1:In Which the Hero Takes Leave

"Linkle, dear, I wish you wouldn't leave like this," her grandmother said, sighing in worry, "After all, you've only just turned sixteen, and I've heard of some dark things going on over in Hyrule."

The girl she was addressing stood up from her packing, and smiled, "That's why I have to go, Granny," she said, holding up her family's compass, this proves that I'm the reincarnated Hero! It's my duty!" She wore a green cloak over a white tunic, and thigh-high boots made for travel.

"But you'll get lost again," her grandmother argued, "And what if you get hurt, or worse?!" Knowing her granddaughter was horrible at directions and extremely accident prone did not help to ease her worries. Almost to prove that point, she narrowly missed being hit by Linkle's bag as she swung it over her shoulder.

"I'll be fine, I promise!" Linkle smiled at her, her blonde bangs swinging as she bobbed toward the door.

Her grandmother sighed and tailed after her, "You say that every time you go out picking berries, and yet you always come back thorny, muddy, and bruised!"

"I mean it this time!" Linkle giggled.

"You mean it every time!" The old woman shouted after her as the child ran toward the roads, "Wait, not that way! That'll take you into the Faron woods!" She yelled, "Hyrule Field is the other way!"

"Okay!" Linkle giggled and turned down the wrong road anyway, "Bye, Granny!"

"But that's the wrong way!" She yelled, but the girl was already gone. "Oh, dear..."

=|Hyrule Castle|=

It had been two weeks after the Twilight War, and things in Hyrule were steadily returning to normal. Princess Zelda, now a proper queen, had overseen most of the rebuild of Castle Town, and of the surrounding villages, while her newly knighted friend, Link, hunted down any and all that had seen fit to try and over throw her in this time of crisis.

And Link's form of justice was a swift sword to the heart in many cases, and the weighed heavily on his own. Killing Bulbins, and other monster was one thing, but killing people? The green clad knight was close to his breaking point.

And it was beginning to show. Ashei had reported seeing him barely eating anything, and Rusl, one of her father's best former knights, said that he had been having nightmares that kept him from sleep, evident even to her by the dark circles under his eyes.

A problem she was now forced to address as the aforementioned hero stood before her, looking ragged. It pained her to see him like this even more than it did when she was forced to watch him face down Ganondorf Dragmire not so long ago. "Link, please stand up," she told the knight as he began to kneel, "You will kneel to no one in this court."

Link nodded, "Many thanks, Prin-er, Queen Zelda." He hurriedly corrected himself.

Zelda smiled and rolled her eyes at him, "Link, I didn't call you here to have you go on another mission, I called you here so that you could take time off," she said to the young man, to which he was slightly startled, "Don't try to deny that you need it, my friend, you've been running yourself ragged ever since the war's end."

"I only wanted to make sure you were well protected before everything calmed down," Link said, rubbing the back of his neck, "It's not like there's any shortage of dangers around here. Hell, it's more dangerous than most of the monsters I've fought in close quarters." He said, clarifying, "At least I know they were dangerous, unlike the castle, when people you've known your whole life would put a knife you back before you could scream for help."

"And you've done a great service to me in rooting them out," Zelda sighed, gesturing to him, "But look at yourself, Link, you've barely eating, slept, or even rested. You'll kill yourself at this rate." She shook her head, "You've done so much for me, even though you had no obligations to do so, and I can't even begin to thank you for all of this, but you need rest, and perhaps, time to get passed all of the things you've had to do."

"Get passed it," Link sighed, looking up at the young queen, "Forgive my insolence, My Lady, but when you look into the eyes of a man you've just killed and watch the light leave them, you tell me how you get over it. I would truly want to know."

The queen nodded sadly, "I fear I may never know the answer." She said, smiling gently toward her friend, "Link, I'm retiring you from active duty, and promoting you to Commander of the Hyrulian Army. Once your leave is done, at your leisure, you will teach our soldiers all that they need to know about being a knight. Like you."

Link smirked, "Are you sure the nobles will go for that? I am a foreigner after all?"

Zelda heard the humor in his voice, and smiled, "Ordonian, or Hylian, you are my choice, and they will honor it." She said, and smirked, "Or I could always threaten to send to queen's wolf after them."

Now it was Link's turn to role his eyes, "Very funny. I swear I still have problems with fleas." He grumbled, making the queen giggle behind her hand, "You will have proper protection while I'm gone?"

Zelda nodded with a small smile still on her lips, "I have Groose and Pipit, who you've worked with over the last few weeks, so you know how good they are."

"Aye, they're good," Link said, his worry lessening. "If you insist on this, I promise I won't be gone long."

Zelda rose from her throne and glided down to him, "Your worry for me is admirable, Sir Link," she said, and pecked his cheek, much to his embarrassment, "But you should worry more about yourself, or haven't you looked in the mirror lately?"

He rubbed the spot where she'd kissed him, feeling the stubble of several days of not shaving. "I...I suppose you're right."

"Of course," she smiled at him, raising her hand, "I wouldn't be very deserving of this if I wasn't right at least once in a while, would I?" She said, letting a small glow shine from the Triforce of Wisdom, causing Link's Triforce of Courage to react.

He reached for the blade at his back, "Should I return this?" He asked, gripping the hilt of the Master Sword.

Zelda shook her head, "No, it should remain with you until you feel the need to return it." She said, "Whether that mean it remains with you until your death, or decide to pass it on is entirely up to you."

Link nodded, and turned, "I suppose when I get tired of fighting, then I'll find a way to get it back where it belongs."

Zelda sighed as strode slowly down the hall, "It'll always belong with the Hero."

Link paused and looked back over his shoulder, "I'm no Hero, my queen...not anymore."

=x=

As Link prepared to leave, he stopped by Malo's Market, that annoying song of his still playing like mad, and made a few purchases for Colin and Beth. Though he was still too young to wield a proper sword, Link bought a dagger for Colin that would serve as a short sword for the boy if he ever got into trouble when he or Rusl weren't around.

Beth, who was getting to be a pretty little thing, was getting an ornate folding fan that most of the ladies around Castle Town seemed to like. Hers would be painted green, with little golden birds flying across the folds. Very nice in his opinion, but then he wasn't a girl. Finery was lost on him.

He paused for a moment, and bought up a few bolts of fabric for Uli, knowing that with a new baby girl, she would need to make many clothes, and he thought it would be nice for the family to have some fine clothing. After all, they'd practically raised him.

Now Epona was grumbling at him because was laden like a pack mule. If he were in his wolf form, he was sure that she'd be cursing him. A thought which made him chuckle. "Sorry, girl, I'll have put some apples in your next trough of feed."

Epona nickered at him as if to say, 'You'd better!' Link chuckled again, and led her out of the town, hearing a few calls from his admirers.

"Be safe, Lord Link!" A young woman called out.

"You'll be missed, Lad!" And older knight called out.

"Safe journey," called out another young woman, "And come back soon!"

Link took it all in stride, giving small smiles to each of them, but inside, he couldn't wait to get away. Life as someone important just didn't suit him. Yes, he served the queen as a knight of Hyrule, but fame was something he didn't think he would ever be accustomed to. As the gates opened wide for his departure, Link gave one last look over his shoulder at the castle, and smiled, "Let's go home, Epona."

He pulled himself into the saddle, and slowly rode for the Ordona province.

=|Meanwhile|=

Linkle felt extremely uneasy as she trod through the forest. It was barren save for the giant trees that must have taken centuries to grow so large, Keese hanging from their roots, and the odd Deku Baba that popped up when she got too close.

"I think," Linkle shivered, fingering her family's compass, "I must've gone the wrong way." She held a small lantern aloft, which seemed to be keeping back a small puffs of purple fog on the ground. Linkle noticed that what ever small plant or insect the fog touch shriveled up and died only moments afterward. The girl shook herself, "This must be a test! The goddesses put this in my path to test me!" She steeled herself, and marched on, the light from her lantern giving a comforting glow.

She soon came upon a small rise that led out of the fog, and she hurried up to it, taking a deep relieved breath. A bit too soon as it turned out. A shrill whoop sounded behind her as she turned just in time to avoid the club of a large red Bokoblin. The monster screamed at her and swung again, and Linkle wnet for her two crossbows strapped to her hips, firing a single shot from both, and burying a bolt in both the creature's lungs. Flung back by the fatal injuries, the Bokoblin gave a shrill scream as it fell back, dead.

Linkle was quick to reload her bows, recognizing the call for reinforcements, and moved back from the incline. She noticed a tunnel up the road, and made for it just as she heard more screams from the swamp, and blew out her lantern, hoping the darkness would hide her.

Keese squealed at the intrusion, and fluttered about her head, yanking back her hood, and catching her hair as they flew passed. She stumbled on blindly, shielding her head from the creatures. The screaming cries of the Bokoblins reached her ears making her hurry all the more as she tried to get away. One or two she could handle, but as many as she heard would be suicide with only her crossbows.

Suddenly she slammed into what felt like a wooden wall, planks creaking from the impact. Light streamed through the cracks. She tore at them, ripping off boards as quickly as she could, hoping to create at least a space large enough to crawl through.

"What in tarnation's going on in there?!" Someone yelled from the other side, "Them damn Bokoblins are trying to get in again!"

"Help!" The girl yelled, and thrust her arm through a crack, "I can't get through!"

"DAMNATION!" The man yelled, the sound of running feet coming toward her, "You just hang on, miss, I'll have you outta there in no time!"

The sound of feet slapping against stone reached her ears, "Hurry!" She tore at the boards savagely, whirling around to fire her crossbow when she heard something moving behind her, and hearing the scream of a Bokoblin. The sound of hooves hitting the ground reached her ears and a man's shout joined the other's. The sounds of the Bokoblins were getting closer, and she hefted her second bow, ready to fire...when a pair of strong arms crashed through the barrier and pulled her through, light blinding her for a moment as the unknown people pulled her to safety.

"Link, they're still coming!" The first man yelled.

The girl blinked against the light and strained to see a green clad figure, and the gleam of steel in his hands, "GET BACK!" The man, Link, roared at the cave, hearing the screaming just beyond the wooden frame. Finally, her vision cleared enough for her to see him. Like her, he was clad in green as the Hero should be, and wielded a gleaming long sword with a blue pommel in his left hand, and a large shield in the right, "I said get back!" He roared again, thrusting the gleaming blade into the cave, and the pained scream of a Bokoblin followed.

She staggered to her feet, hefting her bow once more, but saw that the creatures were indeed backing off as they eyed Link's sword a wearily. "Coro, get some boards!" Link yelled.

"On it," Cora said, coming forward with a bucket of nails, hammers and boards under his arms, "Damned if we weren't lucky when you showed up, Link!"

"Tell me about it later," Link said, sheathing his sword and taking a board, "We need to get this closed up again, or else the whole forest will be overrun by tomorrow!" He took a hammer and a few nails from the bucket and started hammering the boards in, as did Coro. Linkle only stood with her bow aimed at the cracks until they had it completely covered.

"Hoo," Coro sighed, wiping his brow, "that should do it for a while." He turned and looked at the girl, "How in world di you get in there, anyways?"

Linkle sank to the ground, "Ugh, I was trying to get to Hyrule castle, but I couldn't find it," she groaned tiredly, "The path I took was supposed to lead to Hyrule Fields but I ended up in that horrible swamp!"

"You didn't breath in any of the fog, did you?" Link asked in concern, coming forward, "It's toxic if your breathe it in!"

Linkle shook her head, "My lantern seemed to keep it away."

Link sighed in relief, "If you were looking to get to Hyrule Fields, you're way of coarse," he said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder, "You're in Ordona."

"Wha -?!" Linkle cried, "B-but I was in Lanryu before I came here!"

Coro whistled, "Damn, girl, how long were you traveling?"

"About a week," Linkle mumbled in despair, "And I wanted to help with the war effort." She pouted cutely, which tugged on both men's hearts.

"The war's been over for about two weeks," Link put in, causing a proverbial cloud to hang over the girl's head, "Uh, you know, our village isn't too far from here, so why don't I take you there, and I'll take you to Hyrule Castle in a day or two?"

Linkle's stomach growled, making the girl blush.

Coro chuckled, "It's about that time when Bo holds the village gathering at his home," he said, smiling, "There's a lot of food to go around when he does that. Sort of a family thing when you look at it."

"That settles it," Link smiled at the girl, reaching out his hand, "Let's go, Miss...er, I don't guess I asked your name?"

"Linkle," she sniffled, "My name's Linkle."

Link smiled as she took his hand and helped her up, "Well, Linkle, my name is Link, Commander of the Hyrulian army."

=x=

Linkle was blushing heavily as she rode behind the young man that had saved her. Commander of the royal army, she reminded herself, no wonder he dresses like the Hero. His shoulders were broad and muscular, and his body felt as if it were sculpted from stone.

His dark hair and deep blue eyes gave him a roguish look like that of a wolf, and she found herself stealing glances at his slightly angled face once or twice as they rode in silence.

"So," Link spoke up, startling her, "What brought you out here?" He asked, "It couldn't have been the war?"

Linkle nodded shyly, "It was. I wanted to prove myself by fighting."

Link chuckled, "Queen Zelda, and Dame Ashei would like you. There's only one female knight among the army, and she rose up only after she helped me fend off the invasion."

Linkle shook her head, "I don't want to be just a knight," she reached around her neck and showed him her compass, "This golden compass was passed down through my family for generations, and proves who I am, or who I'm supposed to be." She said, sounding proud.

"And who is that?" Link asked.

"The reincarnated Hero," Linkle smiled at him, making the man blink. "What's wrong, Mister Bink?"

"Link," he corrected, "And I think you're in for a shock." He said, and lifted his left hand, willing his Triforce to come alive, "Because I'm the Hero, Linkle."

I started writing this when I was scanning through LoZ pairings for the hell of it, and I noticed that Linkle and Link had no pairings whatsoever...I couldn't help myself.

Review it you like it :p