“Liesel, run!”

Liesl had never heard her father’s voice sound like that, had she? Usually, it was full of love and warmth for his only daughter. Occasionally anger, too. However, that was usually directed at guards who were slacking off or merchants who were found to be price-gouging honest citizens. But the unmistakable terror present in his voice now was almost confusing. It was something that gave her pause as the rest of her mind struggled to understand what was happening. As much as an 8-year-old could understand what was happening.

One minute she was riding next to her father on the road back to Arwik, the next she was on her back looking up at the sky? It had been good practice, riding back from visiting the Temple of Light. It was nice outside as well, which only added to her bewilderment. A layer of clouds kept the sun from shining down too harshly and making her hotter on an already warm spring day. But then something streaked by her face. A lot of somethings, actually. And not the rain droplets of an afternoon shower she had come to expect this time of year.

Whatever they were, they had caused her horse to whinny in pain and rear up on its hind legs, sending her tumbling to the ground. The impact knocked the wind out of her lungs and sent her vision spiraling. When it cleared a moment later, she looked down to see that she’d gotten her light green dress dirty in the fall. At least where it wasn’t covered by her cloak. Oh, mother wasn’t going to like that one bit. Then she realized her father was on the ground too. And that’s when her eyes saw it, something protruding from his chest. An arrow, if the fletching was any indication. But…that didn’t make any sense. Who was shooting arrows?

Her focus shifted to his face and the sound of his voice finally broke through the shouting and sounds of battle that was taking place all around them. She realized that not only did his voice shake with fear, but his eyes flooded with it as well. His whole expression was gripped by it, in fact. But why?

“Liesel! I said run!”

They were under attack. The sudden realization hammered her chest nearly as hard as any physical blow, and she frantically began looking around. What she found was fighting between the house guards and men dressed in red and black. And monsters, too. So many monsters…

The hand that landed on her leg a moment later nearly made her jump out of her skin, but thankfully, it was only her father who had come to kneel at her side. “Don’t look at them,” he said as his hand took her chin and lifted it so their eyes met. “Listen to me, sweetheart. You must get away from here, away from the fighting.” And then he was putting something around her neck. However, before she had a chance to look down at what it was, he was lifting her to her feet.

“Where’s Mama?” Liesel asked, despite her father’s commands. She had been in the carriage, right? Not wanting to soil her dress with dirt from the road. Maybe Liesl could get her and they could both–

“Don’t worry about your mother,” her father instructed. And then he was pushing her, practically shoving her off to the side of the road. “I’ll get her and come find you later, but right now, you need to run and hide.”

“But I–”

“Don’t argue with me Liesl! Go!” Liesl half expected another shove but instead, her father bent down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll come find you when this is done.” For a moment, his voice almost managed to sound calm but that look on his face didn’t waiver.

“Okay,” she said weakly, and then took a step back.

“Good girl,” her father responded before unsheathing the sword at his hip. An action made awkward by the arrow still very much lodged in his chest. “Good girl…” Following those last two words, he turned and ran off into the thick of the melee, sword held high.

Despite his instructions, and her initial movement, Liesl couldn’t help but watch him go. She always hated it when he left to do the King’s bidding, especially when he had to help deal with the monsters beyond the mountains. But now the monsters were here somehow, and they were every bit as frightening as she imagined. Though shorter than a man, they still easily towered over the little girl. The horn on their head made them look frightful, which not even their big floppy ears or pig noses could soften. Were these…bokoblins? From her stories? Whatever they were, they appeared to be no match for her father.

He easily towered over them, and the clubs and rudimentary weapons the monsters wielded were no match for his broadsword. A fact one discovered a moment later when he easily bashed aside the club it wielded and then slashed the arm that held it, sending it tumbling to the ground in a fit of screams that made Liesl take another step back. Another bokoblin fell a moment later after her father opened its belly, but then he came face to face with a man. Or so she guessed. It was hard to tell because a white mask covered the face, one with a symbol she didn’t recognize. Almost like an eye?

This man wielded a wicked-looking curved blade and the sound of it clashing with her father’s sword found her ears from where she stood by the edge of the road. However, before she could witness the end of this fight, another arrow landed by her feet and her father’s words surfaced in her mind once more.

Run, Liesl!

He would be fine. He could beat these monsters and these men with ease. And after he rescued her mom, he would come to find her. That knowledge made it easier to turn and finally do as he said, to run as fast as she could into the woods only a few yards away. Her legs were sore from where she’d fallen, but that pain soon faded away as Liesl sprinted through the forest, ducking around trees and jumping over roots as she went. Goddesses, her heart beat so fast that it threatened to drown out the sounds of the fighting back on the road. Or perhaps she was just starting to get further and further away.

It didn’t matter how far she thought she’d gone or how distant the yelling and clash of steel sounded, Liesl kept running. Kept pumping her arms and feet. At one point, she looked over her shoulder and was at least relieved to see that no one was following her. But the momentary shift in her attention meant that when she faced front, she only had a second to dodge out of the way of the low-hanging tree branch. Well, mostly. The tip still caught her in the face, just below the eye. She could feel a warmth start to fall down her cheek then and still, Liesl kept running.

It was only when her lungs burned, and her legs shook from the effort that she finally slowed. However, that fear and her father’s command kept her walking until she reached the trunk of a particularly large tree. She just needed to rest a little while, to catch her breath after all that exertion. So, after letting her back hit the trunk, she sank to her bottom and let her head fall back until it connected with the bark.

Tired. She was so tired. It had been a long day in the saddle already and Goddesses only knew how much she’d just run. Long enough that the sun started to dip below the trees. It would be dark soon, and that meant it would be dangerous to go on. They would’ve been home by now if they hadn’t been stopped on the road. She could’ve been lying on one of the sofas or even in her bed. The thought of which caused her to close her eyes as she drifted closer to slumber. However, the feeling of water hitting her cheek forced them open not even a minute later.

Great.

The afternoon shower coming off of Lake Hylia was delayed in its arrival, but it had come nonetheless. It was a daily occurrence in spring, after all. The thought of running in the dark and through the rain was unpleasant, to say the least. Maybe she should just wait here, wrapped in her cloak while waiting for the storm to pass? Yeah, just for a little bit.

As she tried to get comfortable, she realized the tree had a hollow that was just the right size for a Hylian child. One that appeared to be unoccupied by anyone (or anything) else trying to escape the rainstorm. Perfect! So, after tucking her long, blonde hair into her hood, Liesl climbed inside and made herself comfortable. As much as one could be given the place. However, at least it was dry and out of the rising wind. Her father had said she should hide, right? This was ideal then. Even if the occasional gust brought a few droplets inside. Stupid rain. If only she knew how much the ensuing downpour probably saved her life.

After drifting off to sleep, Liesl awoke to voices not too far off. A man and a woman, by the sound of it…

“Have you picked her trail back up?” The man asked.

“No,” came the response from the woman, in addition to a sigh. “The rain made it difficult.”

“Boss isn’t going to like that.”

“No shit,” she spat back. “How hard is it to find a fucking child? Certainly easier than dealing with her old man.”

“Yeah, he really put up a fight. More than the mother, that’s for sure.”

Were they talking about Liesl’s parents? And why in the past tense like that? Did…did something happen to them?

“Maybe we just find another brat and take her back to the boss instead. It isn’t like a corpse can tell him she’s not the one he’s looking for. I mean, towns are loaded with blue-eyed, blonde little girls with pointy ears.”

What was the man talking about now? Were they sent to find her specifically? To…kill her?

“Perhaps,” the woman said. “It’s not like he’s ever met this…who was it? Liesl?”

They were looking for her! The realization caused Liesl’s stomach to drop, and she wrapped the cloak around herself just a little tighter, as if that would help her conceal herself. All she could do now was hope they didn’t look in her hiding place.

“I say that’s what we do,” the man continued. “At least if we can’t find her tonight. Now, come on. Let’s keep going east, toward the town. Maybe she’s trying to run home?”

Home. Liesl wanted nothing more than to be at home at this moment. With her mother and father, back with her dogs and dolls. Anywhere but out in the middle of this stinking forest. She listened then, as the conversation between her two pursuers faded into the distance until all she was left with was the sounds of the growing night. It wasn’t much longer before the sun fully set and with that, Liesl gave herself over to the exhaustion that had been tugging at the corners of her eyes.

The next morning, she stirred at the first rays of light that made their way into the hollow and danced across her face. No one else had come looking for her in the night and she was able to sleep the whole way through as best as she could tell. Well, sort of. Her dreams were filled with images of monsters and men, of her father fighting them off, and an ending that she dared not dwell on for too long lest she give herself over to grief and sadness. Father was a strong warrior; it would take a whole army to defeat him. And if he wasn’t going to come to her, she would just have to go find him.

After emerging from the tree and doing her best to dust herself off, Liesl turned back in the direction she thought she’d come. After so long spent running in the woods around her home, she liked to think she’d developed a keen sense of direction. Except it wouldn’t be needed here because a pillar of smoke rose in the distance. One that could only be coming from the caravan.

Again, she found herself racing through the forest, this time back toward potential danger. But the attackers surely wouldn’t still be there, right? Besides, did it matter? She had to find her parents, had to help them in case they were hurt. The hood of her cloak eventually fell back in the early morning breeze, and her hair whipped around her as she ran. Tears started to fall down her cheeks, burning the spot where she’d received her cut last night. She must’ve looked a mess but would’ve gladly taken her mother’s scolding if it meant that she was alive to give it.

It took longer to cover the same distance due to the ache in her legs and the hunger pangs in her stomach, but Liesl pushed them to the back of her mind as she went. There was only one thing that was important now. She eventually made it close to the site of the attack, and she was at least cautious enough to slow as she neared the edge of the forest. Kneeling behind a tree, she watched as soldiers picked through the ruins and inspected the scene of the fight the day before. Her father’s soldiers, by the looks of them.

Help had come!

The realization had her springing to her feet and running off toward the assembled men and women. Her movement must’ve caught someone’s eye because a shout of alarm rang out, causing weapons to be drawn. However, they were quickly lowered once people realized who it was.

“Lady Liesl?”

The closest man parted from the crowd and ran out to intercept her from making it to the overturned carriage. Whatever was left of it from the fire, anyway.

“Lady Liesl!”

She didn’t recognize the soldier, but he obviously knew who she was. Which wasn’t surprising, considering her father had been the Lord of Arwik and the chosen protector of the surrounding lands. Most guards would recognize her, even if the reverse wasn’t true.

“Are you sure it’s her?” Someone asked from off to the side while Liesl was frantically trying to get out of the man’s grip so she could find her parents.

“It’s her,” the soldier confirmed. “She has the Lord’s crest around her neck.”

Her father’s necklace? She’d completely forgotten he’d hung something there and her eyes snapped down to find the silver chain hanging right where the soldier said it was. The pendant a the bottom was big in her hands, and the sight of it brought on a fresh round of tears and reignited the fear that had gripped her heart.

“Where’s Papa!?” Liesl demanded as she dropped it to let it hang while shifting her attention to the man who had stopped her. “Where’s Mama!?”

She could see the shift in his eyes following the question, from surprise at finding her to unmistakable sorrow. What did that mean?

“I’m sorry, Lady Liesl,” he started.

No.

“But your parents are…gone.”

His gaze shifted momentarily to where there were numerous bodies stacked neatly alongside the road. All were covered in a cloak of some sort, but two stood apart from the rest.

No, no, what did he mean gone!?

The momentary shift in his attention allowed her to shove him back with all the strength she could muster. It must’ve caught him off guard because it allowed Liesl to escape his clutches and take off running. She reached the two covered bodies off to the side before anyone could get to her and when she pulled one of the cloaks free, she found her mother’s face. Her eyes were closed, and her long, blonde hair was tussled and matted with blood.

“Mama!” Liesl’s scream probably could’ve been heard back in town, and she launched herself forward to wrap her arms around her mother’s neck. The first thing that stuck out was just how cold she was. Cold and pale, with a featureless expression. But it couldn’t be! She was smiling just yesterday as she did Liesl’s hair. Those bright blue eyes had been so full of life, they couldn’t be closed forever!

Tears flowed freely now, along with snot from her nose. Liesl could taste both in her mouth now but didn’t care one bit as she turned and pulled the second cloak down, revealing the equally still face of her father. It didn’t make any sense, he was winning! He always won! Before she could do the same thing as she had with her mother, she felt two arms wrap around her torso and lift her from the ground.

“Young miss, come now!” The soldier was back on her, pulling her away from her parents while she made every effort to get to them.

“Papa! Papa!”