[center][h3][u][b][color=sienna]D R I F T E R[/color][/b][/u][/h3]
[i][b]To Save a Child Not Yet Born[/b][/i][/center]
[hr]
"I understand, my friend. I shall warn Impa, and save the child."

After the last words, the guard fell silent again. The Drifter could feel the stranger's grip lessen, until he was holding a corpse's hand and a crumbled piece of paper. The Drifter could tell it was a map of the secret passage ways. Some of the dead guard's blood obscured the paper, but the wax symbol of the royal family pressed in the upper left corner was untarnished.

He folded the map and tucked it safely into a pocket under his outer robes, then stood. He hated to leave the fallen man here for the rats, but perhaps there would be time or someone he could tell later on. For now, he had to get into the castle...Which he assumed meant getting through the locked door.

Did the guard have a key? If he did, surely he would have passed it on along with the notes. Perhaps, with this being a secret passage, the door was meant to open by some hidden mechanism instead? Hylians were known for their love of puzzles and interesting gadgets, after all. The Drifter considered his surroundings with a low hum. Where might there be a switch, or a pulley, or a lever...

The only thing he could conceive of at the moment was the torch. How often, really, would someone have to come to this secret passage? More than likely this was intended as an escape route or hideaway, a way to get the Royal Family out of the castle in case of invasion or assassination. Would they be worried about an infiltrator coming in from the opposite direction? Would they bother to post a guard? The dead man had probably come down here specifically to meet with Drifter, or whoever the Queen might call. If he were on a secret mission, would he have bothered with a torch, the light of which could give away his position?

All the speculation, however, wouldn't provide any answers. Only taking action would reveal the truth. Drifter walked to the torch ensconced upon the wall, and tried to pull it out of its bracing...

"Who goes there?"

The Drifter turned, pulling up part of his cloak to cover his eyes as an armored figure brandishing a brightly gleaming blade approached him. As he was nearly blinded, his thoughts raced even faster. Had he been found out? Was this an enemy? The hand that had been reaching for the torch now dropped to the handle of his umbrella leaning against the wall. His grip tightened imperceptibly.

"A friend awaiting one's arrival." he answered, remembering the Queen's own words. "Perhaps we should be careful that the light of justice not blind those who follow it?"