"Of course," Seh'ethil said to Yeto with a smile, following his advice and letting the worry wait till later. "Yes, thank you Yeta," the elf responded, and went off to go check up on his resting friend.

The archer had been so lost in thought he'd barely noticed Link walking up, and certainly not in time before they bumped into each other.

"You're alright?" The archer said, in near disbelief. He helped himself up instead of accepting Link's offer to help him up, as he didn't want to strain his friend. "I've never seen such quick recoveries.." Seh'ethil commented, assuming it was parshly owed to the power of the triforce in both Midna and Link.

"I am good, Link. I was just.. enjoying the snow.." Seh'ethil responded, with a slight frown. "But you are doing better?" It was hard to believe his friend was up and walking already. The elf knew Link would probably need further rest yet still, but this was a fair leap in progress. "Yeta and Yeto are preparing dinner," Seh'ethil said, cutting himself off before saying 'if you're hungry.' He took a look at Link's stomach, remembering his friend didn't have any real need to eat.

The archer figured now was no time to mention their thoughts on the possible evil in the mountain, especially because now that he gave it a second thought, he may have just been over thinking a simple situation. Seh'ethil still planned to check it out eventually, even if it was by himself, but there was no need to drag Link into it until he was fully recovered.

"I'm feeling a lot better, Midna helped me recover quicker with her magic, I guess the Triforce gives her an infinite supply," he laughed, "cause she was very energetic this morning." He continued looking around for his things, finding his hat on the floor and his weapons scattered in three different directions, he ran over and picked them all up, placing them back on his belt and his head. "You can go join Yeto and Yeta for dinner... I'll sit this one out, no eating for me anymore..." he groaned, "I can feel the stomach pain already, I'll just... go outside and snowboard some I guess." He opened the front door and closed it behind him.

"Hey Midna, want a snowball fight before I go snowboarding?" He asked as he prepared a snowball. She appeared behind him, grabbed some snow and threw it at him, he turned around when it hit his back, "bring it on!" They started to build some snow forts and make snowballs. "This would be a lot more fun with everyone was here..." Link thought to himself. "Midna, wait, how about we go ask if everyone wants a snowball fight?"

"Sure!" She replied and they both went back inside to ask.

Seh'ethil smiled, it was a nice change to know Midna and Link were fine now. Especially in contrast to their near death experiences previously. "Alright, Link," He said, smirking to himself a bit as they parted. He felt almost bad for finding it a bit humorous that the food had caught up to his friend, but with the nicer mood things were now painted in, he couldn't be all that guilty.

When Link and Midna came to ask about the snowball fight, everyone was just finishing dinner. Yeto went to put the plates away as usual before responding, and Seh'ethil hadn't much of a clue what a snowball fight was. Yet, from the name, he had some idea.

Both Link and Midna went back outside and waited for everyone else to come out, they hid behind their forts in various spots on the hill, ready to pelt their friends with snowballs. The instant they came outside Link threw a snowball, hitting Yeto's face, so Yeto returned fire with an even bigger snowball, almost destroying Link's fort. "Wah!" He shouted, "don't make them so big! You may injure me again!" He started to laugh and kept throwing snowballs with Midna finally joining him. Yeta helped roll up snowballs for both Seh'ethil and Yeto to throw while Yeto made a big snow wall for them all to hide behind.

"Hey! Thats not very fair..." Midna whined, "that walls too big Yeto! Make it smaller, or else Seh'ethil can't throw snowballs!" Yeto, hearing Midna, brushed off alot of snow, soon it was the right hight, Midna rewarded him with a snowball to the face, she laughed along with Link. "Come on Seh'ethil, we can win this!" Yeto said as he started to throw snowballs, missing most of the time, but he managed to hit Link in the face, covering him with snow. But instead of getting angry he just wiped off the snow, laughing, "is that the best you got?!" Asked Link, intimidating them both jokingly.

Seh'ethil was quick to catch on to this game, and was already finding it very amusing, even just from watching. He gave Yeto a smile as he brushed the wall down to his height, and then mentioned jokingly, "We should have pushed a hole through for me to throw from."

The elf, being an archer, had decent aim even with his throw. However, as he launched a snowball towards Link and Midna's fort, he soon noted it lacked some in power. Seh'ethil continued on yet still, an array of snowballs coming from Yeto and him towards their friends - or in this case, opponents. Since Yeta was the one preparing the snowballs, it sped up the throwing process for Yeto and Seh'ethil a lot more.

Seh'ethil yelped as an incoming snowball hit his exposed chest, finding it rather cold to the skin. He came back, however, with quite a few throws at Midna and Link, as if for friendly revenge. He was enjoying the game enough that it didn't matter whether they lost or won, but the friendly competition was still fuel for him to try all the harder. "Watch out!" He shouted, chucking a snowball in Link and Midna's direction, apparently not caring for the element of surprise.

Despite all the fun they were having, Link had an uneasy feeling in his stomach, he almost got hit a few times from looking around and not paying attention. But he soon noticed something on a neighboring mountain, one of the wolves that had attacked him and his friends, but before he could jump into action he got hit in the face by the snowball Seh'ethil threw. He just wiped off the snow, still focused on the wolf, it sat there, wagging its tail and panting, but when Link took a step toward it it turned and ran away. "Oh no you don't! You won't get away from me this time, you little bastard!" Link shouted as he hopped across the mountain's face, chasing it with his daggers drawn.

"Link! Wait!" Midna shouted, dropping her snowball and flying after Link, Yeto had caught sight of the wolf before it ran off and he wanted to help Link more this time. "Yeta, go in house, Seh'ethil, climb on Yeto's back, Link need our help." Yeta did as she was told, "good luck everyone!" She shouted as she ran back home. After Seh'ethil climbed on, he ran over and climbed the mountain wall, cautiously finding his footing and chasing after his friends. He moved surprisingly fast for such a big beast, and he caught up to Midna quickly, but Link was still far ahead.

Link almost slid off the various platforms sticking out from the mountain, but the wolf could get across them just fine. When the chase ended the wolf had entered a cave, bloody paw prints and animal bones were everywhere around the cave door. "This must be their home..." Link said to himself as he went to enter on his own, "wait, Link!" Yeto and Midna shouted, stopping their friend, Yeto landed a few feet away from Link while Midna flew in front of Link's face, looking a bit angry. "Haven't you learned by now to not go into battle by yourself?!" She asked him a bit loudly, the grounded started to shake and stopped just as quick, an avalanche could start any moment. "Shh! Keep your voice down, do you want to be buried in snow?"

Yeto took a look at the cave entrance, "Yeto too big to follow friends, stay out here and wait... be careful" Yeto carefully sat down on the ground, frowning because he couldn't help. "Don't worry Yeto, we'll be alright... now lets go, guys" he looked inside the cave, it was very dark, and the clouds covering the sun didn't make it any brighter. He could hear faint growling and talking, surly there was someone on the mountain making the wolves, he slowly entered, braced for any sneak attack.

The rapid shift from cheerful fun to swift pursuit was quite a change, yet Seh'ethil adapted to it just as fast as it had come. Although it felt a bit odd to have gotten a ride from Yeto to the wolf's den, it was one he was still thankful to him for.

As they entered the eerie den Seh'ethil drew his bow. "Be careful too, Yeto," He said, before Link, Midna and himself disappeared into the dark of the cave. The elf's previous suspicions were slowly becoming all the more likely, and the feeling of Yeto and Yeta's theory of some sort of evil being, being on the mountain seemed all the more reasonable the further they stepped on.

Even for the dark elf, who possessed some form of night vision, it was hard to see in the den's shadows. Seh'ethil felt all that much more uncomfortable, his stomach twisting into knots as they proceeded cautiously. "If there's too many of them, we must flee," the elf warned, in a very low whisper. He expected his courageous friend, Link, to be someone who would not likely back down from even an incredibly uneven match.

The den seemed to tunnel on a lot deeper than one might think. "Midna, Link, to your left!" The elf shouted, he'd tried to keep more of a look out, with the bit of sight he had. There was a wolf leaping towards them, one Seh'ethil would have already shot if he'd had a clear aim. Before Seh'ethil had time to say anything more, another one jumped out in front of them, and pivoting swiftly on his heel, he shot it with the readied arrow instead.

Link swung his dagger to the left like Seh'ethil mentioned, hoping to hit the wolf in the darkness, he heard a whimper and something thudding against the ground. "This is ridiculous," he focused, making the Triforce glow, Midna did her best to do the same and she managed to make it glow as well. The combined light was much brighter compared to just one, giving them better sight, there were three different tunnels connecting to the one hallway they were standing in. He kept his ears open and listened for any faint voice, the uppermost hall on the right had the most sound, "this way" Link said as he ran off through the hall, using the Triforce's light to guide them.

It seemed like a giant maze carved inside the mountain, the walls were jagged and freezing cold and one hall lead to many more different halls. He kept listening for the voices, they grew louder and louder, a sign they were close, strangely, no wolves would sneak up and attack them. They soon reached the end of the maze and came into a giant, hollowed out room, it was surprisingly warm compared to the other parts of the cave, there was no ice on the walls or floors, thanks to the giant fire in the center of the room. "Daddy... when are we ever gonna go home?" said a little boy, he was sitting with his dad in a corner of the room, wrapped up in an animal skin and surrounded by wolves, "I don't know son, we're trapped here, thanks to that avalanche..." They soon noticed Link and his friends.

"...People?!" He got out of the animal skin and helped his son up, pushing their way through the wolves they ran over toward Link, "are you here to rescue us?!" He asked desperately, he and his son were dressed in tattered, old animal skin suits, they looked like eskimos, not like evil magic users at all. "Yes, but, we need to ask you a question... did you make these wolves?" Link asked them, some of their wolves gathered at their master's feet, growling at the unfamiliar people. "No, they lived on this mountain with my people, they're the ones that helped us live here for so long after that accident a few years back, we've been trapped here ever since." Link had a flashback of the ruined village they saw before they met Yeto, "lets get you outta here, you can explain your story better when you're back at our friend's house."

Their new friends helped them outside through the various tunnels, their wolves following behind them, finally they were outside, into much colder but fresher air. Yeto noticed them come out so he got up, ready to finally help, "they bad people?" Yeto asked Link, "no, they're not bad people... lets worry about it when we get back home" the little boy was amazed by the immense size of Yeto, but his dad was a bit terrified, "this can't be your friend, can it?" He asked, shaking. "Don't worry" Link reassured him, "Yeto is very nice, he'll cook you a hot meal" Yeto nodded his head, "climb on back, Yeto take care of new friends!" They cautiously climbed on, holding tight to the fur on his back and Yeto started to head back home.

"Need some help getting back, Seh'ethil?" Midna asked him, ready to use her magic for assistance. By that time Link had already started to head back, jumping after his giant friend, being careful to not slip and fall.

Seh'ethil was curious of how deep the cave carried on, following after Midna and Link, glad he wasn't alone; the elf expected himself to have gotten lost in such a place had he been. When they reached the father and the son, the archer was rather surprised, laughing at himself inside lightly at having expected some sort of evil villain. Still, Seh'ethil couldn't help but take a few wary steps back as the wolf's growled at them.

When they had gotten back out to Yeto, it was almost a relief to be out of the caves, even if it was only to rejoin the cold weather outside. "If you'd be so kind, Midna," Seh'ethil responded, accepting her offer. He wouldn't have, if Midna hadn't seemed so much more energetic lately, having recovered so quickly. The elf still didn't want to strain his friend, but one look down the steep mountain side and he figured it'd be more of a danger trying to make it down on his own.

After, when they'd all caught up to each other, closer to Yeto and Yeta's house, Seh'ethil couldn't help but ask one question. "If they are the villagers, where is everyone else?"

"No one else is here besides all of you?" Asked the little boy's father, "...that avalanche must've been more severe than I thought" his son pulled on his dad's pant leg, "does that mean... all my friends are gone?" He asked, almost crying, his dad gave him a hug, "no time for sadness, time for hot meal! We help you move on... maybe we move you to village at base of mountain?" He helped everyone inside and headed off to the kitchen to make dinner, Link guided everyone to the dining room and soon they sat down to tell their story.

"My tribe had lived on this mountain for generations in secrecy, living off the land, it wasn't always a cold and snowy place. But one day it went from a normal mountain to a freezing pile of snow, we almost died out completely from the cold but we eventually adapted to our new home. As the years went by the village your friend mentioned was just being built, it soon prospered and expanded, but the other village declared itself a whole different nation, separating from the other village. I don't know much after that, since my grandfather didn't tell me, but I'm sure you might know already, I can see it in your eyes." By that time Yeto had put a large chicken in the oven, with a garlic and basil coating, you could smell it already, it was heavenly.

He continued his story, "me and my son were out hunting for any animal we could bring back home, food was a bit scarce, but our hunt was interrupted by a large avalanche, to this day we still have no idea how it could've happened. When the snow subsided we ended up in front of that cave, trapped, our only help were the wolves that had followed us on the hunt from our home. They appeared around the time the snow showed up and we became their friends, they've been with me and my son so long they're not used to other people." Link scratched the back of his head, feeling a bit guilty for killing the wolves, but not very guilty... "They went hunting for us, bringing back food and we made a living in that cave, I think our ancestors dug out the cave and all its halls for emergencies, I thank them for it...

Nothing else worth mentioning happened after that, we just lived our newly adapted lives, till today, when you saved us... any longer and we would've died, we're truly grateful." Yeto came into the dining room, "dinner almost ready... maybe we take you to village now?" They sadly got up out of their chairs, "before that, I should introduce myself, I am Jaku and this is my son, Kahrule," Kahrule was still a bit shy, hiding behind his father, he was scared of Link, the way he looked. But he gained the courage to leave with everyone else, traveling back up the mountain, back to the ruined village.

Seh'ethil listened carefully to the story, feeling sympathy for Jaku and Kahrule, relating some yet at the same time feeling less of it for that reason. And although it made sense the wolves would hunt for food, he still didn't understand why they'd gone after Link earlier, even broken into the mansion to do so. It wasn't something that he needed to keep thinking about, however, so he soon forgot such concerns.

He smiled lightly at the thought of Yeto's earlier suggestion, it seemed like moving the two to the previously war stricken village would be appropriate. The fact that the villages were just rebuilding would also give Kahrule and Jaku a chance to rebuild their lives, so perhaps the war's ending along with their rescue came at just the right timing.

Seh'ethil did feel a little bad for the shy Jaku, especially since he would have to see what had previously been his home in such ruins. He assumed for the father to take it better and more easier than his son, as he seemed like a strong man.

By the time they got there, the houses were almost fully consumed in the snow, you could still see the structures, but it looks like the ones still standing would collapse if you so much as touch them now. Jaku wasn't very shocked about his home in such a condition, he expected it to be in bad shape, but he was worried how Kahrule would take it, he would cry a little, but he tried to be strong and accept it. "Perhaps the villagers are still alive" Link mentioned, they both looked at him in confusion, but sort of hoped like him, "I have a feeling that they are, they must be, no way would you lose everyone you love in an unexpected disaster. God does not work like that..." he is a hero chosen by God to live on earth as a living corpse until his death when God finds another hero to replace him, so he should know how God works.

"We take you to new village tomorrow, for now, hot meal and real beds for you!" Yeto finally mentioned, so, without another look back, they walked back to Yeto's house, they'd have to see their home again on the way down the mountain anyway. By the time they got back, the chicken was done, so they headed back to the dining room while Yeto ran off to the kitchen to serve everyone up, Yeta was sitting down, waiting for everyone. "Hello friends, don't worry, Yeta hear everything while in kitchen, helping Yeto," Jaku and Kahrule were also a bit shocked by Yeta's appearance, but they quickly gained back their bravery and sat down at the table. Yeto came into the dining room with the giant, heavenly smelling chicken and began to serve up everyone... except Link, 'cause he nearly threw up at the mention of food, Yeto could understand though.

"This looks fantastic, we're truly humbled by your generous hospitality, how can I ever thank you?" Yeto gave Jaku a smile, "it my pleasure to help new friends, no need to thank Yeto" after dinner was over, Yeto showed Jaku and Kahrule their bedroom, down the hall to the right of Link and Seh'ethil's bedroom. "Sleep good friends!" Yeto and Yeta went to their room for some sleep, they were both a bit exhausted from the snowball fight and dinner preparations, mostly Yeto. Link was a bit tired himself, so he and Seh'ethil went back to their rooms for some shut-eye.

Seh'ethil didn't have much to say about everything, yet was interested at Link's notion, of the others still being alive. If he hadn't come to trust in his friend's reasoning, he would have silently argued from his own experience that God does work that way. Yet everything was slowly looking up, and Seh'ethil could only feel optimistic over the situation.

The meal was indeed amazing, and the elf knew he'd end up missing Yeto's cooking when he and Link ended up departing themselves. After everyone had settled down to rest, he also knew he'd miss the comfortable bed. With a soft yawn, the archer fell asleep.

When Seh'ethil awoke in the morning, he got together his things and went over to Link's room, to see if he was still asleep in it. He knocked on the wooden door lightly, listening to the soft voices of Jaku and Kahrule down the hall, who were apparently also awake and stirring in their own room. "Link," He called, giving the door another knock.

He wondered if they shouldn't be leaving today, not wanting to take advantage of Yeto and Yeta allowing them stay. After they'd escort Jaku and Kahrule to the village, he figured he'd talk to Link about moving on themselves. Although the archer didn't know Yeto and Yeta like Link did, it'd still be hard saying good bye to them in the end, they were such nice beings.

Link had woken up a bit early that morning, he laid in bed, lost in thought, he was worried about how Yeto and Yeta would take the fact he and Seh'ethil had to leave. He came back to reality when he heard Seh'ethil knocking, he sleepily got out of bed and opened the door, "morning Seh'ethil... sleep good?" He didn't sound very excited about having to leave, but he did look forward to helping out Jaku and Kahrule. Yeto and Yeta had just woken up and they went into the kitchen to prepare their last breakfast with their friends, Link wondered if they could feel the sadness he could feel. "You guys enjoy breakfast... I'm gonna wait outside, take some time to think" he covered his face up with his handkerchief, to at least help protect him from the cold air, it never bothered him till now.

He slowly closed the door behind him, brushed some snow off the porch and sat down, he slouched and let out a big sigh. His mind started to wander, filling with questions like "should I leave?" Or, "why would I want to leave?" He felt a bit insane, but at the same time he wondered what he would miss if he stayed with Yeto and Yeta, his thirst for adventure can never be quenched it seems. He also wondered if Seh'ethil felt the same way he did, his curiosity and questions were endless, he was so busy thinking he didn't even noticed all the white wolves sitting outside the house, waiting for their masters. They didn't attack Link, they just lounged around, like they knew Link wasn't a real threat since he saved their masters.

One actually came up to Link and sat next to him, it licked his face, separating him from his train of thought, Link was a bit nervous but he pet its head. Its fur was cold but at the same time soft and fluffy, when Link was done petting it it ran back to the other wolves, it just wanted some attention. Link decided to play along and he made a snowball, it caught the wolves attention and they jumped around, barking, "fetch!" Link said, he threw the snowball and one wolf jumped, catching it in its jaws without crushing it. It ran up and gave him back the snowball, wanting to play some more, so he decided to make some more and play fetch with the wolves while he waited for everyone else.

Seh'ethil had responded to Link's question with an 'of course.' The weather might be cold but Yeto and Yeta's house offered a vast variety of comforts. He waved a short bye as Link went outside, but quickly moved on to enjoy the morning meal Yeto and Yeta were cooking. Jaku and Kahrule had joined them at the table as Yeto brought everything out. It was rather extravagant, a much larger and fancier breakfast then they'd had previous days; the elf assumed they'd prepared it quite so nicely because they also figured everyone was going to be leaving today.

"My thanks to you Yeto, Yeta," Seh'ethil said, as he finished his breakfast. Everyone else had either finished before him or shortly after, so it was about time to get the dishes ready, and later for everyone to bring Kahrule and Jaku to their new village home. Seh'ethil helped Yeto with dishes well Yeta stayed and conversed some with the father and his son.

After everything had been taken care of, the archer was the first outside, looking on curiously at Link's game with the wolves. "You're getting along with them?" Seh'ethil said. It was hard to tell whether his tone was one of puzzlement or slight disgust; he seemed to have a bit of hard feelings towards the snowy wolves for having attacked his friend before.

Seh'ethil stepped out onto the porch as he watched, allowing everyone else to come out onto it too. Everyone was ready to leave for the village, although everyone also seemed sort of hesitant - as leaving entailed people going on with their separate lifestyles.

"Yeah, crazy, huh?" He said as he got up and brushed off any access snow he'd have sticking to him, "I think they like me now that we saved their masters... call me insane but I'm willing to forgive them." Soon, everyone was ready, Yeta stayed behind while everyone else headed off to the village at the mountain's base, no one would speak, all you could hear was the wind howling, feet crunching in the icy snow and the whimpering wolves following everyone. They descended the mountain, walked down the stone paths and were greeted with the hustle and bustle of the village, everyone was busy shopping.

One person was passing by, carrying a basket of fruit to refill his stall, but he stopped, nearly dropping the basket when he caught sight of Link and his friends, "Jaku? Kahrule?!" He asked curiously, "uncle Ahji!" Replied Kahrule happily, he ran up and his uncle gave him a hug, dropping the basket, "Ahji... my brother, you don't know how happy I am to see you alive!" It was a teary, happy moment, Link couldn't help but smile, "two minutes in the village and he finds his brother, that was fast" he chuckled, "I thought you died in the avalanche..." Ahji continued, "your wife has been sick with worry, she almost lost all hope in seeing you again, you must come to my house, shes lived with me and some other villagers!"

Jaku turned to Link, Seh'ethil and Yeto, "I am eternally grateful to you my friends, I shall never forget you for as long as I live" Link gave him a thumbs up, "no problem, now, I believe your wife is waiting for you" Kahrule laughed happily, "thank you!" he said, "I've never been so happy in all my life! Daddy!" he said, pulling on Jaku's pant leg, "lets go see mommy!" Jaku laughed and picked Kahrule up, giving him a ride on his shoulders, "lets go!" He walked away with Ahji by his side, Link had a feeling he'd live a much happier life now. But his happiness turned to sadness when it came to his and Seh'ethil's departure.

Yeto put his hand on Link's shoulder, "Yeto know what Link thinking, he need to leave, he can't stay on mountain forever, Yeto understand" you could hear the sadness in his voice. Link felt guilty about leaving so soon, but he was a bit relieved Yeto could understand his dilemma. "Yeto don't know which way Link go now, but know north is best direction, it just passed mountains, need Yeto's help to get there." They traveled back up the mountain, for at least one last good-bye and a lunch on the go for Seh'ethil.

Seh'ethil smiled at the heart warming reunion of family, it was amazing how quickly that all worked out for the best. "May your life be a full one..." The elf said, bidding the two fairwell. Yet, even he felt a bit down as Yeto mentioned him and Link leaving, remembering that it was only inevitable.

Seh'ethil was glad Yeto knew the mountains so well, and that they had his assistance in getting across them. Everything seemed even more sad though, when they made it back to Yeto and Yeta's house, where Yeta had waited. It was hard, even for the elf who didn't know them so well, to get around to saying bye. He couldn't imagine what it was like for Link.

"Thank you for everything," Seh'ethil said to both Yeta and Yeto, and he meant it sincerely. They'd been so kind. He almost wished to further prolong their stay, but knew there was an end to everything.

"Yeta miss you both so much, Yeta hardly know Seh'ethil, but she remember him always," she was trying her best not to cry, it also got harder for Link to hold the tears back. Yeto had gone into the kitchen and made some sandwiches from the past dinners leftovers, the pot roast and chicken, he wrapped them up individually with paper and carefully placed them in Seh'ethil's pack. "There you go friend, food for your trip..." Yeto sniffled, he was trying to not cry as well, "Yeto miss you both when you leave... lets go now" Link gave Yeta a hug, "I'll miss you my friend, perhaps I may come back one day, just to see you and Yeto" Yeto left the house with Link and Seh'ethil behind him.

"Climb on Yeto's back," Link and Seh'ethil did as they were told, holding on tight to his fur, Yeto started to climb across the mountains and head north. Its a good thing they had Yeto's help, there were some giant gaps in between the mountains, some jumps even Link himself doubted he could do and was surprised when Yeto made them. He was on the back of a monster who climbs and lives on mountains for a living he suddenly remembered, so he was a bit envious of his friend's jumping skill. The weather on some mountains were a bit worse than others, the wind would roar and blow large snowflakes in their faces, but they managed to bare through it all.

After an hour or so they finally made it back on solid ground, in the distance you could see the faint green of trees and clear skies. But he didn't take the time to truly admire it, he was too busy trying to not cry, "this is where we part ways friends, Yeto not know what lie ahead for you, but he wish you luck" Yeto gave them both a hug and Link returned his just as much, "be careful on your way back Yeto... thank you for everything, good bye." Yeto started to head back and Link finally let some of the tears flow, he wiped them away and tried to calm down, though he stopped crying, he still felt sad. He turned and faced north then walked forward, not looking back at the icy mountains and his friends, even the wolves who were sitting outside Yeto's house. They were whimpering, like they didn't want Link and Seh'ethil to go at all, their masters were gone, they had no one, except Yeto and Yeta.

When Yeto came back home he noticed the wolves around his house, although they almost killed his friend, he decided to take care of them and treat them like family. Soon happiness came back to their household, but they would always have a place in their hearts for both Link and Seh'ethil and the memories they shared.

"Thank you," Seh'ethil said softly to them, for the food. It was for everything, really. He wasn't sure quite how to say good bye. "May your life be an easy one and full of happiness, Yeta," He said, waving fairwell as he, Link and Yeto went on.

The journey across the mountains was cold and hard, and looking at the terrain he wondered if him and Link wouldn't have had to go back if they'd never had ran into Yeto. When they'd finally reached the ground the archer could barely move his frozen finger tips as he unclutched Yeto's fur. The elf returned Yeto's hug as best he could, but his limbs felt so stiff from the cold it made it hard to move just yet.

"Rest well on your return!" Seh'ethil said. He would miss these new friends. Yet, the green in the distance was also very welcoming, and he knew things would cheer up if they went on. "Ready?" He asked Link, starting to walk on. Although he knew the sadness would linger for some time longer, they would have to keep going.

Eventually they'd hit the opening of a forest, marked with a forked path. Both ways carried on down through the trees as far as one could see, and the bush was too heavy to follow inbetween them. "Which one?" Seh'ethil asked, although his guess would be as good as any, for neither held a particularly defining feature over the other.

"Not again..." Link grumbled, he had a flashback of the log cabin and the fork in the road. "Lets go left" he decided, either way could lead to civilization or danger, he didn't want to ponder about it for very long though. At least the forest itself was full of life, birds chirping, lizards running up and jumping in the trees, bugs flying around, much more peaceful than the roaring winds and storms of the mountains. One Lizard fell from a tree branch and landed on Link's head, he noticed it instantly but he didn't want to disturb it, he kept walking, hoping it would go on its own, after a while it jumped away and ran into the bushes. Once they left the forest, they were greeted with a giant abyss, a rickety bridge once their only way across, "I guess people do live around here..." he said, looking around, nothing could be seen but more trees and an endless chasm.

Though he would've asked Midna to help them across, he didn't want to become dependent on her powers, so he cautiously took the first step on the bridge, it seemed stable. He took another step forward, it held his weight, still being careful he walked forward, he'd sometimes take a step and one of the boards in the bridge would break and fall. But, during him and Seh'ethil crossing the bridge, he heard a snap, one of the ropes broke, helping to support the bridge and made it lean to the right a bit, "uhm..." said Link, standing still, "maybe we should hurry" he took another step, a main support rope snapped, he started to panic a bit.

With every step, a rope snapped, so Link decided to forget walking, he grabbed Seh'ethil's hand and jumped as far as he could, luckily they landed on the other side. The bridge finally collapsed, falling down into the endless abyss, he didn't hear it land or even make a sound. "Phew..." he wiped the sweat off his forehead and calmed down, "are you alright Seh'ethil?" He asked him.

Seh'ethil had been glad to be in such familiar habitat as a forest once again, it was a nice medium from their previous cool and hot deserts. "People will inhabit anywhere," The elf added. He looked across the decaying bridge, and then down the deep hole that laid under it.

At first the archer had stepped out onto the bridge with complete confidence. But, as they continued on, that confidence morphed into uncertainty and maybe even doubt that they should have both crossed at once. His gaze quickly turned from a head of them and behind them, wondering if they could make it all the way before plummeting to their deaths, or even make it back.

"Thanks to you, Link.." Seh'ethil responded, not even daring to look back over the cliff side which they stood by. It was a good thing Link could jump as far as he did. The elf took a few wobbly steps forward, apparently having lost his sense of balance for a few moments afterwards, out of fear. He regained himself quickly and walked on faster, as if the endless pit might somehow grow and swallow them hole if they stuck around.

They continued on down a wide dirt road that was surrounded on each side by canyon walls, having a few twists and turns so that you couldn't quite make out what was a head of you. For the most part, it was relatively barren. Eventually there was another unstable ladder on a diagonal that led up to a slightly more elevated ground, yet you could easily make out the bottom of the hole it was over. Not to mention, this one was slightly better built, although not by far and a lot shorter in length; nothing to worry about. Even still, Seh'ethil started across it a lot more cautiously than last time.

On the other side of the smaller bridge, some vegetation started to reappear. There was also some noise in the distance, as if people were nearby. Yet, there was room to move on without ever running into those people, so Seh'ethil left it to Link to decide which route they might take.

"Lets just try and avoid people for now... unless, maybe they have some directions to the nearest town or any info on dangerous monsters." Link confidently walked up the travelers, they were resting their feet and chatting to each other while their horses grazed. "Hello, fellow travelers?" Link said, waving to get their attention, "I was wondering if you have any directions or info." A man with a mustache adjusted his hat, "well, we came from the west so we don't really know any info yet, stranger, but there is a town to the east of here, thats where we're headed. Perhaps we could go together?" Link scratched the back of his head, "uhh, sure, if we're all going the same way, might as well."

Link had never seen such people, their outfits and accents were new to him, people from the west must be very different than all the other people of the world. "Name's Chuck, this is Jack and Lucy" he said, introducing him and his friends, "my name is Link, and this is my friend, Seh'ethil" all three of them laughed, "silliest names I ever heard!" Said Chuck, but he gave Link a pat on the back, "I like you kid, I already feel like we'll be friends" Link felt a bit insulted but he cracked a nervous smile, "all I did was just ask for information..." he thought to himself, confused.

They mounted their horses and everyone started to head east, "by the way, where are you two from?" Chuck asked them both, Link didn't know how to answer, "I used to live... in a beautiful place, but, its been so long since I was there, I almost forget where it is." Chuck scratched his head in confusion, "that sounds a bit depressing kid... but by the sight of those ears, you're not from where I live, thats for sure," he laughed a bit. "Well, how about you?" He asked to Seh'ethil.

Link growled in his throat, "what is up with everyone insulting my ears?!"

Seh'ethil seemed more curious of than taken aback by these strangers. He'd seen a alot of things he'd never known of yet before in his travels with Link so far, but these few were some of the oddest. He was starting to wish, though, that they'd chosen to avoid people all together.

"Their names are the ones that sound silly to me..." Seh'ethil said, leaning over and whispering in Link's ear, cupping his hand over his mouth as he did so that they stood even less chance of hearing him.

"Valhurst," Seh'ethil replied, laughing as this bewildering man made fun of his friend. Yet, he knew he wasn't safe from any jokes they might produce himself. The name of the place Seh'ethil had given wasn't truly the one of his home; rather somewhere vaguely nearby. He already knew there wasn't a chance these people had heard of it, yet decided to humor them with his response none the less.

Eventually their path seemed a lot clearer, and there stood the front of a village in the distance. "What business do you have, traveling so far to this village?" The archer asked their new companions.

Chuck kind of hesitated before he answered, "me and my friends wanted to find a new life someplace else, thats all" he seemed to be hiding something. Link looked at him, confused, but he didn't want to bother him about it in all honesty, he just had the urge to fight monsters and that was the only thing on his mind. The village was strangely quiet, no one was walking around outside, the only sounds were those of the local animals, it made Link's imagination soar. "Maybe there is a monster around here, why else would everyone hide?" He walked up to one of the houses and knocked on the door, "no! Go away you beast!" Shouted a woman inside, "uhh, ma'am, I'm not this 'beast' you speak of, I just need an answer to this question, do you need some help?"

She slowly opened the door, but she was so startled by Link's appearance she shut it again. Link sighed, "ma'am, please, me and my friend will help you if theres a monster that needs disposing of!" This time the woman finally opened the door without fear, "do you speak the truth?" She asked, Link nodded his head in response, the woman's daughter was hiding behind her leg, she looked just like Nessa, except with brown hair, making sad memories come back. He snapped out of it though and began to focus, he stood in the middle of the village, "everyone! Your saviors are here! You have nothing to fear! Please, reveal yourselves!" This made people cautiously come out from hiding, they were shaking with fear, "jeez, this monster must be pretty scary" said Chuck, he and his friends were a bit shaky too, and they haven't even seen the monster.

"Please ma'am, describe this monster to me," she looked around, but she shrieked in fear when she looked to the left, she picked up her daughter and ran inside, slamming the door behind her. Soon, everyone else did the same, causing a panic, but everyone managed to get their children and themselves back inside their houses safely. Link looked to the left, expecting a big dragon or another menacing creature, but instead he saw a little boy. He had hair like Seh'ethil's only it was more wild and matted, he had wolf ears and a white tail, his eyes were like a demon's and he had sharp teeth and claws. His outfit was similar to Seh'ethils, but it was a solid white, along with his skin, there was a crystal necklace around his neck, the crystal was a brilliant blue and it would glow slightly. He walked toward everyone with a sort of twisted smile, Chuck and his friends laughed while Link had his sword drawn, ready to fight.

"Hahaha! This is the monster? Ooooh, so scary!" The boy's eyes turned blue, the necklace illuminated and they flew off their horses, they fell backwards into a watering trough, splashing water everywhere. Their horses panicked and ran off, hiding behind some trees, the boys eyes turned back to normal along with the necklace, "do I have some new playmates?" He asked evilly, with the same twisted smile, exposing his sharp canine teeth. Link kept his distance and didn't answer, he remembered the little girl and her 'garden of dreams' once more, he was a bit afraid of getting hypnotized again. "You don't look like you'll be much of a meal," he said, looking at Link, "but I'll give you a try! He pointed at Seh'ethil, his permanent smile getting bigger and more disturbing.

Link was more determined to kill him now, he wasn't about to let his friend get eaten, even if it meant he'd get eaten himself. Link ran toward the boy, ready to slice his head off, but the boy threw him backward with his magic, he was stuck to the wall of one of the houses and couldn't break loose, his weapons fell to the ground. He struggled to break free but the magic was too strong, it was no use, the little boy used his magic to lift up Link's weapons and he threw them at Seh'ethil, "Seh'ethil! Watch out!" Link shouted, still struggling to break free and stop the madness.

Seh'ethil had been so amazed by the inhuman child's power, that he'd barely had the chance to grab up his bow. The elf came to, hearing Link's warning, just in time to narrowly dodge the most of Link's now projectile weapons. He wasn't completely lucky, as the edge of Link's sword had just nicked his side, yet left a fair scratch along his rib cage. "Sharp sword," Seh'ethil remarked, he was almost laughing, crouched down on his knees now. His original discontent for children was certainly growing.

The archer had soon grabbed his bow and shot an arrow towards this 'monster,' quicker than the child-beast had time to respond to. The tip of the arrow had just nearly pierced his skin before the boy's eyes and necklace put on the same display, his apparent magic of sorts snapping the arrow in half. Within that time Seh'ethil had already send two more flying towards him, yet this time the boy was prepared. The arrows stopped in mid-air until the boy changed their direction, re-sent them towards Link. They moved slower than those launched from a bow.

Seh'ethil acted swiftly, realizing his friend couldn't move. He sent another arrow after his own, knocking them from their course. One hit the ground and the other landed in the wall beside Link, although it was still a relief he hadn't been injured. The elf, slowly realizing the amount of power this boy had, left him understanding that there was no reason he couldn't immobilize Seh'ethil with the same magic. No reason, save that this boy was indeed on a child's level, and preferred to play games with them rather than defeat them off the bat.

As if he was giving up, Seh'ethil paused, and just sat down. At the very least, it captured the boy's attention in puzzlement. After a while, the elf started to dig through his pack. He pulled out a couple vials, ones he'd paid more mind to one morning in Yeto and Yeta's house, as well as a small bag of dust. In this time the frightened Chuck and friends had slowly made their way over to Link, trying to help him down off the wall. With the strength of the magic, it wasn't much use.

Seh'ethil, having gathered everything he needed, went back over to Link. The boy's eyes followed all of their actions curiously. As Seh'ethil started to move, the child picked Link's weapons back up with his magic, ready to throw them across the scene again. Chuck, Jack and Lucy had ran back to the trough, cowarding behind it.

The archer could only pray that what he was trying would work. He was, by no means, a spell caster of any sorts, and his memory of the entire process was rather fuzzy. Seh'ethil started to lay down the powder from the bag in a circle around where Link was stuck, careful not to disrupt it. He poured some of the sluggish, red liquid from a vial into the circle, marking a strict pattern, then started on some form of incantation.

The boy would, of course, allow none of this, and sent Link's sword flying towards the archer. Seh'ethil had finished just in time, as he was pinned to the wall outside of the circle by the sword. He'd nearly screamed in agony before realizing the sword had only cut into his forearm, but not through it, the reason he was stuck to the wall being that Link's sword had gone through the fabric of his sleeve.

As Seh'ethil's weak spell had, to some extent worked, the magic that binded Link to the wall became null and useless within the small circle. "Link," Seh'ethil said, already assuming his heroic friend knew how to wield a bow as well, "try using my bow.."
The archer had started to pass it to Link before the boy used his magic to nearly crush Seh'ethil's hand, forcing him to drop it. It'd landed just outside of the powder circle, yet still within his friend's reach.

It seemed unlikely such a tactic would work, but Seh'ethil didn't know if Link had any long ranged weapons, and if he left the circle he'd be vulnerable to the boy's magic once again.