Chapter 1: A Quiet Life
'Tell me... Do you ever feel a strange sadness as dusk falls? They say it's the only time when our world intersects with theirs… The only time we can feel the lingering regrets of spirits who have left our world. That is why loneliness always pervades the hour of twilight… but enough talk of sadness.'
For whatever reason, those words reverberated through Enra's mind as she tended to the goats in the field, trying to calm their nerves as Fado attempted to herd them into their pens. He was ridiculously unsuccessful, waving his arms wildly and running full speed towards them. He whooped and hollered as loud as he could, but the goats hardly reacted, often either snorting in his face or walking in the opposite direction with an exasperated bleat. There were a few that got irritated enough to knock him off his feet, refusing to bend to his will, which was quite a sight to see. Honestly, Enra found it all very entertaining, and after watching Fado get knocked off his feet once more, she couldn't help but laugh. Of course, this earned her a sharp glare from the ranch owner, and she turned her head away quickly, focusing on brushing the coat of the goat in front of her.
Eventually, the girl decided that enough was enough. He wasn't going to be able to do it on his own, even if he dragged the goats by the horns into the barn one by one. "Fado... stop being so stubborn. Go get Link, you can't do it on your own!"
The man got up from the grass, dusting his clothes off with a huff. "It just ain't like how it used to be, they don't listen anymore!" Fado shook his head, patting the back of a passing goat as he began to walk towards the gate. "Watch the goats for me while I get him," he said, climbing over the top of the gate and landing on the other side with a loud thump. Enra just nodded in response, watching as he walked into town before she plopped down on the ground, laying back and staring up at the darkening sky. Longing always tugged at Enra's heart as twilight fell, the amber hues of dusk often stirring old feelings she'd prefer to keep locked away. She craved adventure, romance, a grand quest that takes her all over the world. She wanted to find lands unexplored, places long locked away from prying eyes, and sights seen only by a select few.
Unfortunately, as a shopkeeper's daughter and a part-time ranch-hand, it was rare for her to even leave the village, let alone embark on a quest to explore the land. The few times she's left Ordon were on supply journeys with Rusl, but often it was straight to Castle Town and back. There was hardly any time for adventure, although she was lucky to even leave the town at all. Most stayed within the confines of Ordon providence. They were safe, secure, and Enra couldn't deny that everyone in Ordon Village lived comfortable lives. It always made her feel so out of place that she wanted to leave, to go on to greater things. Everyone else always seemed so content to just live their lives. 'I wonder if there is something wrong with me...' the thought moved quietly through Enra's mind as the clouds above her crawled across the sky. Even Link and Ilia were content to live out their lives in Ordon, although Link has seen far more of Hyrule than Enra has.
The sound of hooves hitting the dirt snapped her out of her trance, and Enra quickly scrambled to her feet, a sheepish look crossing her face as Fado and Link turned the corner. "Hey! What're you layin' around for?" Fado shouted, opening the gate to allow Link and Epona to enter the pasture. Enra shrugged, waving at Link as she began to walk towards the barn.
"You only told me to watch the goats! I watched the goats, what more did you want? Their troughs are all full, they're brushed and calmed after you traumatized them." Fado just shook his head, grumbling underneath his breath as he closed the gate behind him. Link let out a light laugh from his saddle, staring down at the pair with a bright light in his sharp blue eyes. "Ilia stole Epona again, didn't she?"
"You know it. Anytime I leave Epona's side she ends up dragging her to the fountain, says it's good for her soul," he shrugged, a sigh escaping his lips, "though she's stubborn enough to refuse me my own horse sometimes."
"That sounds about right, honestly I swear she acts like Epona is her horse rather than yours. Although I know sometimes-"
"Enough chatting you two, I want to get the goats penned before it gets too late! I have stuff to put together for Rusl's next delivery to Castle Town." Link rolled his eyes before digging his heels into Epona's sides, taking off into a gallop and circling the edge of the ranch. The herding began, and as Link chased the goats into the barn, Enra penned them up as fast as she could. Link was good at what he did (just like everything he tried) and often goats would be herded in three of four at a time. Honestly, by the end of it all she was out of breath! Still, their work was finished just as the sky finally darkened, and the hour of dusk was over.
"Thank y'all for helping me out, here's a few rupees for your trouble." He tossed the pair a few blue rupees each before turning to head towards his storage shed. "Well, let me set the fences up so you can practice a bit before heading home!"
After he finished setting everything up, Fado leaned against the gate of the ranch, watching Link with a smile on his face. "Tha' boy's gonna go on to do something great, I can feel it in my bones, Enra," Fado spoke as Link cleared a fence, a wide grin spreading across his face as he patted Epona's neck. Enra smiled at the sight, but her smile fell as she turned to look towards Fado.
"He won't be coming back when he does, will he?"
"Now tha' I'm not sure of, but I know that he can't be a ranch hand forever. Neither can you," Fado smiled as Link landed another jump, a whoop of joy exiting his mouth as he steered Epona around for another round. "Still I think y'all be okay. Y'all both go out into the world eventually, we all venture out just to see wha's out there, and most of us come back, settle down, start a family. Ordon is a great place for that phase of your life, but youngins like you... well, you ain't need ta' worry 'bout none of that right now."
"Bo did it, right? I mean he went everywhere, didn't he?" Enra watched the way Epona moved, her powerful hooves stomping the ground just as she prepared to jump. The pair landed with a loud thump, turning the corner to catch the next fence just because. "I want to be like that one day. I wanna see everything, Fado. All of it. I want to see where I came from."
Fado nodded, "that's understandable, kiddo. You an' Link are the only Hylians here, and I'm sure you're wondering how Sera came to adopt ya' in the first place. Still, I know a few bits and pieces-" He stopped as Link trotted up on Epona, sweat dripping off his face as he stared down at the pair with a grin. Epona let out a slight huff of air, her chest going up and down with each gasp of air she took. They both got a workout in, and Enra patted Epona on the nose, cooing slightly at the horse.
"Enra! Did you see that last one? Wild ain't it? She's been doing so much better since she got hurt on that supply mission. I'm glad I've been workin' her back up, she's good as new now." Link rubbed the horse's neck gently before sliding off, grabbing her reins in his hand as he touched the ground. "Well, Ilia can't be mad at me for working her through it anymore, rest can only do so much, ya?"
"Don't let her hear you say that! She'll chase you throughout town with a whip again if you keep tryin' ta overwork her horse," Enra said, crossing her arms and trying to feign a serious face.
"Hey now! You know Epona is mine, just because Ilia found her doesn't mean anything. She chose me, fair and square."
"I'm just sayin', you let her hear that kinda talk comin' out of your mouth and she's gonna whoop ya. You'll let 'er too, that's the worst part," Enra let out a laugh, and Link's face turned red. He knew she was right, he'd pretty much let Ilia get away with anything, especially nowadays. Oh, to young love.
"A'ight tha's enough now, you two kids head on home now, ya hear?" Fado interrupted them, pushing open the gates to the ranch and gesturing for the pair to head off into town.
A sheepish look passed over Enra's face, and she nodded, leading the way with Link and Epona following closely behind. She still wanted to know what Fado knew about the circumstances surrounding her adoption, but the man seemed like he wanted them out of his hair, and she doubted she'd get any answers from him now. Still, it was something her mother never spoke of. Sera preferred to act like she birthed her on her own, and there was no way her father was going to say a word about it if Sera didn't want him to. Such is life, however, and Enra figured she'd find out about it one way or another. Absent-mindedly, the girl rubbed at her long, pointed ears, a feature that only her and Link shared, and it made them both stick out like sore thumbs.
Link hardly got to know his parents, his mother died when he was 6, and his father was never in the picture. The house he lived in was all he had of her, and he doesn't even remember what she looks like now. He was lucky Rusl took him in, showed him how to ride, how to fend for himself. He was pretty much raised by the whole town, though, as the rowdy orphan got into more than one sticky situation that a villager had to help him out of. Still, it was something both he and Ilia bonded over, the loss of a mother so early, although Ilia was lucky enough to still have her father around, as overbearing as he may be.
"You'll never believe what Rusl asked me to do today." The words punched through the air, almost startling Enra as she was jolted out of her train of thought.
"Hm?" She turned to look at him, stopping just before the turn back to the village. She could see the trees rising in the distance, the sound of the waterwheel churning throughout the river, and honestly, she was quite ready to go home. Her mother was making fish for dinner, gill caught by her father, and her stomach rumbled at the promise of food.
"He wants me to make the delivery to Hyrule Castle!" Link could hardly contain himself, a smile breaking out across his sharp features at the idea. "He wants me to present the sword to the court there, can you believe it?" Enra was struck, both with surprise and jealousy. She was the one who wanted to go off and explore Hyrule, and now Link all of a sudden got to venture out to the castle? How was that fair? Still, it wasn't her decision, and ultimately, she knew that it was a delivery she wouldn't have been able to make on her own. She couldn't help but be jealous, though, and she got very quiet for a second.
"I wish I could do something like that," Enra said, the words spilling out of her mouth like a whisper. Link stopped, and she turned to face him, a frown turning down the corners of her lips. Did he know? He never felt the same longing she had, and neither had Ilia. Although it's not something she talked about often, so she didn't know for sure. Still, both were content with their lives, and the idea that Link would be the one to get to leave instead of her almost frustrated her a little bit.
"What do you mean?"
Enra let out a sigh, crossing her arms and shrugging. "I just, I don't want to be in Ordon forever. I want to see Hyrule, I-" she paused, struggling to find the words she was looking for. "I-I just want to do something like that, I guess. I want to be able to visit the castle, see the royal court, explore castle town, maybe even see Lake Hylia!" A smile briefly crossed the girl's face at the thought of traveling, wandering across the land without anyone to scold her or to tell her she can't go somewhere.
"Then come with me!" Link reached over and grabbed her shoulder, a smile bursting across his face. "We can take detours on the way back, I can show you some of the cool things Rusl has taught me. I'm sure that Rusl wouldn't object, just like all of us he loves you like his own..."
Enra closed her eyes, a sigh escaping her lips; "you know my mother would never allow it, though. I doubt I'd even be able to convince her if you were with me."
"Then just leave, ask for forgiveness, not for permission. She'll be mad for a bit but she'll probably cool down by the time you get back," Link's startlingly blue eyes lit up at the thought, the rowdy child within him stirring. "I'd be happier with you by my side, honestly. I think it'd be good for the both of us."
"You think?" The girl's heart almost fluttered as he spoke, ridiculous notions of something more coming out of the trip than just a delivery to the castle. Enra almost had to shake her head to get them to go away, but she held up a finger to her lips, turning and walking forward as she thought. "I think... yeah I think that could work! I need to practice my bow work, I don't want to be completely useless on the way there you know, but my pa' keeps it locked up when I'm not training so I'm gonna have to figure out some way to steal it..."
They turned the corner, the village sprawling out in front of them in a scene of serene domestication. The stream just past the mayor's house bubbled happily, powering the waterwheel on the edge of the small lake hugging the town. The pumpkin patches showed great growth, with a few large pumpkins almost ready for the upcoming harvest. In the distance, towards the other end of town, Enra could see her family's shop, the small plateau's next to it almost obscuring her view. Just across, underneath the giant oak tree, she could see her house, Beth standing in front and trying to wave her down.
"I'll let you know when I'm about to leave, I'll just need you to meet me at the bridge, okay?" Link winked at Enra. "Don't be late though, I do have a deadline after all."
"Okay, okay. I promise, I won't be late."
"No cucco-ing out either!"
"Okay! I swear it on Link the Cat, cross my heart and hope to die." Enra let out a laugh, and as the pair approached her house, Link hopped onto the back of Epona. Beth let out a squeal as she saw her favorite person, and she ran towards him just as he was about to enter the passageway to his house.
"Oh! Link! Was my sister keeping you too long? Is that why you guys are late?" Beth had the largest grin on her face, and she leaned forward as she spoke. Her hands were clasped towards her face, and she was almost bouncing with excitement. "You know you don't have to listen to her ramble on about nothing, if you ever get sick of her just come talk to me!"
"Beth!" Enra exclaimed, running forward and almost tackling her sister. "How would you like me to tell him about the time I caught you kissing your pillow and sayin- "
Beth turned three shades redder, and she stomped her heel, turning towards her sister with her face all scrunched up. "Enra, that isn't fair! Why can't you just let me talk to him for a change!"
"Alright, alright, no need to fight, you can see me tomorrow, Beth. For now, I should go home," Link sent a wink her way, and Enra had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing. Beth's eyes lit up at the words, and as Link kicked Epona into gear, she almost ran after him.
"That better be a promise, okay!?"
He turned back, a light sparkling in his eye, "Absolutely."
With that, Link disappeared into the passageway leading out of town, heading towards his small house tucked away into the trees above. Beth watched for a few seconds, a dreamy look in her eyes as she thought about all the wonderful things they would do the next day. The child had had a crush on him for eons, although she did a worse job of hiding it than her older sister. It was plainly written all over her face, every single time she saw him. Enra thought it kind of adorable, her little 10-year-old sister crushing on pretty much the only other teenager that would give her the time of day. It wouldn't be long before she grew out of it, however. Eventually childish crushes faded away, and most are born out of proximity and a naïve understanding of how the world operates.
Beth turned on her heel, "Mama's in a bad mood, and you're late. Better be careful when you walk inside!" She giggled before taking off in a run, closing the door to the house in Enra's face with a snort, although behind the door Enra could hear the nagging of her mother already.
"Beth... it's not polite to shut the door in someone's face..."
"Aw... but ma' she was embarrassing me..."
Enra smiled before walking through the door. Her family was a lot sometimes, but damn it if she didn't love them.