Hey everyone! I hope you enjoy this story. To be honest, this chapter my be boring, but I am not sure of your tastes. This is my first romance, so I am getting the hang of it. I actually do not have a pairing yet, so if anyone has any suggestions I would like one. Thanks, and enjoy!
Link blinked his eyes, rubbed them with hands, and stared back out into the crowd. The crowd bustled with activity, bakers selling warm, fresh bread, musicians sang out their joyous song, and people ran by with their goods tightly held in their hands. Some soldiers marched around, surveying their territory, marching in single file with spears pointed into the air, while other soldiers gossiped with the people who passed by on the streets. The air was filled with a strong sense of tranquility and ecstasy.
Link simply stood there among the crowd, feeling deeply out of place. It didn't help that he couldn't remember where he was or how he got there. It also seemed that everyone who passed by him knew him in some way. Some stopped to stare in awe, while others were more subtle, giving him a nod of acknowledgement. It felt awkward for Link to nod back; he racked his brain, searching for a memory. He never got far, however, as more often than not people insisted on touching him. As he stood in his confusion, people would fling themselves onto him, giving him a series of hugs and praises. One woman, an older lady who was bent with age, pecked him on the cheek with her withered, soft lips. "Thank ye, boy," she had said before disappearing in the sea of people. Link had stood rigid with surprise, and he had let himself touch his cheek in thought.
Night was approaching, and it seemed that the constant buzz of chatter began to die down. The crowd thinned before Link's eyes, and the shops began to close up, turning away last minute customers. As the sky darkened, the torches that Link had not noticed before were light, allowing light to flood the city streets. Only the soldiers seemed to ignore the time as they still stood in their places, watching over the slumbering city. Link wondered where the people had gone; it seemed to him there wasn't enough room to shelter all the people he had seen.
Link's legs ached, and for good reason. He had been standing in one spot all day, simply watching. Now that everything seemed to quiet down, Link let himself sit on the dirty, paved ground. He let out a sigh as he relieved his legs of his weight and he rubbed them down, massaging them with strong fingers.
There were very few people out now, and they took no notice of him. A few musicians still sang their songs, but their voices had gone soft with the settling silence of night. Link welcomed the peace.
Link felt his eyelids become heavy; he was exhausted. He looked around, and wondered if maybe he should seek shelter for the night. He knew that this would mean moving, but his legs refused them, so he stayed slumped against a moss-covered wall. He looked up into the starry sky, and sighed. It was better than nothing, he guessed.
A soft meow brought Link to attention. A warm, fuzzy body rubbed against his, and he looked down to see a black and white cat with emerald eyes scratch his head on Link's arm. Link smiled and massaged the cat behind the ears. It liked this immensely, and it crawled into Link's lap, begging for more, and Link complied. Both he and the cat sat contently, enjoying each other company under the moonlit sky.
"Hey, little one, do you know where I am? Just who I am?" Link asked, but the cat did not respond; its eyes had closed in an elated state, and had dozed off. Link nodded though, as if it had answered him.
"Neither do I."
When Link awoke, the cat was gone. In its place it had left a few dozen hairs, a black and white duo of colors. Link brushed them off casually, and looked about. The sun had yet to rise, and the only sound Link could hear was the soft crackling of the torches, now dim from dying throughout the night, and the soft splashes from the water fountain.
Stretching his arms, Link stood up and stifled a yawn, not wanting to disturb the quiet. A quick scan of the area told him what he needed; a few guards still stood about, with their heads drooping unto their chests, and a small dog sprinted across the courtyard. Beyond that, the city held no life.
Link began to explore for the first time since he had awoken in this strange yet beautiful town, and now that it was clear of people it would be easy for him to walk around without being bombarded with kisses and hugs.
He found himself wandering into a back alley, and immediately discovered that it was a quieter part of town. Only one guard stood; casting a small shadow by the city gate in the torch's light. Beyond that, Link saw no one. He was admiring the tall buildings, filled with awe and wonder as each building seemed to get more complicated and more beautiful. He was not watching where he was going, and found himself bumping into someone in surprise.
He looked down and saw a small man, much older than he was, and he was staring down the alley. He wore a red attire that looked like a body suit, and his brown hair sat on top of his head in a fizzy hairstyle. He seemed desperate to look at something, because he kept straining to see through the dark and past the shadows. He suddenly waved, and Link decided that he was looking at a person.
"Excuse me," Link asked, but the man took no notice. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "Excuse me, sir. What are you looking at?"
The man did not stop what he was doing, but he opened his mouth to speak. "There is a strange person down there," he whispered, waving into the darkness, "He is looking this way. I wonder what he wants." Link allowed himself to search the darkness, letting curiosity get the better of him. He was able to make out a figure, and whoever it was seemed to be dancing.
"I'll go ask what he wants," Link offered, and he walked away from the person. The man did not reply; he continued to wave at the figure. As Link neared the figure, he saw it was another man… who looked just like the first man. This man, however, was not dressed in red, but rather blue of the same design. Link looked back and forth at the two men before addressing the stranger.
"Are you looking at the other man?" he asked nicely. Just like the first man, the stranger in blue did not stop his movements, but he acknowledged Link quickly.
"That person down there seems like he wants something. He has been staring at me the entire time! Look, it looks like he is coming this way! What should I do?" The man in blue waved, and the man in red waved back. Link looked back, and took note that the red man was not moving from where he stood.
"That man is wondering, sir, the same thing about you. Why don't you talk to him?" Link encouraged. The man did not reply. Link repeated his question unsure if he had heard him, but the man ignored him.
"I wonder what he wants," he said again, mumbling to himself as he peered down the alley. Link sighed heavily and moved on, deciding that it was probably best not to interfere with conflicts that are not his own.
Telma's Bar, the sign read. Link's eyes traced over the carefully spelled words, taking note that whoever had carved into the wooden sign seemed to be in a awful hurry. A light came from under the door, suggesting that people were inside. He was unsure if he should walk in or if he should wait until light and explore some more.
Link sensed he was being watched, and he looked behind him to see a cat, but this one was pure white with a long coat. It was quite fat, and seemed to hold the air of nobility as it stared a Link with knowing eyes. It seemed to smile, and it walked up next to his leg and looked up, as if to ask, "Well, going in?"
Link stared at the cat, and it stared back. "You know me too, don't you?" he asked, and the cat purred contently, as if to say, "Of course, stupid." Link reached down to pet the cat, but it backed out, not interested in human touch. Link withdrew his hand, and the cat looked at the door leading inside. Then back at Link. It wanted him to go in.
His decision made, Link opened to door, and a slight squeak pierced the air. A bright light blinded him momentarily, and he had to blink to adjust to the sudden change. As the lights in his eyes disappeared, he was greeted with the sight of sleeping soldiers.
They were spewed all over the floor and tables, snoring loudly and mumbling in their sleep. Beer mugs, empty and covered with leftover foam, had rolled across the floor or hung loose in sticky hands. One soldier rolled onto his back, scratching his exposed belly in his deep slumber.
The cat yawned in disgust, and ran across the room and jumped gracefully up on the counter. A large woman stood behind the counter, washing mugs with a fresh cloth. She looked up as Link walked in, and she smiled as he did. She looked out into the scene before her and shook her head at the revolting sight.
"Disgusting, isn't it?" she told Link, putting her mug down. "All the soldiers seem to do is get drunk. If you weren't here, Link, I would be worried for Hyrule." She winked at him, and Link felt himself blush.
"Well, come in! Don't just stand there out in the cold!" she ordered, and Link felt he had to comply. Closing the door behind him, and walked in and took a seat. She whipped out a clean cup and poor a white liquid into it, bringing it over to the overwhelmed boy.
"You're too young for beer," she informed him, placing the cup before him, "but milk is just as good. Better, in my opinion." He looked at the milk, confused by her hospitality. She noticed, and cleared her throat. "Come on, drink up!" Link nodded, and drank the sweet milk. Satisfied, the woman returned to her place and continued to clean up.
Link considered what had just happened. This woman knew him! Unlike the rest of the townspeople, who continued to thank him for something, she talked to him as though she had known him for a long time. He looked her way. He wondered if he should ask about himself, just who he was or why people kept thanking him, but he decided against it. It might make him sound vain or proud of whatever he did.
"Thanks, ma'am," Link said, finishing his drink. Telma frowned at his words.
"Since when did you call me 'ma'am'? No, just Telma will do," she shook her head. "Honestly, you're way to polite, Link."
Link, huh? So that's his name. And hers is Telma. There's two mysteries figured out. Link was about to ask another question when an awaking soldier interrupted him.
"No, no, mother, I didn't steal the cookies!" he cried, suddenly bolting up from the floor. Link jumped back into his chair with surprise, and Telma threw her now dirty towel at the man.
"Get up, you lazy bum, and wake up your comrades and get out of my shop!" she yelled. The commotion was deafening, and a curtain concealing a back room flew open, revealing a group of people looking very upset by the disturbance.
"Telma, we are in a meeting!" one of the men said. He reminded Link of a nerd; short with round glasses, and Link guessed that there was always a book in his hands. The man pushed back on his glasses, ensuring that they would not fall off.
Telma mumbled with anger as she ushered, or more drove out, the soldiers to the door. Link watched with amazement; this woman seemed to control everything she could touch. But he wasn't given a chance to admire for too long when suddenly a pair of skinny arms was thrown around his neck, making him gasp for air. He looked over his shoulder to see a girl about his age, with lovely green eyes and dressed in light brown pants matched with a sleeveless white shirt. Her hair was dirty blonde, and cut short. Link also noticed that unlike Telma and himself, her ears were not pointed.
"Link!" she cried in his ear, "where have you been? Telma," she said, turning to the large woman, "why didn't you SAY anything?"
Telma shrugged. "If the boy goes missing for a half year then suddenly turns up, I suspect he doesn't want a huge welcome party. Besides, he looks a little drained," Telma defended herself. The girl scolded the older woman for a moment before remembering Link.
"Don't ever do that again! I mean, you had just gotten back, and then within a few days you saddled Epona saying 'I have some important unfinished business. I'll be back soon.' Then you were gone!"
Link was able to free himself from her grasp. The rest of the people who had stood in the secret room also looked curious, the woman folding her arms in disapproving and the men nodding to themselves. Feeling on the spot, he mumbled, "Oh, sorry. Some private stuff I just had to finish. Forgot the time."
"Well," the girl said, as if not hearing him, "we have some catching up to do! Telma, more milk please!"
Link found himself renewing his past in the span of a few minutes. This girl, he came to learn as Ilia, loved to talk. She told him about his horse, Epona, and how she was doing when she suddenly turned up without him. And how Colin, who Link found himself wondering who this was, is training to be a warrior. Beth decided to go into medicine, and Malo opened his own shop again. Link tried to remember these people, but he simply found himself feeling more confused. These people knew every detail of his past, while the only memory he has now is everything from when he woke up this yesterday morning to this moment.
Feeling the need to stop her chatter, Link asked, "What about you?"
Ilia smiled with pride. "I have decided to destroy the monsters in our land!" She leaned in closer. "There is a certain one I am after. A great beast, black at night, and eyes the color of the blue sky. You wouldn't remember, because you never saw him, but it always seemed to show up when the village is under attack or something of that sort. It was a huge source of our problems." She laughed and brought out a dagger that was hidden under her shirt.
"You see this? I got it for my birthday. And guess what?" she said excitingly, "Colin and I saw the monster the other day! And we injured it! I slashed in the chest. Of course, it is going to live through that, but what can I say." Ilia put the dagger away and smiled once again at Link. "I'm so glad you're back, Link!"
Laughing, she reached out to Link for another hug, wrapping her arms around his waist. Link gasped as suddenly a sharp pain shot through his body, as though Ilia had stabbed him. Ilia withdrew in shock, her eyes wide.
"Link, what's wrong?" she asked, fear in her voice. Link touched his chest, and pain shot through his body once more. Blood began to seep through his green tunic; both he and Ilia watched in horror as his blood began dying the green cloth black. Ilia gasped and stood up. "Telma! Link's hurt!" Telma ran to get bandages.
Link was equally as shocked. He did not remember receiving that wound. In fact, he knew that he did not have it before he had fallen asleep with the cat in his lap. It must have happened to him while he was sleeping, but wouldn't he have woken up by the pain?
The fat white cat sat in the corner, snickering as if it knew something that no human did.