Chapter 1 - Arrival

A petite girl with coppery red hair and lovely lavender eyes makes her way through the busy street towards the south gates of the large city, a small brown bag in her arms. Sighing, she glances up at the sky, a slightly worried look on her face. Though she has been in the city for a few days now, it was all still a little overwhelming. Castle Town, Hyrule, these words struck a chord with her, but she just couldn't seem to get past the fog that had settled over her memories. Though she did know a few things, like the fact that her name was Mina and she was seventeen years old, there was a lot she didn't remember and that troubled her. The city felt familiar and yet foreign to her at the same time. Almost like she had heard stories or seen images of the city, but had never been there in person. It was all very disorienting to her.

Shaking her head, Mina exits the city's south gates, taking a deep breath to calm her troubled heart. Moving further down the steps, Mina takes a seat, setting the bag next to her and taking out the steamed dumplings she had just purchased. As she enjoys her meal, Mina watches as the sun slowly sets, the sky turning orange, pink and red. It was so peaceful.

Behind her, Mina could still hear the sounds of the city. Apparently there was some big celebration approaching and everyone was busy preparing for the festivities. The city was packed full of people either helping out with the preparations or waiting for the parties to start. Actually, she had been lucky enough to get the very last available room in the entire city. Although, she felt a little awkward staying by herself in a room obviously arranged for two. She also knew it was dangerous for a young lady to be by herself in such a large city and she would have felt a little better if she had someone there with her.

The manager from the inn made her feel better though. She was a kind middle aged woman who seemed quite fond of Mina. When she first woke on the stream bank with no memories, Mina was sure she would be in a lot of trouble, but when she examined herself and her surroundings she found several things. She was dressed in a long, tan gown with ribbons on the bodice and sleeve cuffs, on her feet were brown boots with small heels and her knee length hair was tied back with a white satin ribbon.

On the ground near Mina's side was a dark brown satchel with a long strap that she could only assume belonged to her. Picking it up, she examined the contents and found with a start that no matter how deeply she reached, Mina could not seem to find the bottom, though she did find one equally odd item. Inside the satchel was a beige purse with a thin, gold rope tying it shut. It had a flower design around the bottom with crawling vines snaking up the sides. It was pretty and when Mina opened it she was surprised to find it filled with rupees. On instinct, Mina removed the currency, closed and reopened the bag. To her surprise it had somehow refilled itself with the Hylian currency.

There was something very familiar about the items. With no one else around and no other items in the area Mina grabs the satchel, placing the purse and rupees inside, and slings it over her shoulder as she stands. After glancing over the area one last time, Mina picks a direction and begins walking. It seemed luck was with her as her feet lead her North, straight to Castle Town where she enters through the south gates. After that, her luck held, leading her inside and to an Inn with one room still available. The rest of the day was spent talking to the Inn Keeper, learning where she was and what was happening inside the city.

Mina had explained to the Inn Keeper, Miss Lana, that she had no memories from before she woke just an hour prior and asked if the woman might know her. She had been a little disheartened when the woman said no. In fact, she explained to Mina that everything about her, from her clothes to her accent, gave the impression that she might even be foreign. It made sense to Mina, though she still couldn't explain why everything felt so familiar. Some things did come back to her over the next few days. Little bits and pieces she glimpsed in her dreams, but they were small and fragmented, mixed with other, different memories; memories of a boy in a green tunic with blond hair and beautiful blue eyes.

The "memories" she had of this boy felt different, odd. It felt like she had been watching him from far away or through a pane of glass. She had watched him as he fought monsters and, at times, even became one – a blue eyed wolf. Mina wasn't sure if these "memories" were just her imagination or not. They didn't feel quite as real as the other memories. It was all so confusing and just thinking about it made Mina's head hurt. Shaking her head of these thoughts, Mina sighs again as she looks out over the fields South of Castle Town. A slight breeze blows though the area, bringing a smile to the girl's face.

As she gazes out over the land scape the sound of hooves against stone pulls Mina out of her thoughts. Moving against the side of the railing, she pulls her bag of food closer, making room for the other person to pass by, but the sound stops further up the wide stone steps. Mina hears a sigh followed by, "What am I going to do? I'm all out of rupees and the others won't be here for five more days…"

Mina tenses at the sound of the oddly familiar voice before slowly turning to look behind her. On the other side of the wide stone steps, perhaps ten feet behind her, was a blond male wearing a green tunic and matching hat. Halfway up the steps was a large flat area with low flower boxes to either side. The boy was sitting on the wide railing next to one of the flower boxes a few steps above Mina, his horse's reigns held loosely in one hand. The horse nudges his arm with his her nose, earning a few strokes from the boy. "What should we do, Epona?" he mumbles to the horse, Mina could barely hear him. "I guess I could try to find a way to earn rupees, but… I'm so hungry." He hangs his head. It seemed like he didn't even notice Mina.

I… I know him. He's the one from my dreams, but… We've never met before. I know we haven't. Perhaps… Mina glances down at her bag of food before taking a deep breath and gathering her courage. Standing, she walks over to boy, starling Epona who shies away. "Whoa," he tugs on Epona's reigns before glancing over at Mina, sitting a little straighter.

"Um, h-hello," Mina gives an awkward smile, "I heard what you said and…" Mina shifts from one foot to another before offering the bag, "Here, I bought too much so you can have some if you want."

"Uh…" he looks from the bag to the violet eyed girl offering it, "Thank you." He takes the bag and begins eating some of the still warm dumplings.

"Is everything okay?" Mina asks, glancing over at the horse, "You looked a little down."

"Oh, heh," the blond boy shyly scratches the back of his head, "Well, I was supposed to meet up with a few people, but I just learned that they've been delayed. We're supposed to deliver a statue to the castle."

"Oh?" Mina cocks her head slightly.

"Yeah," he sighs, "I'm here because I've already met Princess Zelda and the others thought they would make a better impression if I was here, but they won't arrive for another five days."

"I see," Mina gives him a sympathetic look. "Do you have a place to stay while waiting?"

He shrugs, seemingly embarrassed, "Not really, but don't worry. I'll figure something out." He gives Mina a cheerful smile, earning a small frown from the girl.

Mina can't help thinking of her room at the Inn with the extra bed, going unused. Looking down at her hands, Mina shyly offers, "Well, the room I'm staying in has an extra bed if you need a place to stay."

"What?!" he jumps up, "I can't do that, we just met!"

So we haven't met before. Then why do I feel like I know you? Mina couldn't help feeling a little disappointed, but she does her best not to show it as heat fills her cheeks. "W-well, I'm sure it'll be okay. I'm an excellent judge of character and I can just tell you're a good person. Besides, look at the clouds," Mina points towards the East where clouds were gathering on the darkening horizon. "It looks like it's going to rain and there aren't any available rooms left. Unless you want to brave the elements, there aren't many other options. Besides, I'm traveling here alone. It'll make me feel better if I have someone here with me."

"W-well," he mutters, scratching the back of his head. His cheeks looked a little pink as well.

Knowing she won, Mina extends her hand with a smile, "I'm Mina, nice to meet you!"

He smiles back, "Nice to meet you, I'm Link."

After that, the two make their way back into the city, chatting along the way as the sunlight fades. Mina tells Link that she has been traveling and has only been in the city for a few days and that she wasn't really used to being in such a large city. "It just makes me a little uncomfortable. My mother has always warned me about big cities like this, so having someone here with me makes me feel a little safer." At least, she thinks her mother did. The other night Mina did somewhat remember a woman warning her against large cities and larger crowds. Mina glances back and sees Link stopped by a poster. Sighing, she walks back over, "Hey, you shouldn't just stop like that. I could have lost you… What are you looking at?"

"Look!" Link points to a poster advertising a shooting contest. "First prize is five hundred rupees!"

"Wow," Mina looks over the poster, "We can come back tomorrow and see about signing you up for it. For now, we need to head back to the Inn." Mina takes Link by the hand and begins leading him down the side of the street.

"If I win, I can pay you back for letting me stay in your room," Link grins, sure of himself.

"You don't have to do that," Mina sighs, "If you win, keep the rupees and buy yourself something you can use, okay?"

"But, it just doesn't feel right, you know, taking advantage of your kindness…" Link tries to argue.

"You're not, I have plenty of rupees so don't worry," Mina smiles, "Besides, like I was saying, I feel safer having someone here with me, so it's really okay." Link doesn't answer. Instead the two fall into silence as they continue walking. After a few moments, Link glances down at his right hand, which was still being held by Mina. Th-thump. Link feels his face heat up when he realizes Mina was holding his hand, though he wasn't sure why. Glancing away, he wraps his fingers around the girls, holding her hand back. Mina resists the urge to look back at Link when she feels his response, realizing that she never let go of his hand.

"Um," Link breaks the silence, "Are you sure you know where we're going?"

"Huh? Uh," Mina glances over at Link before looking straight ahead, "Yeah, I have a pretty good sense of direction. We should be getting close. The Inn I'm staying at is really nice, there's even a bathhouse!"

"Really?" Link looks over at Mina, "Do they have stables?"

"I think so," Mina leads Link around a corner and down a side street, "There's a building behind the Inn, but I don't have a horse so I haven't been there. After we drop Epona off, you should sign the register and get your own room key so the Inn keepers don't try to throw you out."

"Alright, but after that I want to go to the bathhouse, I really need to bathe," Link sighs, looking down at his mud covered boots and splattered pants.

Mina chuckles, "Okay, I'll show you to the bathhouse, but you should drop your equipment off in the room first. There is a trunk at the foot of the bed with a key inside so you can lock it. Oh, there it is!" Mina points to a large, four story building farther down the street. There was a low wall surrounding the Inn with an iron gate in front, a stone pathway leading to the large front door with another path branching off to the right. Mina leads Link down the path and around the side of the Inn. Like she said, there was a stable behind the Inn where the patrons were allowed to keep their horses. Since it was late, there was only one person in the stables when they arrived.

After making sure Epona was comfortable, Link and Mina make their way back over to the Inn, entering through the back door. Mina takes Link to the front desk where she rings a small, silver bell, "Miss Lana?" Mina asks, leaning over the counter slightly. A tall, slightly round woman walks around a corner and over to the opposite side of the counter. "Hello Mina," the woman smiles kindly, small wrinkles forming at the corners of her eyes and around her mouth.

"Good evening," Mina curtsies to the woman then motions towards Link who was awkwardly standing behind her, "This is my friend, Link. He's going to be staying in my room with me."

"Oh?" Lana looks back at Link, "You look familiar, have you stayed here b'fore?"

"Uh, no," Link scratches the back of his head, "But about a year ago I was here in the city."

"Ah, I see," Lana reaches behind the counter and pulls out a book, "Well, just sign here and I'll get you a key to the room." The woman hands Link a quill and heads over a shallow cabinet. Inside were rows of hooks with numbers below them. Most were empty, but a few had a key hanging from the hook, a tag attached to one end with a number matching the number on the wall. Link looks at the register in front of him, finding the line with Mina's name and adding his own to the list of residents for her room. "Here you are, sweetie," Lana hands Link a key with the number '203' on the tag.

"Thank you," Link takes the key and smiles at the woman.

"Now, you b'have yourself, ya hear?" Lana looks at Link waving her finger at him in emphasis, "Miss Mina is a sweet girl, so don't you go and try anythin' funny."

Link jumps slightly at the accusation and Mina laughs nervously, "Now, now. Good night, Miss Lana." Mina takes Link by the wrist and pulls him over to the stairs leading to the second floor, "Don't mind her, she just… um…"

"Yeah," Link chuckles nervously, following Mina to a door marked 203. Using her own key, Mina opens the door and walks in.

"I'm using the bed on the right, so you can have the one on the left," Mina motions towards the two beds on the far end of the room. There was a small table between the beds and a chest at the foot of either. There was also a door in the right wall of the room. Motioning to the door Mina says, "That there is the toilet." Mina walks over to her bed and sits down in the middle. Link closes the door behind him and walks over to the free bed, opening the chest and removing the key. Mina watches as Link removes his equipment and places it into the chest, locking it when he's finished.

Mina hops off her bed and heads for the door, "The bathhouse is on the first floor." The two head back to the ground floor of the building and Mina takes Link down a hallway, "Since there is only one bath, the manager hangs a sign on the door to let people know if it is open to men or women that day. She also said that we can have private baths at night, since most people bathe in the morning or evenings. If you want to bathe by yourself, just hang an 'Occupied' sign on the door and people will stay out. There are soaps and towels you can use inside as well as baskets to put your clothes in." Mina stops in front of the bath door. "Well, I'll let you bathe now."

"Okay, thank you," Link gives Mina a smile and walks into the bathhouse. Like she said, it was empty. Just inside the door was a small changing area with towels on one rack and baskets sitting on shelves to the side. The changing area was kept separate from the baths by a wall, a curtain hanging in front of the doorway. Link strips down, grabs a towel and some soap and heads in for a bath.

He was expecting individual tubs, but the bath was a large pool, recessed into the floor with a three foot walkway in front and to either side. The room was pleasantly warm and a little humid. Stepping into the pool, Link winces slightly as he lowers himself into the hot water. The pool wasn't too deep, reaching to his waist at the deepest parts. There was a shelf halfway down the inner walls of the pool, creating a sitting area. Link washes quickly before sitting down, deciding to enjoy the pool a little.

Mina heads back up to the room as Link walks into the bathhouse. She lies on her bed as she waits for him to finish and come back up, wrapping her arms around her pillow. The realization that she had invited a boy she had never met before to share her room without a second thought makes her stomach tighten. Sure, he was the same boy from her dreams and the strange little memories she had, but what did she know about him, really? I… did I just make a huge mistake? Mina bites her lower lip, suddenly growing nervous. But… he did refuse at first and he does seem like a good person, so… it's okay, right? It'll be fine. Besides… It's scary to be here alone.

Mina closes her eyes, taking a deep breath to try and calm her pounding heart. She knew she would have to say something to him about her dreams, or at least the ones about him. Maybe he can help me get my memories back. This thought makes Mina nervous for a whole new reason. Mina tightens her hold on the pillow in her arms, trying to figure out her next move for several minutes. The sound of the door opening startles Mina out of her thoughts, causing her to jerk around to look back at the door. Link pauses in the doorway, seeing the girl's startled reaction, "Uh, sorry, should I have knocked?"

"Oh, no!" Mina hops up in bed, face flushing. She smiles at Link as he slips into the room, closing the door behind him. By now, it was fully dark outside and getting a little cold, so Link walks over to the hearth and builds a small fire to keep the room warm. Mina hadn't even noticed that the weather was starting to get a little colder. Perhaps it was autumn? Mina wasn't really sure.

"The bath house was really nice," Link says, making conversation.

Mina nods, "Yeah, I prefer to go a little later, after the other Inn residents have already gone to bed." Mina holds the pillow a little tighter, half hiding her face as she shyly admits, "The thought of sharing a bath with other women is just too embarrassing. I'm… kind of shy."

Link smiles over at the girl, "It's a good thing that the bath is open at night then." Mina nods and watches Link walk over to his bed, falling back with a happy smile on his face. Link looks up at the ceiling before glancing over at the red haired girl. "Hey, I was just wondering," Link catches Mina's attention, "Why did you offer to let me stay with you?"

Mina's face flushes slightly, "W-well, I told you before that having someone else with me helps me to feel safer."

"But Castle Town isn't a dangerous place," Link objects, sitting up, "I know some of the people can seem a bit odd, but they are all nice enough."

Mina looks down at the pillow in front of her, "I'm not really sure about that. A city is a different place for a boy and a girl."

"What do you mean?" Link sits cross legged, turning to face Mina.

Rocking slightly from side to side Mina keeps her eyes down, "Well… No one is going to harass you. You carry a sword and look like you can take care of yourself, but I… I don't have any weapons or a way to defend myself if someone attacks me."

"Why would anyone attack you?" Link asks, not understanding what Mina meant.

Mina shrugs looking over at the blond boy, "There could be a lot of different reasons why people hurt others. I suppose if someone was in trouble and needs rupees, then I would look like an easy target. I'm small and I don't carry any weapons, so they might think that I wouldn't fight back if they tried to take my purse, or they could just be angry and want to hurt someone. I don't know why people do the things they do." Link makes a face. "All I know is that it's scary to be here by myself."

"I see," Link mutters, "Then why did you invite me to stay with you?"

Mina smiles, "I don't know, there's just something about you. I could tell right away that you are a good person. Plus, you needed a place to stay, so this works out for the both of us, right?"

Link blushes slightly, "I guess." After a pause, Link smiles, "Alright, how about this then: while I'm staying with you, I'll show you around Castle Town. That way, you won't have to worry about someone trying to hurt you and I can repay you for letting me stay with you."

Mina smiles back at Link, "That sounds like a great idea."