"Yah!", The blonde grunted, tugging on his newfound mount's black, silky hairs. He had not registered the horse at a stable (Nor did he intend to), but there was no need to- he simply wanted to get across Carok Bridge's field quickly without the strain of walking himself.

It wasn't like him to stray from his unwavering selflessness, always pushing to prioritize everyone's safety and well-being before his own.

Did he even care about himself?

The thought clouded in his mind as he pondered in a mental haze, before it was abruptly put to an end by his steed's blood-curdling cry. Link immediately patted his right hand onto the horse's brown coat in attempt to calm it from whatever startled it.

Oh.

It was not until he lifted his gaze from his hands to the very horizon that the hero saw the first plank of Carok Bridge mere inches ahead. Leaving no moment to take in the gorgeous (yet terrifying) sight, he leaped off of the mare to study the surface's durability. He reached out his leg, guarded by Zora Greaves, and eventually entrusted his entire (yet quite light) body weight onto the wood. Nothing, he happily noted. Although the seemingly endless pit below the bridge did slightly intimidate him, he knew crossing it would more conveniently get him where he wanted.

With a soft groan of pain escaping his thin lips, he mounted the horse yet again, his torso aching from all of the movement required earlier that day...

~*Flashback*~
Loud roars. Loud, loud roars.

Moblins.

The large monsters typically weren't a problem for him, but with the amount chattering above Link's hidden spot, it certainly would be. His only solution was a sneaky attack of ruthless archery.

Drawing out a Knight's Bow from his back, Link steadied a bomb arrow at the oblivious scene before him. Sparks from the arrow tickled at his cheeks as he scruched his nose in scrutiny and focus. Then, the worst situation was brought forth to reality.

A blue Bokoblin nearly fell off his lookout in shock and blew the infamous horn. He'd been spotted.

The Bokoblin was nothing but a blur as he swiftly changed his attention back to the Moblins, who were already lumbering towards him with clubs and spears adorned with bones. Panic coursed through his body; whether or not he was sure his actions were rational, he kept his arrow at aim while taking steps back as fast as his legs could take him. His breathing arose to something close to hyperventilating, exhaling shakily in anxious patience for the right moment to shoot.

A black Moblin was notably the fastest of the three- given to be his primary target, Link tried to aim the bomb arrow at its snout. His grip was just too shaky. He bit his bottom lip harshly and decided to shoot anyway, but the rising sun replaced his sight and caused him to mistakenly launch the bomb arrow over his head and behind him.

Confusion was added to the fierce concoction of fear in his mind. His questions were answered in the most brutal way possible.

Link frantically searched the ground, eventually finding the stone that tripped him in the few seconds he had to recollect himself. He could already smell the smoke dancing from the distant undergrowth that the blonde accidentally shot. Finally, he looked straight ahead, not too surprised to see the black Moblin with its club held upwards in anticipation to strike. The two blues behind it only watched with eager eyes. Link was almost too dazed from his fall and panic to roll to the side in time- Almost. Using his legs to gain momentum, he lunged himself to his feet, holding his Knight's Bow. Yet this time, he had drawn a different arrow- an Ancient Arrow.

It was quite obvious that such a thing was his last resort. He hated to be so wasteful, but he had no hope within any loophole. All the Champion heard in the flurry of adrenaline and movement was the arrow's aura, and the three Moblins' later vanished cries of defeat. He was not new to the old Sheikah technology's power- he had once used one by mistake instead of a normal arrow and watched a Lizalfos disappear in a flash of blue light, not leaving a single trace of its existence behind. Nonetheless, he was thankful of his predicament's conclusion and sloppily slouched to the grassy surface.

An arrow skimmed his side, tearing his Champion Tunic's delicate fabric. Link cried out in agony- glancing behind him, he could spot the arrow caked with his blood- it was a miracle it did not remain in his side. He simultaneously whipped around and held a hand to the wound, suddenly recalling his error. The blue Bokoblin that had noticed him had a bow the entire time, and Link failed to recognize it. Link failed to even guess. Link failed.

The boy refused to engage in combat and, reluctantly, retreated to the shelter of a would-be structure, now reduced to rubble. Releasing a grip on his left hip he saw a small pool of blood painfully forced against his tunic; but, why would he pay mind to it?

Why would be pay mind to something he deserved?

Link grunted and craned his neck to the afternoon sky. His body was growing numb from both the wound and his panic's aftershock. Once again, he ignored it, through clenched fists and knitted brows. According to his Sheikah Slate, he had to cross Carok Bridge in order to advance on his chosen path. No time to rest. The Champion's emotionless blue stare wandered to the gathering of horses in the distance- Forcing himself to rise quickly, he set his focus on his future mount.

~*Flashback End*~

...That didn't matter; nothing else but Calamity Ganon mattered. He pulled a strand of the horse's mane once more and bared its first hesitant steps across the planks in deep thought.