Chapter: X

"Captain Cado"

Written during the COVID19 Quarantine of 2020

For the moment, the steady stream of blood and tears running down Link's face, kept the flow of Hylian curses from reaching Captain Cado's ears. The guards and the conscious wounded laughed cruelly as Anju dashed around Links bed with a handkerchief and attempted to help stem the blood. "Now it is no wonder why he's deserted..." began Cado, "... the pup cannot even take a punch." At this, the men roared even louder. "What is the name of your sweetheart son?" Anju asked suddenly. "W-what?!" bubbled Link in a confused response. "Just think about her!" Anju warned, as she gripped Link's broken nose and *SNAP* reset it.

A fresh wave of shouting and cursing poured through the infirmary tent as Anju quickly dropped a leather strap between Link's teeth. "Bite down!" she shouted, "Bite down! Let the leather have it son!" Link did as he was commanded, and crushed the leather between his molars with all the strength his jaw possessed. Growling in furious pain, he glared up at Cado as a fresh sneer broke across his face. "Won't be forgetting it soon... will you boy?" he mocked as the flesh around Link's eyes steadily turned purple. The squire slowly shook his head "no" as he imagined throttling the good captain in his sleep.

"I only just fixed his eye captain! Could you please restrain yourself with my patients?!" Anju demanded as she gently pushed on Link's chest and encouraged him to lay back down. "Insolence against a nobleman cannot be abided, woman. No matter the circumstance." Cado replied, dismissively. "You -boy- what were you doing on the pass?" Link slowly reached up, and pulled the leather from his mouth, "When I find my sword-" he began, but both of Cado's guards swiftly stepped forward, and lowered the points of their own swords to his neck. "Yes?" Cado sneered even more, "You were saying?" The squire carefully considered his options: he was injured, laying on his back, surrounded by unfriendly Hylians, and unarmed. "Sometime soon," he promised himself as he slowly began again, "I am Link, a squire in the Hylian Army. I have been given a mission by the Minister-Regent. I was traveling to Goron City when I was attacked on the road." he answered in a flat tone.

"Attacked? By what? How many were there? Come on now boy, you say you are in the army but you cannot give a proper report?!" Cado said as he rolled his eyes dismissively. "Four." answered Link, angrily. "Four... WHAT?!" demanded Cado. "Four moblins... riding wolves." Link growled through gritted teeth. "Preposterous!" barked the captain, "Moblins are far too large to ride wolves. You are exaggerating to hide your cowardice!" Now, the injured man to Link's left, lifted himself onto one arm and said, "N-no m'lord. Its true! We found two of them dead farther down the path sir! They were... very large sir! I've never seen wolves as big!"

Link glanced over at the man beside him, noting his sergeant's insignia and nodded to him in thanks. The captain, however, glared menacingly down at his soldier. "Silence you fool! Or I will cave your skull in like that damned horse should have!" The injured sergeant winced like he had been kicked, and laid back down silently. A sudden thrill of realization came to Link's mind, as he turned back to the arrogant captain, "A horse? What horse?!" he asked. For a brief moment, Cado flinched, revealing his mistake. "We...er... found a red mare on the pass... far from you. She will make a fine addition to our stable!" he finished quickly. Link swiftly sat up again, but Cado's guards pressed their swords right to his neck, "That is Epona! She is my horse!" the squire charged, looking right into the captain's face. Cado leaned down, nearly nose-to-nose with Link and hissed, "Traitors and deserters do not own property -boy! Everything you had, is now ours! And you... will be hanged at dawn!"

Anju whimpered suddenly and covered her mouth as Link frantically tried to think of what to do. "He can't do that! Can he?" he wondered to himself, as Cado straightened up and turned to leave. "I-I am squire to Lord Alfon, Grand-Marshal of Hyrule! I was given this mission directly from Minister Impa and Princess Zelda!" Link babbled quickly, "If they find out what you have done to me... they will surely have you executed as well!" It was desperate... but Link had to try anything to escape with his life. Cado remained motionless for several seconds until turning back to Link. His sneer had been replaced with doubtful disappointment, "A noble, does not execute another noble boy. If your blood was anything better than pig's filth, you would know that." The squire searched his mind feverishly for anything else to say, but there was no need. Cado studied him carefully for a few minutes in silence, considering the risks of releasing a possible deserter, or executing the Marshal's Squire.

"So be it," he said with a toss of his head, "I care not. Give the boy his gear and equipment, and send him on his way. I am keeping the saddle with the horse." he finished to his guards, who withdrew their swords from Link's neck and followed their captain out of the tent. "Wait.. You can't-" Link began to shout, but Anju quickly clapped a hand over his mouth. "Shh! He kills without a second thought lad. You are very fortunate to have escaped him now! Don't invite him to return and change his mind!" she warned in a soft whisper. "But... My horse!" the squire argued. "You cannot take her up the mountain. You were going to have to leave her here anyway. At least this way, if Cado desires her, he will not send her to the butcher!"

The storm of emotions that Link felt after the captain's departure made him feel ill. Epona was alive! But she must still be injured! Link felt that he should rush to her to comfort her, but he was still weak and unable to escape Anju's care. Who was this arrogant captain and why was he so cruel?! How could Zelda allow a man like that to be an officer in her army?! This last question stayed with Link through that night. He lay awake, staring at the canopy of the infirmary tent, thinking about the princess. Again, he could see her cowering on the floor before him. Some part of him... craved seeing her like that: Afraid, in pain, but most of all... vulnerable and cast down from on high. She looked pathetic and weak. But another part of Link -he assumed his conscience- pushed back against the anger, and showed him the shame of causing the princess to fear him. "She is good to her people! She cares for them and tries to protect them! She healed Alfon after all! And... she is beautiful."

"Beautiful women can still do terrible things." Link silently argued to himself as Anju gently tapped his cheek and encouraged him to take one more small sip of a healing potion. "If you ever see your Lord again... thank him for having a higher station than Cado!" she whispered with a smile. The squire managed to swallow the remedy without gagging and turned his attention to his nurse. He liked her, she was a little weak and fearful of Cado, but Link did not begrudge her for it. He was cruel and fearsome. Link appreciated her tenderness and caring attitude in such a harsh environment and the way that she tried to protect him from the captain. "Where did he come from?" Link asked quietly. "Akkala," Anju answered flatly, "He is the younger brother of the Governor of Akkala. Most of these men are Akkalans. He is their captain."

Link thought back carefully until he remembered his talk with Talon, nearly a year before. "Akkala... Cado... that's right. But what is he doing here? And what is all of this about 'Noble Blood' ?" he asked. Anju went to answer, but the man next to Link coughed loudly and turned over onto his other side. Once his snoring returned to normal, the nurse very quietly answered, "The only road large enough to carry an army from Akkala to Hyrule passes around Death Mountain and enters Kakariko. Captain Cado brought his men here and set up camp. They say they are protecting the village on the Princess' orders." Link thought for a moment then said, "I'm sure it is only a happy coincidence that he is also guarding the only route from Hyrule to Akkala. Making sure his home remains safe!" Anju quickly looked around the tent, then leaned in very close to Link to whisper, "The noblemen in Akkala have hated Hylians for years... they see you and your Lord as rivals." Link flinched in his confusion, "But... why? Alfon does not care about his nobility! He only wants to win the war! And I am no nobleman... I'm just Link!" "Oh," whispered Anju, "That's too bad. Only the noblemen are able to marry the princess."

The next morning, Anju carefully checked over Link's wounds, and tapped her fingers against his back several times. She pressed her ear against his ribs as she did this, and asked him to take several deep breaths. Link felt very strange having a woman running her hands over his chest and back, but said nothing. She seemed to pay it no mind, and he did not want to look childish. "I think you have healed nicely!" She said with a smile, "But you must take care with your back! It will still be healing for several more days! Nothing rough... understand?!" Link nodded that he understood, but secretly dreaded climbing the mountain. The last time he had visited Darunia, he had to fight his way into the Dodongo's Cavern and slay King Dodongo. What could be happening now that would force Darunia to ask for Link by name?

Anju helped Link slip his mail shirt and tabard back on, and gradually added belts, satchels, shield, and sword. "Are you ok? Are you sure you can handle all of this? Any pain?" she fussed as he slowly lifted his belongings and donned his equipment. In truth, a slight ache returned in his chest and back once all of his gear was returned, but he did not tell her. "Before I go," he started, "What was your son's name?" Link asked. The nurse was surprised by the question and took a moment before she answered, "Beaju... his name was Beaju. He was... my little love... he wanted to be a soldier too." Tears started to gleam in the corners of her eyes as Link struggled for what to say... he didn't realize it would hurt her to ask. "I... I'm sorry-" he began, but Anju swept forward, and gently hugged him. "You just make sure you get home to your mother! ok?" she ordered as Link patted her back. "I will." he answered.

Link made his way through the village and on toward the mountain road. The village structures were mainly the same as he remembered, but many tents and wagons now littered the streets and alleyways between the houses. Most of the Hylians still seemed polite and cheerful, but now Link could easily identify the Akkalans. They were rude, pushy, and completely disrespectful to the civilians. "When I get back, Alfon is going to hear about all of this." Link thought to himself as his eye caught Epona in the distance. Within a corral near the south entrance of the town, stood the proud red mare, tall and strong as if she had never been injured. A thin line of stitching on her hindquarter was the only evidence Link could see of her ordeal. He wanted to run to her, pat her muzzle, and show her that he too had made it. But he stopped himself. He couldn't take her with him and if she saw him... she would only be more confused. "Don't worry girl," Link whispered to himself, "If he hurts you... I'll let you drag him all the way to the lake!" With that, the squire turned, and began the long climb up Death Mountain.