He woke reaching for a weapon, chest heaving and sweat plastering his hair to his forehead as terror burned in his veins. Half-diluted memories tumbled endlessly around his mind, saturating reality and dragging him out of the safety of his room and into the nightmares he thought he had outrun.

He was watching Aryll's smile turn terrible and feeling her blood splatter across his face, each droplet frozen in midair as she collapsed to the ground and eyes the same color as her lifeblood regarding him coolly.

He was in his room at the back of Alfonzo's shop, where he had been staying for the past six months, clutching a wooden staff to his chest as he slammed his back into the corner that the bed was tucked into, tears dripping from his chin onto the blanket tangled around his legs.

He was standing in a stable reeking of horse droppings, meeting the terrified, angry, agonized eyes of a boy no older than he was as distant shouts began to rise through the night air.

He was-

"Link?!" At the intrusion, his memories splintered and fell away. His throat was painfully tight, both with silence and sobs he refused to let free. Gulley's voice was frightened, and he could hear the heavy thuds of footsteps—Alfonzo—as the blacksmith hurried to the door. Slowly, Link managed to uncurl his body. He drew in a deep, slow breath, letting the staff clatter to the ground as he stood and tugged the door open.

Alfonzo stood just off to the side, his massive broadsword unsheathed in his hands. Gulley was clinging to his father's leg, eyes round with fear. The giant blacksmith peered over Link's shoulder into the room, relaxing only once he'd made certain there wasn't anyone else there. Alfonzo sheathed his sword, eyeing him carefully as Link glanced down at Gulley questioningly.

The little boy let go of Alfonzo and tackled his legs, nearly sending him crashing to the ground.

"Thought there was a Blood Eye up here, way you screamed. You alright?" Link slowly nodded, bending down and picking Gulley up as the boy clutched him tightly.

"Didja have a nightmare?" Gulley asked, slowly lifting his head from where it was buried in Link's shoulder. He nodded hesitantly, gaze dark when it met Alfonzo's.

He'd thought he'd be fine if he returned. It had been nice, sort of, to come back to a familiar place and see people he already knew. He should have known better than to get his hopes up.

"Where will you go?" Alfonzo asked softly, reading the intent in his eyes as he reached forward and took his son from Link.

He stood there for a moment, not making any sort of acknowledgement of the question, then slipped past Alfonzo and out into the shop itself. He felt the blacksmith following him, heard Gulley whisper something to his father and the low rumble of Alfonzo's response.

Tacked up on the wall was a map of Hyrule, displayed just above a rack of iron weapons. Link paused just before it, gaze flicking across its surface.

All of the Eldin and Faron provinces had been covered in a thick layer of charcoal. Parts of Lanayru had been similarly darkened. Forty years and they were slowly but surely loosing Hyrule. Not just the land—the way things were going, by the time the war came to an end it would be because there wasn't anyone left to fight.

He'd spent the last few years roaming Lanayru province. There wasn't any place left for him to go in it now—he'd already been to all of the settlements. Ordona province looked promising, though he would have to pass through Faron province to get there.

Still, it would be worth it, if he found peace there.

He tapped Ordona with a finger and glanced over his shoulder at Alfonzo, a small, sad smile flickering across his face.

The blacksmith slowly nodded, giving him a similar expression as he adjusted his grip on Gulley.

"Are you going to leave now?" It was Gulley who asked, and the question made Link freeze for a moment. It was asked so quietly, so tearfully.

But chaotic, bloody eyes burned in the back of his mind and he nodded quickly, before he knew what he was doing.

"But—Link—! You promised to take me fishing tomorrow!"

Alfonzo's gaze met his over the top of the child's head, as he handed him to Link, warning him. Guilt fluttered, caught somewhere between the memory of those violent eyes and the six-year-old's tears. The knot in his throat loosened slightly as he set Gulley on his hip, sucking in a breath as the child wrapped his arms around Link's throat tightly, burying his head in his shoulder.

"I'm sorry." It was hardly more than a whisper, a breath of air, but Gulley heard it, and he went still against him.

"Is this 'cause of your bad dream?"

Link let out a soft hum, nodding his head slightly against silky strands of hair.

"But what about fishing?"

"Next time." It was only a touch louder than his apology, but that seemed to satisfy Gulley. The little boy braced his hands against Link's shoulders and pushed himself far enough away so that he could meet Link's gaze.

"You swear?"

A smile twitched into existence, and Link nodded. Gulley imitated the movement, making it far more curt and severe and decisive than Link's had been.

"Good."

He set the boy down on the floor as Gulley yawned, rubbing at his still-wet eyes.

"Go back to bed." Alfonzo rumbled softly, gently nudging his son in the direction of his bedroom. Gulley stumbled away wordlessly.

"You know the Guard will accept you back at any time, don't you?" Alfonzo asked softly once he was out of sight. Link nodded distantly, eyes on the map, on the province he would be heading to soon.

"You're still our Captain, Link."

He shook his head, one hand grasping uselessly for his sword hilt. He'd never truly been their Captain.

"If you ever need us…" Alfonzo trailed off, and he nodded solemnly, flashing a wan smile at the blacksmith. It was forced, but Alfonzo didn't call him out for it.

"Good luck." Alfonzo clasped his shoulder in one large hand, pulling him for a massive bear hug.

Link returned the embrace, burying his face in his friend's shoulder. He hated goodbyes—he tried to leave without ever having to say them.

But Alfonzo deserved one.

"Thank you."

Before Alfonzo could recover, Link was gone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

This takes place before Ocarina of Time, during the Great Betrayal (duh). The events in this will lead up, sort of, to what actually happens in OoT, to some degree, but I'm not going to actually write into that game. So it's prequel-y!

Shorter chapters! But hopefully more. Maybe. I'm attempting it. I know how long A Route and How to Live's chapters are, and I don't wanna do that bc DAMN.

AND OMG I'M TRYING TO WRITE A LINK THAT DOESN'T TALK (as much) AND I'M SO EXCITED. CUZ WOW.