Zelda eyed the forest in front of her. Tall, dark and menacing, it was no wonder the villagers didn't dare go inside. Zelda let out the breath she had been holding with distate.
"Please, Ma'am, we will pay you, just-"
It was not the task at hand what bothered Zelda, she had done a dozen of these. The Spirits were always eager to make contact and often they got their ways inside people's heart. It wasn't hard to fall for them, it wasn't that hard either to repel the spells.
"He's a really important member of our community, please-"
What bothered Zelda wasn't the difficulty either. Sure, people who wanted to give away their bodies to the Spirits were always harder to fight, and this boy had obviously done so.
"Please, everyone else left, please-"
What bothered Zelda was the distress in the villagers. It was seeing the obvious close-knitted community that was suffering this 'tragedy' of sorts in which they believed their boy had been seduced by evil beings.
How was Zelda supposed to tell them that he had probably given himself to them?
Light Spirits were, as their name suggested, part of the good guys. Sure, they were mischievous as every Spirit was, but they didn't curse people because they felt like it.
That boy had asked for it.
And now the village wanted him back.
And the reason people just didn't come here anymore was because fighting a curse with someone who wanted it was a drag.
Why was Zelda here, again?
Oh, right, Midna and her bets and her witty remarks that made Zelda feel inferior.
Yeah, fuck that, Zelda would show her.
Zelda entered the forest with a disgusted face, "You could have at least found a better place to hide in," Zelda wrinkled her nose, the swamp looked purple and it smelled like rotten porridge, "an open place, for starters, maybe some patches of flowers, nothing fancy, just-"
A wolf, too big to be called a wolf, showed its face from a hill to Zelda's right and Zelda smirked, "I'm sure you could have done better."
The wolf growled, a sound that came from its belly and that echoed with the trees, making a cacophony that sounded like it came from hell.
Zelda could understand why everybody ran away from him, "That all you got?" Zelda teased. It had been 8 months and 12 days since his change, if what a young villager named Ilia could be trusted.
The wolf squinted its eyes and Zelda could see human features hidden in it. Ilia had been obviously distressed by the boy's fate and her eyes had been blood-shot. It was always a good way to test the waters to mention the name of someone close.
"He's my childhood friend, please-"
Zelda stood to her full height, "Ilia is worried, you know?"
If the wolf just maintained its usual behaviour then his soul was trapped way inside and Zelda's work was doubled instantly. The wolf barked as if he could take Zelda's arm all the way from the hill, and Zelda smirked, fear climbing up her legs, "Good boy," she whispered.
She walked towards the wolf and his response was to growl again, "You're gonna need more than that to make me turn tail," sure, her head felt light but he didn't need to know that.
Usually, possessed people who felt threatened ran back to their lair and then attacked. Usually, because the wolf followed Zelda with his fangs bared and when Zelda reached the start of the hill, he looked enormous, drool dropped from the side of his mouth and his hairs stood on end.
"Oh, well," Zelda touched her hip and felt her dagger, "you wanna make this quick, I guess?"
The wolf gave a step forward and inched closer.
"I'll have you know, buddy, I've fought things ten times your size. So what do you say you let me help you and you'll be able to go back to your village?"
That was the wrong thing to say, apparently, because the wolf jumped with a snarl and Zelda had to call upon her Light Shield to stop him from squishing her to death.
Well, that was useful information. The wolf reacted to his old life and his return caused him pain. A sad, desperate boy who had wanted to escape from... what?
Zelda would have to find out.
The wolf was relentless, but Zelda dodged and blocked with eased practice. The moment he stopped to take a breather, Zelda spoke, "You know the village called upon me, right?" The wolf snapped his teeth together and if that wasn't a threat then Zelda would eat her shoe, "but I'm not the first one, am I? You've had that form for eight months, already. The village called upon a bunch of witches, three came before me, you injured one heavily and the other two gave up when they saw you unwilling to help."
The wolf turned and wagged his tail slowly.
"You do know, don't you? You asked for this, I will need your help to undo it."
The wolf ran directly towards Zelda and when Zelda called her Light Shield to protect herself the wolf used it to jump and run in the opposite direction.
Zelda was left to fight alone, "Well... fuck you, too."
Zelda walked through the forest the rest of the day, memorized places and planned strategies right there. She didn't know if the wolf was following or not, but she wasn't scared. Nervous, for sure. Anxious, greatly. But not scared.
What kind of scared her, and she would greatly avoid was the talk the villagers would expect from her.
Before leaving and to the void in front of her, she shouted, "I'm more stubborn than the ones you faced before, you hear me?"
Zelda didn't know, but the wolf followed her out the forest.
When Zelda went back to the village she faced the people waiting for her with optimism. No work was ever done in a day. Yes, she had seen the boy. Yes, he looked fine. Well, still cursed, but strong and still inside. How long would it take? Well, how about we eat first, huh?
Zelda had evaded any and all loaded questions and had safely returned to the room the Mayor had lent her.
It was just her luck that the boy's childhood friend was the Mayor's daughter.
Ilia, if Zelda recalled correctly, opened Zelda's door just enough for Zelda to see her eyes and the shame behind them.
"May I have a moment with you?"
Zelda would rather return to the forest, but the girl was clasping her trousers hard and Zelda had seen it so many times before. "Of course, come in."
Ilia walked with her eyes downcast and sat in a nearby chair. "Is he," she started, but the tears dropped almost immediately and Zelda bit her lip.
"I'm sorry," whimpered Ilia, "It's just- You're the fourth one and the more time it passes..."
"The harder it becomes to undo," Zelda finished. The first law she had learned a while back. "Don't worry," Zelda should have known better than to speak with haste, "I'll bring him back."
There was a reason why Zelda had self-imposed the lonely persona. She sucked at being cold.
The wolf remained hidden that day. It helped Zelda grow used to the surroundings and the flow of magic there. It was strong. And though Zelda couldn't pinpoint why, it also felt weird.
As Zelda walked through the forest she encountered what used to be a clear spring, she was sure. There were some small falls around it and if only she took away the weird smell and the purple color from it, she could see clear water running, birds and animals getting closer, a Light Spirit residing there. Zelda took a step forward and stopped mid-movement. She closed her eyes and let her clairvoyance show her images. This was where the boy talked to the Spirit. The Light Spirit used to live there, should still be there. Spirits didn't normally leave their resting places.
Zelda walked to the water, kneeled near the shore. She couldn't feel the Spirit. She could feel its signature magic, it was still strong, but she couldn't see nor hear it.
Zelda turned as she felt a new signature coming from behind. The wolf. And Zelda's weird feeling was starting to take form.
"This is where you talked to the Spirit, wasn't it?"
Zelda got a growl as an answer. But she didn't need one. She could feel the Spirit's magic inside the wolf. "Why is it like this?" The wolf came closer. "Did you dirty it?"
The wolf bared its fangs. "Ligh Spirits don't dirty their places like this. Light Spirits don't leave their places either."
The wolf started running towards Zelda, and Zelda raised her hand, "This one is gonna hurt, wolf!"
Zelda called forth her Light Magic, but commanded it to attack instead of defend. The moment the wolf touched her magic it growled and stepped back.
"Told ya," Zelda teased, she took a stance and ran to the wolf.
The animal froze a second, not used to being attacked. Zelda jumped to the wolf and couldn't shake the feeling that had taken root in her stomach. This place felt weird, the wolf felt weird.
Zelda hugged the wolf's head and brought him to the ground, she opened her legs for support as she kept him pinned under her arm. As he thrashed around and bit the air around her, Zelda enveloped her hand with magic and tried to pry open the barrier around the him.
The wolf contorted its body and bit Zelda's upper arm, she cursed to the air and flung the wolf away from her.
The animal disappeared into the forest and Zelda flowed magic through her wound, "No wonder nobody could take you on, you weirdo."
Zelda shook her head as she opened and closed her hand.
There was a Light Spirit and a Twilight Spirit inside of him.
Ilia was sitting in the corner of the room while Uli dressed Zelda's wound.
"I'm sorry," Ilia said.
Zelda cocked her eyebrow at her, "It's not your fault, though? The wolf should be sorry."
Ilia looked at her hands, "I'm sure he is," she whispered.
Uli tightened Zelda's bandages, "Ilia, love, may I have some time alone with the witch?"
Ilia dragged her feet across the floor. Zelda coughed into her hand, nervous at being alone with the older woman.
"Link," Uli said. Zelda stared back. "He's called Link."
Ah. Zelda had known. It was just her policy to keep calling the beasts by their beast name. "Uh, sorry about that, it's just... It makes it easier for my job, you know? He's not the first wolf I encounter, nor the first monster," Zelda tried to gauge Uli's expression at the word, but the woman remained calm, "I have faced. It makes things easier for me."
Uli nodded, "I know, but still. Link."
Zelda gave a weak smile, "Sure."
Uli was looking at her clasped hands, "Can you save him?" Zelda tried to move her shoulder. It stung, but she hadn't lost movility. "And please don't lie to me," Uli was on the verge of tears, "that child, he's like a son to me..."
Zelda grimmaced when she touched around her wound. "He's a tough one, for sure, but I'll bring him back."
Uli locked eyes with Zelda, evaluated her words, "I sometimes think we might have done this to him."
Zelda peered her ears at Uli's words. She would have prompted the woman to keep on talking, but Uli didn't need that.
"He's an orphan, and he was- is the perfect child. Everyone loves him," Uli had to sniffle a little as her eyes pooled with tears, "he was so good at everything, so flawless." Uli's lip trembled a little, "But what if he just didn't allow himself to be anything but perfect? What if he believed he had to be perfect in order to have a place with us?"
Uli grabbed at her chest and Zelda could feel her heart squeezing, "I'm the closest thing he has to a mother, and if he felt that way-" Uli choked and shook her head. Zelda was at a loss for words.
"What if his only escape was making a deal with a Spirit?" Uli whimpered.
Zelda had feared that. Zelda had believed that to be the case. It wasn't unheard of, she had seen people making deals with Spirits for less than what Uli was telling her. But now that she gradually begun to understand the love of the village for him, the pain his surrogate mother felt. The denial to just let that child go.
"Do you believe him to be capable of leaving you all for that?"
Uli shook her head, cried in a tiny voice, "Never."
And Zelda answered with conviction, "Then he didn't."
That night, Zelda stayed awake looking at the ceiling of her room and feeling her wound pulsing.
When she felt sleep reclaiming her, she recalled the blue eyes of the wolf before falling asleep.
Zelda left before anyone woke the next morning. She could handle any Light Spirit with ease, it was her expertise and pride. And if what she believed was true, then she only had to really concentrate on fighting the Twilight Spirit.
Zelda hid the last symbol on the ground with foliage and retreated under a tree. She took out her notebook and checked everything she had just done. Midna, a fellow witch who specialized in Twilight Spirits was a snotty, know-it-all, mean woman who enjoyed making fun of Zelda. But whenever Zelda asked her a question about Spirits, Midna would answer with as much detail, as many times as needed and with as much patience as Zelda required. "I can't believe you're one of the top witches, you know?" she would say at the end, but as Zelda checked her notes, Midna had signed at the end of the page with a heart and her name.
Zelda snickered as she reviewed her plan in her mind. The boy, if what Zelda though was right, was being protected by a Light Spirit against a Twilight one. How he had come under a fight between Spirits was of no consequence now, what mattered was that the Twilight Spirit was on the outer layer and the Light Spirit was on the inside layer. At this point the Light Spirit would be fusing with the boy, but Zelda was sure she could take care of that without problem. Or maybe a little, she grimaced, but she could take care of it.
What mattered most were Midna's sigils against Twilight Spirits. Those had to weaken the Spirit so Zelda could talk to Link and wake him up from the stupor.
If he still wanted to get out. And if he was still conscious.
"Won't know till we try," Zelda raised her head and greeted the scarce sunlight that reached the forest ground.
Zelda started to walk without direction, "Bait time."
Zelda heard the wolf behind her after half an hour later. She turned, "Hey, I'm starting to like you, you don't keep a lady waiting."
Zelda crouched down, feigned an attack the wolf barely dodged. "Feeling cocky, buddy?"
The wolf ran to her and Zelda fell back as quickly as she could. She could hear the wolf behind her, inching closer. Zelda could hear the wolf's breath near her head when she jumped a hidden sigil and rolled in the ground, turning to face Link.
The wolf was engulfed in dark colored magic, his movements were halted and the growl that left him was pained. The wolf howled to the sky.
"Link!" Zelda called, "we are getting you out, you hear me!? I need you cooperation!"
The sigil died down and the wolf huffed, he trotted to Zelda and soon was sprinting in her direction.
Zelda gave a couple of steps back, "I never said it would be easy, Link."
The wolf jumped at her when he grew closer, but the sigil captured him mid air and enveloped him again. The magic brought him to the ground, where Link let out a shriek that made Zelda cover her ears.
"I need you to talk to me, all right?" Zelda screamed back, "When you hear my voice, I need you to tell me!"
When the sigil started to die out Zelda sprinted away from Link. The wolf made a last attempt to catch her before she hid, although she could see he was being wary, jumping from side to side and eyeing his surroundings, a sigil activated anyways and the wolf cried out in frustration.
Zelda screamed back her instructions, but the wolf just snapped its fangs together. When the magic died out and Zelda stood still the wolf didn't move. His breathing was hard and he started to walk backwards.
"Link," Zelda warned, but the wolf turned and jumped. A sigil caught him again. Zelda was sure his screams were half pain and half frustration.
The wolf was barely standing when he got caught in another one. Zelda noticed a change immediately, as the scream resembled more and more a hylian instead of a beast.
"Link!"
The sigil died out and the scream continued, the beast was no longer fighting the magic outside, now it was fighting what was inside of it.
"Link!"
The wolf bit at the air once, twice, shook its head and walked gingerly around.
Zelda inched closer, knowing that if the wolf stepped there... another scream filled the air and Zelda could feel her heart beating as she realized the moment was drawing closer.
It lasted one second, one second in which Zelda heard a scream so disturbingly hylian she felt her chest tighten, "Link, my name is Zelda! I need you to-!"
The howl that followed was drawn out and finally, in between fangs closing with strength, the wolf gave a final shake and sat. Worn out, the wolf looked at Zelda without moving a muscle.
"You can't talk?" Zelda whispered, and she realized just how close he had been to changing, "Raise one paw if it's you, Link."
The wolf looked down to its paws and fumbled trying to raise one and not fall to the ground. As he looked back to her he whimpered.
Zelda walked closer and kneeled next to him as she started to draw in the ground a sigil with a stick. "This will hurt, all right?" Link whimpered again, "I will guide you through it, but I need you to listen." Another whimper. Zelda digged the last symbol and kneeled in front of the wolf. "The pain will blind you, I need you to listen," Zelda stressed.
Link shook his head and stood, he bit out once, without strenght, and Zelda hurried to chant her song.
The sigil came to life and Link bit out again, Zelda feared he would lose control but his fangs kept away from her.
The wolf turned black and started to lose its shape. "Link, I need you to picture yourself! You legs, your arms, your torso and head! Every part of you body!"
The black mass grew and shrunk and grew again, its shape was losing control so Zelda shouted, "You can remember you family first! Remember them and then remember yourself! Your name is Link! And they want you back!"
The shadow grew legs that kneeled in front of her, "You're doing good, Link!"
The shadow grew arms that reached for her. Zelda grabbed Link's hands on her own, "You're doing amazing, Link! Keep on going!"
The shadow had hylian form but its head was a formless mist, "Link," Zelda squeezed his hands, "come back, Link."
The sigil died out and the shadow fluttered to the sky before turning its eyes to Zelda. "I better not find you again, you fucker"
The shadow turned and left, wobbling as it got away, and Zelda felt Link falling to her chest. "Woah, there. Link?" Zelda accomodated him on her arms, his eyes were two slits but she could see the same blue she had seen on the wolf. "Hey, buddy," Zelda greeted, Link was in too much pain to do anything but groan, "don't worry," Zelda lit her hand with magic, "one more and you'll be all right."
Before Zelda could even start to search for the Light Spirit inside Link, the boy grabbed her arm and shook his head.
"No," he croaked. His dirty blond hair sticked to his forehead with sweat. Zelda frowned, but Link repeated, "no."
Link's grip was weak at best and Zelda knew he was about to pass out, "You have another Spirit inside you, it can hurt you."
Link tried to shake his head. "No," his lips were chapped and his skin was pale, "protected me."
Zelda's frown deepened but when she asked him what he meant, Link had already passed out. Her hand was glowing gold, filled with magic, but as she rested it on Link's chest she let it die out.
Zelda reached for her dagger out of instinct, "I hear you," she turned to the rustle of leaves and started to chant for her magic.
As if he was on a stroll, as if they were friends, Link walked out of the foliage. "Zelda," he greeted.
Zelda had her hand on her dagger, "Link?"
The blond nodded and stepped closer, Zelda didn't move, "I left a month ago."
"A month and 13 days, yes."
Zelda cocked her head, "I got paid."
"I know, I made sure to repay everyone."
Zelda straightened but squinted her eyes, "Why are you here?"
"I never got to thank you."
"As I said, I got paid. That's thanks enough," Link shifted in his place and Zelda turned around. Not her problem anymore, "I don't know how you managed to find me, but you're welcome."
"Want to see a magic trick?"
Zelda turned to ask Link to stop wasting her time but Link was nowhere to be found and instead a blue eyed wolf - too big to be called a wolf - stood in front of her.
"Now I can talk like this," the wolf said, and Zelda opened her mouth in shock.
Zelda infused magic into her hand, golden magic flowed through her. Link stood and jumped side to side.
"Hey, no! It's fine, we're pals"
"Excuse me?"
"The Light Spirit and I, we're pals!"
Zelda closed her eyes, "Hard to believe."
"Well, how else do you explain this, huh?"
Zelda shook her head and rolled her eyes, "Fine, great trick, I'm leaving."
"This is how I found you, you know? My sense of smell is off the charts."
"Good for you."
"Also," the wolf jumped in front of her and now there stood Link, "I can change at will, and pretty fast, too!"
Zelda snickered at his energy, "Really impressive, Link."
Link locked eyes with her but didn't last long, he stared at the ground instead. "Thanks for sparing them. I lost conciousness so I wasn't sure you had heard me."
Zelda smiled, "Don't worry about that, I'm glad you're safe."
"They tried to protect me, you know, I don't remember much but the Twilight Spirit was trying to take a hold of me and to prevent that the Light Spirit..."
Zelda nodded, "They must have liked you very much to do that, Link."
Link stood there and didn't move.
"Is there anything else you want to tell me?"
Link squirmed under her gaze, "Yes," he whispered.
"What is it?"
Link looked straight, "I want to travel with you."
Zelda snickered but covered her mouth with her hand, "Thanks, but no. I'm good on my own."
Link stood firm, his hand moved around, "I can turn into a wolf and I'm by no means weak," Zelda was shaking her head, "in any of my forms."
Zelda started to walk and Link grew frantic, "I can smell Spirits now and I can handle myself with a sword, I'm a fairly good cook and-"
"And your family, Link?" Zelda interrupted, "your village?"
And that seemed to shut him up real fast. Zelda gave him a couple of seconds and then kept on walking.
"They know," Link answered, "I told them... showed them everything. I repayed every single rupee they spent on me, I talked with every single one of them about my decision and-" Link looked at her but then looked to the ground again, "They know."
Zelda knew the right decision was to tell him, nicely but strongly, that he had to go back. But his eyes were clear and his words were soft and her clairvoyance was telling her that him...
"I'll have you work for your own expenses, you know?" Link lit up immediately, "we can take turns cooking, and I guess your powers will come in handy somehow, but no slacking off-"
"Yes, ma'am!"
"and I'll have you know that other witches might want to have you for themselves, you're a rare specimen as of know, all right?..."
Link couldn't hide his excitement and Zelda couldn't help but be infected by it. She told him about her new- their new mission and the more they walked the more her clairvoyance settled.
And well, The Witch and the Wolf, it had a nice ring to it.