Gentle music, carried by the soft, ever flowing breeze, wafted through the air and into Link's ears. It didn't take him a more than a millisecond to realize who it was, either. A few more seconds and the hero could pinpoint exactly where the music was coming from. And he wasted no time in sprinting in the direction of the recognizable accordion.
"Ah! Hero!" The joyous voice laughed, watching an all too familiar Hylian run up the hill with no care for his own well-being. The music stopped as Kass chuckled some more. "Brave warrior, did my tune attract you once more?" A nod was all he received before Link doubled over, breathing quite heavily. Kass started to slowly play the instrument again, tilting his head this way and that. "Well, I am glad you find some semblance of happiness from this."
Link planted his body next to Kass, puffing loudly, desperately trying to catch his breath. Slowly, the song continued. Link, eyes closed, nodded his head along with the bird and his languid motions. His breathing finally caught up to him, and eventually conformed to the rhythm of the music. "This song was passed down to me from my father's father. A sad tune it is. About the deaths of the champions—However, I believe that this song does not make you somber in the least. In fact, you seem to enjoy it. That—Now, that…Yeah, that makes me happy…" Silence ( save for the accordion ) fell over them once more as nostalgia crept into Kass's heart.
For Link, this was a nice break—After weeks of trying to save the kingdom, he needed a breather. A time to escape from the horrid world that had enveloped him so suddenly. Sleep should have been that escape, but he could never fall into deep slumber. Nightmares woke him up constantly. Sometimes he would awake to find himself screaming, in a cold sweat, swearing that his life was about to end; only to find out that it was just a dream…
"Hylian, would you like to join me for dinner?" The music had stopped minutes ago, but Link had been too lost in his thoughts to really register it. Now, the other's voice was bringing him back to the real world. "I have some exquisite Staminoka Bass that just needs to be roasted over the fire for a few minutes." Link opened his eyes and turned his head towards the other before nodding once. Kass's face broke out into a smile and he set down his beloved instrument.
Taking off his pack, the avian gingerly removed four Bass from the brown satchel. "I heard that the Zora absolutely love this fish. They prepare it alongside Ironshell Crabs. A wonderful kebab, if you ask me." It didn't take long for Kass to set up the fire. All he did was lay out a couple of twigs, click together a rock and some flint, and let nature do the rest. The dry plant matter quickly caught fire, burning up a storm in seconds. "I don't think we need to add much more than a pinch of salt and it should be ready to go!"
The whole time, Link just sat there, watching his friend start their dinner whilst talking about menial things. Every so often, Kass would flick his eyes back to where Link was, only to see him staring intently at what he was doing. This made the bird feel overjoyed—Most people would feel creeped out, but not Kass. No, he was happy to have someone pay attention to him and show complete enrapturement in what he was doing.
In a few minutes, their meal was done. Link grabbed up his two fish and inspected them slowly before taking a bite out of the side of one. He hummed in delight and gave the other a thumbs up. "Well, well, well, I'm absolutely ecstatic that you are enjoying this, Hero." Remarked Kass, taking a bite of his own and swallowing it. "I'm thinking after this, I may have to sleep…I've been up for a while now." A sad look washed over Link's face and Kass couldn't help but chortle. "Don't worry, friend. You may sleep here with me. I would not mind the company."
As the sun's final rays slipped past the mountains, so did their final bites slide down their throats and into their stomachs. "Ah, that was wonderful, Link…I'm so glad you decided to join me—And I'm so glad you came to see me." A few fireflies started flashing their lights, each one flickering in a unique pattern. "You see, people make traveling out to be like it's this big adventure. And, while they're right, they forget to include the loneliness…The late nights, finding a place to sleep…The nights where you can't sleep…" Kass scooted over towards the half-buried log, slowly resting his back against it. "And while it's fun and all…It gets mighty lonesome. I'm sure you understand, right, Link?" The Hylian rose from his sitting position and nodded, approaching the bird.
"Haha, yeah, I knew you would…" The bird extended out one wing, allowing the small human to curl up next to him. Those same feathers gently wrapped around the body. Warmth immediately cradled Link and it wasn't long before he was slowly slipping deeper into the soft pools of sleep.
"Goodnight, brave warrior…Sweet dreams."