Link stepped into the bar, running a hand over his weary eyes. What a day it had been. It was hard living the life of a knight, especially in these times. He remembered the tension in the Throne Room, the Princess' troubled face when she had heard the news. It was news of an approaching shadow, one that brought death. Numerous reports of it had sprung up in the past few days, telling of the villages that had been lost to it. Literally lost. They had disappeared, replaced by darkness, a darkness that reeked of fear and despair. Brave knights that had wandered into such places had never returned. The Princess was helpless, forced to watch her kingdom slowly be overcome by this unknown threat while her people remained oblivious to it. She had struggled over the decision of warning the residents of Castle Town, but in the end had chosen that it was better not to raise a panic over something they could do nothing about. She couldn't very well leave the safe confines of the castle and brazenly go out to meet this unseen terror. For the sake of her people, those who remained, she stayed where she was. She had doubled the strength of her forces around Castle Town, but it was all she could do.

"Can I get you something, honey?" Telma asked with her characteristic, smug grin.

"You know very well I don't drink, Telma," Link replied tiredly, shaking his head, "I just need a little thinking time."

"How am I to know you won't change your mind? Besides, you look like you need it."

"It's not going to make my problems go away."

"Of course, you're right," Telma agreed, nodding sagely, "And my place'll always be open to you for whenever you need your 'thinking time'."

She gave him a wink, then left him alone to find himself a seat. The bar was pretty nearly empty, which was perfect for Link's purposes. He sat down at a lonely corner table and leaned far back in his chair, closing his eyes and doing his best to relax and sort through his jumbled thoughts. He didn't get very far with this attempt before the sound of the entrance door swinging open dragged him out of his reverie. He looked up to see a group of close friends and confidants, who called themselves the Resistance, enter the bar.

"Rusl!" he called, getting to his feet.

The head of an older man with blonde hair and sharp blue eyes turned toward him. At once, the man broke into a grin. In a few quick strides, he crossed the room and clasped Link's arm.

"Good to see you again, son," he greeted warmly.

"You too, Rusl. How's your family?"

Rusl sighed, "Ignorance is bliss. They're perfectly happy, only because they don't know the danger they're in. Our village is vulnerable. We have no means of defending it. We are beyond the Princess' reach; she cannot help us."

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"I'm so sorry, Rusl," Link said sympathetically, almost feeling his friend's grief, "I'll pray to the goddesses' for their protection, and yours."

"It kills me every time I have to leave them. But I have a duty to my Princess."

"You're a good man, Rusl."

A dark-haired woman with fearless gray eyes came to stand next to Rusl.

"Hello, Ashei," Link said.

"Hello," Ashei replied, returning his greeting with a grave nod.

"Have you found anything regarding the source of this growing darkness across our land?" Link asked quietly, a spark of hope in his eyes.

Ashei shook her head, "Nothing."

Link's face fell.

"Hope is not lost. We may not have discovered the source, but we have learned," Rusl explained, "The darkness...it's not just darkness. It's a barrier. It even has a door."

Link stared at his friend in puzzlement. Suddenly the entrance door swung open again and a unfamiliar figure stepped into the bar, its face hidden by its long hood. Its thick cloak left it completely covered, with no discernible features. Without greeting the bartender, it glided over to the table across from Link and sat down.

Rusl lowered his voice warily and leaned in closer to Link, "Perhaps we should discuss this another time."

He and Ashei returned to where the other two Resistance members stood, Auru with his arms folded across his chest, looking tall and daunting, and Shad with his nose buried in a book, as was typical for him. Link settled back down in his chair, returning to his attempt at relaxing. This attempt was as fruitless as the last. For some reason, he could not focus. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He felt suddenly nervous and restless. He felt as though he were being...watched.

He opened his eyes again and scanned the room. His friends had left. The bar was empty except for him and the hooded stranger. His gaze wandered over the unknown figure sitting across the room from him. There was no mistaking it. It was watching him, and it made no attempt to hide it. Link felt a sudden jolt of fear as he caught sight of a brief flash of red beneath the stranger's cowl. Eyes. Burning red eyes staring straight at him. There was a glitter of white as the figure smiled at him, as if taunting him. Feeling oddly dizzy, Link got up and staggered to the door.

"Honey, are you alright?" Telma asked, her worry evident.

Link nodded dumbly, his mouth dry. He stumbled outside, feeling the cold air envelope him.

Home. He had to get home.

He started off down the cobblestone street, feeling slightly calmer. He wondered what had come over him in the bar. He was a knight, not a coward. He could handle some odd stares.

But still, there had been something very unusual about the stranger. Those eyes...they had looked at him as if they knew him. But that couldn't be. He'd never even met anyone with red eyes.

He heard a soft scuffling behind him and instantly whipped around to face the noise. He stared through the darkness for a minute, feeling uneasy. It had to be nothing. He kept walking. He heard it again. He turned, only to find the alley once more empty. He took a deep breath of the sharp night air to steady himself.

"Get a grip," he told himself.

He gave himself a shake before turning back toward his destination.

He froze immediately, feeling the blood slowly draining from his face as he stared at the figure standing in his path. A tall woman, stunningly beautiful, faced him. Her hood was thrown back to reveal her long, flame-colored hair and round face, out of which stared the unmistakable red eyes. Her cloak hung open, showing her flawless figure and smooth, pale skin, which bore many strange markings. Her eyes burned into him, holding his gaze and piercing his very soul. She cocked her head, and a slow smile spread across her face. She opened her mouth to speak, her voice enrapturing. But the words she spoke didn't make much sense.

"Hello, doggy."