The lines of Hylian soldiers were forming in front the onslaught of Garo on the western fields of Termina. It was early in the day and the sudden appearance of the enemies has caught the Hylians by surprise. Among the ranks was Kakariko regiment, led by Colonel Mace and Sir Galandrim.
Mace now rode up the line, calling out orders to his men, “Form ranks hyls, and we have the advantage of tactics on our side! Hold your positions, we mustn’t lose ground!”
Galandrim rode over to him, “Mace, we mustn’t let this horde reach farther inland, our division is the only one between here and Clocktown, and we can’t let the hordes sack the city”, he explained.
Mace nodded, “If Clocktown falls, so will Hylian presence in Termina, we can’t let that happen”
They took their positions on either side of the lines and waited for the Garo to reach them. The brown cloaked creatures were in full charge as the front line of Hylian soldiers lowered their spears.
“Thirty yards!” Called Galandrim, estimating the collision time. Mace drew his sword, and got ready to dismount.
“Twenty Yards!” Every second felt like an eternity; the rumbling of feet was deafening.
“Ten yards! Charge!” Yelled Mace leaping off his horse and charging forward. Galandrim and the other soldiers followed his lead and the two lines collided with devastating force.
Mace slashed through his enemies chopping and hacking at every moving brown object he saw. Every time he struck down one of the strange creatures, the body would disappear leaving only the brown cloak left on the ground.
Suddenly there came a yell from behind him, “Mace! The line is breaking!” Declared Galandrim. He was still on his horse, pointing to the disorganized mass of Hylian soldiers. Many were running about frantically, chopping anything that came near them.
“Don’t let them falter!” Responded Mace. Piles of brown robes were building up around them, and it seemed that despite their disoriented state, the soldiers were cutting as well into the enemy lines.
Just when it seemed like the masses of Garo were thinning, there was a second charge. Galandrim’s lines were overrun completely, and Mace’s were falling quickly. The entire division now fought frantically for their lives and casualties were mounting quickly. Retreat seemed impossible on these open plains, and they couldn’t possibly simply let their enemies into Clocktown. They had no other choice, Mace and his hyls would have to fight.

Part Two- A Letter to Hela

It was a sunny, warm day in Kakariko and Hela was tending to some hens in front of her house. It was one of those lazy days, no one was obligated to work and no one really was. Around midday most of the inhabitants were either standing around or napping under some oak or chestnut tree. All together it was a normal day in the village, a day where nobody thought about anything outside the close-knit community that they lived in.
Hela’s mind, though, was uneasy. It had been nearly a year now since Mace had left for war. He wrote back here and there, but never talked about the events in Ikana, nor how the war was progressing. She was becoming worried now about how great a conflict her husband was involved in. With all this in mind she set down Link in his cradle for his afternoon nap and stepped outside to take a walk.
She descended the stairs into the town crier, where there were some hens and a dog or two. There was a local carpenter and two other hyls standing under a tree in the center of the crier, talking about plans to put a new building on an abandoned foundation in town. She walked at a leisurely pace toward the windmill; she looked up at it for a moment, then walked ahead toward the graveyard.
It was always cloudy here at the graveyard, and it rained frequently. But it was nice and peaceful here, and often damp and cool on hot summer days. It was also commonly where Sheikah were found. It is said that they live nearby, and that sometimes come here to pay respects to the dead.
She looked at the lines of tombstones and plaques, all representing someone that had died. Only honored soldiers or members of the royal or noble families were buried here. It fascinated Hela to think that Heroes whom she had heard in legends were buried within walking distance of her home. She wondered too, if her husband would one day be laid to rest here; hopefully at a very old age.
Hela re-entered the village and returned to her home to check on Link to find Shah waiting there for her.
“Hello Shah”, she said smiling.
“Good day. I have returned from Termina with a letter from your husband, Mace”, he said holding out a parchment.
Hela nodded and took parchment, unrolling it. Within a minute there was a small crowd of inquisitive villagers hovering around. This was no new ritual, for Mace frequently sent letters to her and while he rarely spoke of the conflict, it was the most news that anyone would receive from Ikana.
Hela read aloud to everyone:

“To my dear wife Hela,
My heart aches and I long to see you; I wish to see my son, Link; and to see how he has grown. But this conflict, it seems, was underestimated. If you have not heard already, then I will tell you now. Ikana has fallen and Termina has nearly been overrun. There seems to be no end to the Garo hordes, and their numbers seem countless. We struggled on the west plains to hold them back, but we failed. If it were not for the Sheikah, who bought us an opportunity to flee, I would probably be dead.
At the battle of Snowstone, the Gorons were driven out of the mountains and forced onto the Terminian Plain. The Gerudo at the great bay broke our backs. The Zoras were badly outnumbered at the Gerudo landing on the Sand Banks and were forced to retreat. It is almost certain now that the Gerudo are working in alliance with the Garo, which could mount a terrible force to send against the resistance in Clocktown.
All of the Terminian resistance is now gathered here in the capitol. It is a brilliantly designed place. Built in a series of wall grids, each part of the city can be sealed off in the event of it being taken. The saying is that Clocktown will be taken ten times before it is captured. With all my heart I hope that the forces of Termina, now concentrated together, will not let any such foe enter the city whatsoever.
Soon this invasion will be driven out of our neighboring country, and I shall return home to see you. My hopes are that this land shall be cleansed of death and suffering and that future generations to come will live free and happy because of the deeds of this war.
Yours truly, Mace”
There was not a word in that village then; for no one knew that the war had already been so costly. Never before had Mace mentioned that Termina had been so close to its downfall. Hela did not know what to think. She was pale and startled.
Shah was standing behind her, “This war has been prophesized once”, he said bluntly.
The postman looked at him, “What was it they prophesized about this war?” he asked coldly.
Shah looked down, “I shall quote and ancient prophet: ‘They shall smite the land with their anger and tarnish the golden divine. They will not stop until the world is black and burnt’” Shah looked around, “Courage, people of Hyrule; and faith in the brave hyls who fight for all that is golden”, he finished and turned around to finish his rounds around the village. One by one, the villagers departed, leaving a shocked Hela standing alone.
And so the days passed, and soon to weeks, and weeks to months. No word had come from Mace, nor from anyone at all. The conflict in Termina was spoken of very little among the townspeople; it remained a looming threat on the horizon for them. Summer came slowly that year, calmly, and elusively. But in time, it was in full swing, the days were warm and lazy, and in the evening there would be merry-making and drinking and eating.
This was the simple life that every hyl dreamt of. In the days, the children would play in the crier and the townsfolk would nap under the fruit trees. In the evenings the fold would gather in the crier and there would be food, drink, music and dancing. After, many would retire, the young lovers would gaze at the stars and all would repeat the next day. That was the ideal lifestyle, those wonderful summer days, and fine summer evenings. That is what Mace and all soldiers fought for, a life to love, a life to worship.