A Welcome Home
Chapter One: A Secret Under the Floorboards
"Do you ever think about them?"
Raya lay on her back beside him, hands folded behind her messy brown hair. She shifted, squinting under the sunlight as she gazed over at him.
"Your nose is red. You've been laying in the sun too long," Link noted, eyes briefly flicking over her face before glancing away.
She frowned.
"Tell me and we can go inside. Otherwise, my sunburn will be your fault," Raya demanded, though a small grin played across her features.
Link let his eyes follow the lazy slopes of the field. Far off in the distance, a few thin streams of smoke billowed into the air.
"Of course I think about them," he replied quietly.
Raya sat up, her gaze burning a hole in the side of his head. "Do you remember what it was like in the end?" she asked.
Link closed his eyes, picturing the smiling face of his mother.
He remembered.
His father had served the King. He had been a knight and had frequented the capital almost more than he did their own home. Link's mother had worshiped him more than he had deserved.
One day, his father had returned to their small home to celebrate Link's twelfth birthday.
Link had stumbled to bed after filling himself with pumpkin soup and cake. He had laid in a daze, thinking about how impressed his friends would be with his new training sword.
The knights in the castle had trained with the very same ones. Link's father had told him.
At the time, his father's eyes had shone in the firelight. Link thought the look to be pride as his father had held the sword out to his only son.
Remembering it now, he realized he had been too young to understand that it had been fear.
As Link had drifted in and out of sleep that night, he had heard his father's harsh whispers through the thin walls.
A rebellion, he had said. An angry Gerudo leader set on usurping the King.
His father hadn't known when he would return and Link had listened to his mother's muffled sobs all throughout the night.
Please come home. She had begged.
It had been more than a mere rebellion.
Six months later, King Ganondorf sat upon the throne. The royal family had been wiped out and a quarter of Hyrule's population went with them.
Link had heard the adults talking about the bloodshed. Sometimes they would call it a massacre. Ganondorf was a ruthless man. Brutal. He had torn through Hyrule like desert fire.
Link's father never did come back after the war.
There were changes in the capital. Nowhere had been safe, the new King's rule spreading like a plague.
Link's small town had remained mostly forgotten. Harrow was nestled at the base of Passeri Valley on the southernmost border of Hyrule. The town had been built on the edge of the Hyrule River and was blessed with fresh water and fertile farmland. It was the end of the road in south Hyrule. Unless you were coming to Harrow itself, there was no other purpose to visit.
With no one passing through, the town was forgotten. The townspeople knew almost nothing of Hyrule beyond the valley slopes and most seemed to prefer it that way.
In times like these, it's best to lay low, the adults had said.
Harrow had survived, untouched, for ten years.
Link's mother lasted two.
She shook him awake one summer night, her bony fingers clawing at his shoulders.
Wake up, Link.
He had dressed and followed his mother's willowy figure out into the night. She hadn't left the house in months, too weak to rise from bed, but that night she had nearly boundless strength.
Link had been so happy to see her up and moving he hadn't even minded being woken.
She had marched through town, the white of her nightdress glowing under the low moon. Link had followed along wordlessly.
He had watched as she stepped beneath the wide gates of Harrow. He had helped her as she ascended the steep hills of the valley, her bare feet slipping in the dewy grass. She had stared ahead, following something Link hadn't been able to see.
He had said nothing as she walked into the Lost Wood.
Link had grown up knowing the dangers of wandering too far into the tangled mass of trees, but his mother's footsteps were surer than he had ever seen them. She stepped over fallen trunks, ducked under low hanging branches and made almost no sound as her feet pressed into the rich soil beneath them.
The forest had seemed unnaturally quiet that night. There was no movement under the thick canopy, and the deeper they went the darker it became. Eventually, Link had only caught glimpses of his mother as she passed under thin streams of moonlight.
She must have sensed his unease. She had reached back, a white hand extending to him under the moonlight.
When they emerged into a massive clearing, it looked to be early morning. A thick fog was receding into the treeline and the grass shimmered in the morning sun.
The clearing was lush, filled with bright green grass and tiny white flowers. In the middle stood the largest tree Link had ever seen. Its branches stretched out, green leaves extending towards the sun. It swayed in a wind Link hadn't been able to feel.
His mother had turned to face him. For the first time in years, she seemed alive. She didn't appear too thin anymore and her cheeks weren't as hollow as they had been the night previous. Her eyes had sparkled, reflecting the bright green of the forest around them.
Do you remember the stories of the forest? Of the Hero? Her voice had sounded like music.
Link had nodded, too awestruck by the green goddess his mother had suddenly become to speak.
She had knelt down, placing her hands on his shoulders. Behind her, Link could see some sort of stone pedestal bathed in white sunlight.
The Great Deku watches over us all. He protects us and he nurtures the Goddess' power in Hyrule.
His mother lifted one arm and extended a long finger to the massive tree behind her.
He has called to me and allowed us here in this sacred grove. Can you hear him?
Link had lifted his eyes and watched the leaves swaying above. The clearing had been completely silent.
He is the lifeblood of Hyrule and he is dying, Link. I am dying with him.
His eyes had fallen back to his mother. She had looked different. Tired. Her eyes had been filled with tears.
She had then risen and turned away from him, taking a step further into the grove. Link had watched as she stepped onto a wide triangular pedestal. In the center, a sword protruded from the stone.
His mother had stood beside the sword but paid no attention to it. Instead, she stared up at the tree above her, her hair now moving in the mysterious wind. He watched her tilt her head back, close her eyes, and bask in the sunlight he could not feel.
He had known that, at that moment, she was in a world he was not.
Half in Hyrule, half gone.
Link had hurried to her, desperate to bring her back. He had stumbled, tripped on the first stone step and fallen to his hands and knees.
When he had looked up, he had caught his reflection in the blade.
His mother had knelt near him, cupping his face in her hands. Her palms had been wet against his cheeks and when he had glanced back at his reflection once more, he had realized he had been crying.
It's okay. You will be okay. You are of the blood in my veins and I will live on within you.
She had pulled him to his feet, a small, sorrowful smile spread across her lips.
You are meant to hold this sword. By the Goddess' will, you are meant to use it. I know you don't understand, but one day you will. One day you will gain the courage to save Hyrule. One day you will be a Hero.
Link had shaken his head, confused. He didn't want to be a hero. He didn't want his mother to die. He had wanted to go home. He didn't understand why she could hear the Deku Tree talking. He didn't understand why she was dying with it.
She had clasped his hands in her own, pleading.
The Goddesses have chosen you.
For a moment, Link had thought that if he pulled the sword his mother would live. If he took the sword as the Goddesses wanted, maybe they would spare his mother. Maybe they could walk out of the forest and go home.
So, he had given in.
His hands had shaken as he wrapped them around the pommel. For a moment, the blade stuck still in the pedestal and he had sworn he had heard the whispers his mother spoke of; but then, the sword was released from the stone.
The whisper was gone.
The sword was heavy, much heavier than the training sword he sometimes practiced with, and twice as long. He had known in an instant that it was too large for a fourteen-year-old to wield.
Link had looked to his mother in confusion, but the space she had occupied was empty. Instead, she sat at the foot of the Deku tree, leaning against the massive trunk.
He had been wrong about the sword. It had killed her.
He had dropped the bulky weapon. The metal had rung out as it hit the cold marble of the pedestal and filled the grove with sound. The noise had rung in his head, reverberated within his bones.
It had only taken him a moment to reach her, and another to fall to his knees at her feet.
He had begged her to stay. Asked her to come home with him.
I'll take care of you. I promise. Please stay.
She had smiled, reached out and placed a cool hand against his cheek.
I will be with your father, waiting for you. It's a secret to everybody. Keep her safe.
She had lowered herself into the grass and laid her head at his knees. The tiny white flowers had touched her hair, entwining themselves with the loose strands. He had thought she was a goddess. She had closed her eyes and let out a breath.
Link had waited, but he had known it had been her last.
He had stumbled home hours later, dragging the heavy sword behind him. By the time he had left the treeline, the sun had been high overhead. He had walked into the village, into his home, and laid in his mother's bed to cry.
A day later, Raya's father had come knocking. Link had told him only part of the story. He had left out the sword and the words his mother said. The voices she had claimed to hear.
Raya's parents, Lars and Marielle, fed Link. They had helped him keep up his family home over the years and showed him what he needed to know. They had loved him and cared for them as they had cared for their own children.
Each night, Link returned to his empty house and slept on his lumpy bed. Beneath the floorboards, covered in a thin layer of dust, lay the sword. It had been eight years since he had looked upon it.
"Link?" Raya called softly, bringing him back to the present as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. I just…"
He shook his head, wiping away the tears that had started to trickle down his cheeks. "I know why."
Two weeks previous, the blacksmith had traveled to Harvest. He made the same trip every other week and for ten years he had come back. Over time, he spoke of how the city had become dangerous. Despite this, it was their nearest neighbor and their only link to Hyrule and what it had become. The blacksmith had continued to bring supplies from the city in spite of his concerns.
The blacksmith hadn't returned from his latest trip. That was around the same time that the village noticed the smoke on the horizon. It didn't seem to be getting closer, but it wasn't burning out either. The townspeople were getting worried and some had even talked about leaving.
Lars had tried to keep everyone calm. Harrow was probably the only safe settlement left in Hyrule and traveling was too dangerous for ordinary people. Unless you were a skilled fighter, your chances of survival were slim.
Since the blacksmith's disappearance, Raya had been preoccupied with death. She obsessed over it. She had gone around the village, Link in tow, asking everyone she knew what it was to lose a loved one.
Raya was only a year younger than Link, but her sense of adventure and lack of almost any filter left them a stark contrast. Where Link was stoic and silent, Raya was boisterous and exploratory. Oddly, their contrasts had made them a good pair growing up. Link had often liked to think he kept her on the ground, but he knew that, more importantly, she kept him going. Raya had always pushed him in one way or another.
She had pushed him to get out of bed after his mother's passing. Pushed him to show off his training sword before the war. She had pushed him to smile, and laugh, and try to forget the pain that gripped him when he was alone.
Link had known his examination was coming. This time she would be pushing him to speak of his mother. It hadn't surprised him that she had left him last on her list. She may have lacked a filter, but she had always tried her best to be empathetic. Especially with Link.
His mother's death was still surrounded in sadness and mystery. Sometimes, Link would hear the women in town say that his mother died of heartbreak. Some of the more paranoid townsfolk said an evil spirit lured her into the Lost Wood and claimed her soul. Nearly eight years later and even Link didn't really understand it.
Had the Deku Tree killed her? Or the sword? Maybe, in some cruel way, it had been the Goddesses.
"It's just…what do you think happened to him?" she asked. Raya's eyes were brown saucers, staring at him with obsessive paranoia.
"I don't know. Maybe his cart overturned and the horse fell on him." Link said bluntly, shrugging a bit.
She wrinkled her nose. "That sounds horrifying."
"I can come up with something else if you like? Maybe he joined a traveling act. He could be performing for the king right now." Link suggested with a grin.
She pinched the back of his arm and rose to her feet. "You're useless." she grumbled.
Link rubbed the spot and watched her figure descend into the valley. His eyes drifted to the pillar of smoke in the distance before pushing it from his mind. Whatever it was, there was no point in worrying.
He climbed to his feet and sprinted after Raya, catching up to her at the bottom of the hill.
"You'll be coming for dinner?" she asked before erupting into laughter. "What am I saying? Of course you will be. You're a grown man who is unable to cook for himself."
"I can cook." he shot back defensively.
"Only what my mother showed you, and we both know you're still rather terrible." Raya pointed out, wagging a tanned finger near his nose.
He shrugged. "My talents lay elsewhere."
Shescoffed in response.
Ray still lived with her parents and younger brother, Marco. They had a small home just a few houses down from Link's, near the river. It was convenient to have his closest friend nearby, and even more so when it came to dinners. Link never had far to stumble home after one of Marielle's meals.
The pair ducked through the low door, the scent of Marielle's cooking filling their noses.
"Welcome back. From the looks of that sunburn, I take it you left work early again?" Lars asked from where he was sitting at the table, smiling at the two from behind his beard.
Lars was a massive man who stood well over six feet. His hands had to be at least as large as Link's head, and his entire presence seemed to take up rooms.
Despite his intimidating size, Lars was gentler than most. He was good humored and level-headed and although he wasn't the mayor of their small town, he was often consulted on local issues. It went without saying that the whole town looked up to Lars.
"Only after we finished, father. The household ran rather well today and it was too warm to pass up the sunshine! We were both let go a little early." Raya informed him as she placed a kiss on her father's cheek before heading off to help her mother with dinner.
Link sat down across from Lars, picking up a small wooden animal Marco had been carving. He rolled the wood over in his fingers, studying the shape of it.
"It's a cow." Marco told him wearily.
"I thought it was a goat!" Lars said before booming laughter filled the room. "You're going to need to practice a bit more, son."
Marco frowned and snatched the wooden figure from Link's hand. His brows creased with concentration as he started whittling away some of the face. "Maybe it's the horns that are off..." he mumbled to himself, consumed with trying to get the features just right.
Link kicked off his boots after tumbling through the door, shoving them into a corner by the door. He pulled off his work tunic, undershirt, socks and belt and threw them into a heap on the floor of his bedroom.
Sometimes, Link would hire Raya's friend to come over and clean for him. He'd stopped that in the last few months though. Marcy was a fiery redhead and had been rather forward in her affections. She made no secret of her feelings for him.
Last time she'd come to clean, she made it quite clear she'd do it for free if there was something in it for her, and Link had been pretty sure she wasn't proposing marriage.
He had declined, fumbling his way thought an excuse about forgetting to secure the horses, and bolted from the house. When he came back later that evening, she was gone. He'd been avoiding her ever since and dodged Raya's questions out of embarrassment.
Link tumbled back to reality as he stubbed his toe on a protruding piece of floorboard. He stumbled and fell backward onto his bed. As he sat up he noticed a board had been kicked up in his fall.
The board.
The one that hid away the secret he'd been avoiding for years. Now, there was a narrow hole in the floor staring up at him.
Link picked up the stray floorboard and pressed it back into place with a frustrated slam. He ran his fingers over the edges, ensuring it was flush with the rest of the floor.
He crawled into bed, pulled the covers up over his shoulders, and turned his back to the secret under the floorboards.