knew from her dreams that she herself was one of the chosen who was to put things right.

Turning in her saddle, she looked at her companions. A young woman who abhorred violence, an energetic child with a cuckoo for a pet, and two armed young men. Plus herself.

As far as heroes went, Hyrule could have done worse.

A bright smile slipped onto Raito's face. He could get bombchus yet!! He also had his trust slingshot, so...

Slingshot+Bombchus= FLYING BOMBCHUS!

He was so happy, he ignored the familiar, nervous feeling itching at his shoulders.

"Yeaahhh~!" He cheered, ready to start moving. Sure, he couldn't get bombchus now, but at least there was hope!

He tugged at the reins a bit more enthusiastic then he should have which made Epona let out a neigh and shoot forward like she was the wind, right past Zelda and into Hyrule fields.
Navi squeaked in shock as the horse flew past Toan, making her grab at his hair in fright. The wind brushing past them a second later.

"Raito!! Get back here! Not so fast!!" Sure her yelling was loud and high pitched(And right next to Toan's ear) but little Raito was already too far away to hear it.

Toan nearly fell over onto the ground when Raito drove Epona past Navi and him so quickly, "hey, slow down Raito!! You could've hurt somebody!!" He soon regained his balance and began to run as fast as he could to catch up with the others. "Hold on Navi!" He told her, since he was running pretty fast, he ignored the fact that she yelled in his ear practically, it didn't bug him much. He skid to a stop by Zelda's horse, bent over, his hands on his thighs, he was catching his breath, "I never thought... I'd get this tired so quickly..." Toan continued running once he had caught his breath, off toward the ranch in the distance.

Somewhere far away... but still within the boundaries of Hyrule... Evil was alive. Deep within the bowels of this sinister lair, Ganondorf Dragmire, the once king of the Gerudo Tribe, waited. His plan was already, slowly, taking shape. But it would be awhile before he came out of his hidden base, to see just how the land had changed. He was waiting now, patient, letting things take their own natural course as he gathered power. The time would soon come... but for now, patience was best... Yes... what he sought would soon be his...

((How's this for an introductory post? A little bland, I suppose... but I'm not the sharpest of minds at the moment.))

"Uwaa- RAITO!!"
Sakura almost flipped over backwards off Epona when she shot forward, and she only just managed to grab two handfuls of her mane. The horse squealed in surprise, and somehow gallopped even faster. Sakura wrapped her arms around Raito grimly, trying not to fall off.
"Raito! Try to make Epona stop!"

Navi watched with worry as she pat Toan's back, feeling back for the poor man. Who the heck could out run a horse?
Raito gave a "woop!!" as they continued to trek on, oblivious to his companions cries until they got close to the ranch.

"W-woah!" Raito cried and tugged at the reins. Epona stopped short and if it weren't for Sakuraka holding onto Raito, he would have went flying off the horse.

"That. WAS. AWESOME!" he cheered, waving his arms. "Let's ride around again!!"