Hi, everyone!
A big Thank You to Tai-ku-ai for being the first reviewer! (if that's even a word...) So I think that all the chapters of this story will be of varying lengths because of how I want the action divided up, so enjoy a chapter that is about twice as long as the first one! I normally write a lot of details in my stories but this tends to give them a bit of a slow pace, but in this story I'm trying to get a good balance between detail and pace, so let me know how you think I did in a review?
Enjoy!
Constructive Criticism and Questions are always appreciated!
I don't own Legend of Zelda or the pic, but I wish I did! ;)
-X- time skip
"Thoughts"
...Memories...
It took Colin several days, and lots of drawing sessions to tell Link about what the village looked like. He also regaled him with many stories about the people who lived there, and these were always Link's favorite part of the day. During their drawing times Link drew Uli, Rusl, and Colin, all for the latter of course; and the little boy pronounced him the best "draw-er" he'd ever seen.
Uli agreed with her son as she loved Link's quite detailed sketch of her smiling down at her large round stomach, hands resting gently on the upper swell of it.
"Are my eyes really that big though?"
She asked Link as she studied the drawing.
"Not really, I just like drawing the eyes of people according to how open they are to the world. I think that you are a very loving mother and wife who is very kindhearted to everyone, so you have large, warm eyes."
Colin and Uli loved the pictures that he drew for them and delighted in showing Rusl all the pictures both boys had drawn when he got home those afternoons. After seeing the picture of his wife and hearing the reasons behind the slight changes to her appearance, his eyes had tears in them.
Rusl was gone every morning to do whatever work he promised to help with that day, and when he returned in the mid-afternoon, he tended to Link and helped his wife. Rusl never failed to express how impressed he was with how quickly Link was healing, and by the fifth day after meeting Rusl's family Link manage to walk almost normally on his daily trips from the couch and back.
"Well, you're healing very nicely Link. So much so, that I think you could go outside and take a quick look around the village if you want."
Rusl said as he finished tying the last of the needed bandages around Link.
"Really!?"
Colin breathed excitedly from where he sat at the round eating table.
"Certainly! I got a cane for him to use to help get back if he's really hurting, but I don't see the harm of letting him walk around some."
"I can show you around, if you want Link."
Colin said as he got up from the table and hurried over to the front door.
"Thank you, Colin. I am quite sure that I shall need it."
Both boys exited the house, and Uli smiled after them.
"He's such a nice boy."
"Yes, they both are."
Rusl said after sampling the stew cooking on the fire. He started as he spotted something amiss, then lifted the cane he had brought back off the table.
"He forgot the cane, do you think I should go find them and give it to him?"
"He must not have needed it if he left it here and he looks like he's nearly all healed anyway, so I don't think that you need to."
-X-
Both boys walked out onto the front porch, which overlooked a large stream and a downward sloping dirt path that curved off to the right and towards the village. A soft breeze ruffled Link's light brown hair as he took in the late afternoon sunlight and breathed in fresh air. He could hear children laughing farther down the path, an unfamiliar creaking and splashing, and the cry of a lone hawk overhead.
"Come on, Link. I think the others are playing farther down the stream, and I want you to meet my best friend Ilia."
Colin said from his place a few steps down the path. Link nodded, and walked after the excited little boy till they rounded a corner and Link could finally see the whole village.
The path that they were walking on split, with two branches going off to the left and one to the right. The first one to the left crossed over a small bridge that led up to a large house, then continued upward and out of sight. The second one on the left went down to a large field full of big orange things, then went over another small bridge and ended by a huge house with a strange wheel attached to it that was pulling at the stream's water.
"Is THAT the injured swordsman?!"
Came a sudden yell from the stream, and Link looked to see three dripping wet children running towards them excitedly.
"Hi, guys-"
Colin began as the children ran up to them.
"-Have you guys seen Ilia? I want-"
The three reached them and either completely ignored Colin, or just didn't hear him over their own loud questions.
"Are YOU the swordsman?!"
Demanded a boy with scruffy brown hair with a red headband strung through it.
"Were you terribly hurt by the monsters you beat?"
Asked a girl with winged looking, short brown hair.
"Are those earrings? I thought only girls wore earrings..."
The shortest of the three, a tiny boy said in a quiet voice.
Link wasn't sure if the last one was actually asking him a question, or if he was just voicing his thoughts aloud.
"He's got to be the swordsman because he's the only stranger that we've seen since the grownups started talking about one! What are you talking about Beth?! Of course he was hurt, he was fighting at least fifty of 'em!"
"Somehow I think that number is a bit inflated, Talo. This guy doesn't look like he could handle five monsters, let alone fifty."
"Wow! Are those blue ring earrings? I think that they look so handsome on you, don't listen to these little kids about them being only for girls. They don't know what they're talking about."
"Look around, Beth. The only other ones who are wearing earrings are girls."
"So?! What's your point, Malo!?"
"Wait, wait!"
Link interrupted before the fight could really get going.
"Pardon me, but I am not sure of all of your names. How about you tell them to me, and then I will know who I am addressing while I answer your questions."
"Nice going, Colin. You've had him in your house for days and you don't even bother to tell him about us, some friend you are."
The one with the headband said, crossing his arms and frowning at Colin.
"He did tell me about you, however I would like to be sure that I am not making any mistakes as to whom I am talking to."
"Oh! Even your voice is handsome!"
The girl squealed softly to herself as she clutched her hands together in front of her chest.
"My name is Talo, and I'm going to be a great swordsman someday!"
Said the scruffy looking, headband wearing boy, proudly waving a thin stick in a way that Link vaguely recognized to be a slashing attack. The stick snapped as Talo hit it against the tiny boy's head by mistake, and the little one sighed angrily.
"My name is Malo, Talo's younger brother. Can you do me a favor Mister and do something mildly horrific to this bother of mine, so that he'll stop being such an imbecile."
The girl giggled and waved a dismissing hand at the two.
"They're always like this, pay them no mind. My name's Beth, will you tell us your name now?"
"Of course, my name is Link."
"Link, why are you wearing earrings like a girl?"
Malo asked, now ignoring his brother.
"Oh, for goodness sakes, Malo! Boys can wear earrings too!"
Beth exploded, while Malo bit back.
"What makes you so sure that they can?"
"He can wear earrings because he's a kick-butt fighter! So when people start teasing him about them, he beats their brains out!"
"Eeeew! He wouldn't do that!"
"He would too, he's about to do it to Malo any second now!"
"He is not!"
"Is too!"
"Why do you have such long and pointed ears? Why are they not rounded like everybody else's?"
Malo asked Link directly, now back to ignoring the others.
"That I am not sure of, are you all not Hylians as well?"
"I thought that we were Human?"
Talo questioned as he and Beth stopped arguing to listen to what was being said.
"We are Human, I don't know what a Hylian is."
"I see. Then perhaps-"
"Are you gonna be staying at Colin's house forever, or are you gonna live in someone else's house for awhile and then go live at another?"
"Talo do you mean, 'rotating houses'?"
"Yeah, that's the word!"
"That's two words..."
"I do not know what my living arrangements will be as of yet, however I am sure that you will know of them when they are decided."
"Umm, guys? Do you know where Ilia is? I wanted her to meet Link as well.."
"Oh right, Ilia! Umm, do you remember where she is Talo?"
"She's up in the Goat's Field checking on that due goat, I bet that she would like to meet you..."
Malo answered Beth before his brother could open his mouth.
"Oh darn!"
Beth said, stamping her foot angrily.
"We're not allowed to go up there because Mayor Bo thinks that Fado can't control the goats."
Colin explained as Link looked at them all questioningly.
"Since we're not allowed to go up there, I don't know why Ilia gets to."
Talo said moodily as he tossed bits of tree bark that he was peeling off his broken stick into the flowing water of the stream.
"Well, she is older than us..and she gets along with the animals pretty well..."
Colin was answering when there was a woman's scream from one of the house along the path to the right, followed by a crashing noise and shattering glass. They were all about to run over when a plump woman and a very skinny, slightly hunched over man came hurrying out of the building.
"Why didn't you stop it!?"
The woman demanded, wheeling to face the small man.
"Because of you, that stupid monkey got away with even more fruit! Sometimes I feel like I'm running the store by myself, you useless man!"
"I'm sorry dear. It was just too fast for me..."
The woman snorted and turned away from him, then spotted the children and Link watching them from the stream side.
"Oh! Is that the young swordsman?! Hello there dear! I do hope that you're feeling better now, and if you need anything don't hesitate to come by my store!"
"That's my mother Sera, and my father Hanch."
Beth explained while putting a head to her forehead to hide her face.
"I can't believe that you just saw what an incompetent my father is, I'm so embarrassed."
"I am sure that he tried his best."
Link started, but all the children were shaking their heads.
"No, her father is just a major loser."
"My father couldn't do anything right if his life depended on it."
"I don't think he even really tries anymore..."
"Oh, I see."
Link said, feeling sorry for the man as watched Sera berate him some more before going back into her store.
"If we can't go see Ilia, how about we show you the rest of the village?"
All the children cheered at Talo's suggestion and when Link nodded his consent, they practically dragged him off to show him everything.
They showed him Talo and Malo's house, which was the one with the waterwheel that Link had been confused by earlier, and he met both their parents Pergie and Jaggle. They showed him the village's wheat crop that was being grown around Talo's house, and they kind of explained what Pumpkins were as they showed him the pumpkin field that he had seen before.
They showed him Fado's house that was locked up tight because he was off tending to the goats, and they ended the tour at Mayor Bo's house because they were all called in for supper as it was now getting quite late.
-X-
"Dear. Link and I will be having dinner with Mayor Bo tonight and whenever Ilia is done with Fado, she should be coming here."
"Why is Ilia eating here instead of eating at her house with you three?"
Colin asked as Uli nodded her understanding. Rusl looked down at his son, then crouched down to his eye level and put a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Because the Mayor and I have some things that we have to go over with Link, and it would be best if Ilia was not there."
"Why?"
"Well, for many different reasons, one of which being that they haven't met yet. You wouldn't want them to be so uncomfortable at their first meeting do you? Neither do we, so we decided that she's coming eat here. But it should be quite fun for you and Mama, because Ilia hasn't come over for dinner in some time now."
"Is Link in trouble?"
"No, we just have a few things we need to talk about."
He said, while straightening up and turning to the door. He opened it, letting Link walk out ahead of him before walking after him and closing the door. Both walked towards the Mayor's house in silence, one trying to find the words to say and the other preparing himself for what was in store for the evening. The Mayor was waiting for them on his house's front steps, and they all walked into the wonderful smelling house.
"Dinner should be ready in a few minutes, so I think we should get down to business and have him look through his things."
The rather portly Mayor said to Rusl, who was nodding.
"I agree, we should get right to it."
Link raising an eyebrow at the somewhat cryptic statements from the two men.
"My things?"
Both men looked at him, but Rusl spoke first.
"Yes, the things that you had with you when we found you in the Goat's Field. You were too injured to keep wearing what you had, and we didn't want you armed when we knew so little about you."
"So we divided all of it, you - without your things - went to Rusl's house as he's the only trained fighter in the village and as such would be capable of stopping you should you have proven to be...hostile. I kept all of your things here - at my house - for when you were ready to get them back, they're over there in that chest."
Link turned to the old wooden chest that was sitting by the Mayor's large table and walked over. He crouched down before the chest to open it, pausing only when he saw the lock it bore.
"Go ahead, Link. Mayor Bo unlocked it for you before we got here."
Link nodded and opened the lid, then slowly started lifting the items out one by one.
There was a belt that had three small pouches on it, one contained a few rupees, another held some dried food, and the last one tingled under his touch. He opened it, and pulled out huge, green glittering jewel that was wrapped in two swirls of gold that were curved up the sides of it. He felt the smoothness and weight of the jewel in his hands as he slowly turned it over, watching the way it caught the firelight until he saw his face reflected in it.
...A huge tree in front of him, its brown bark pulsing a dull red as brittle leaves fell from its branches overhead to shower down around him like rain. He looked down at the strange stone in his hand, and the face reflected back at him showed his feelings of guilt and frustration as they pounded along with his heartbeat. "Take this stone with you. The stone that man wanted so much, he cast the curse on me...The future depends upon thee, Link. Thou art courageous...
Link dropped the stone to the floor like it had burned him, recoiling mentally from these images and emotions that the jewel had awakened within him.
"Are you alright, Link?"
Rusl asked worriedly from where the two men stood watching him, Link nodded wordlessly and left the stone where it had fallen. He continued his search by pulling out from the tingling poach a wooden egg-shaped thing that he instinctively knew was an instrument because of the holes and mouthpiece it had, however he somehow knew that now was not the time to look over this small thing.
"How did that large stone and that strange...thing fit into such a little pouch?!"
He heard the Mayor ask Rusl, as he set aside the wooded thing next to the pouches and belt. The next thing to come out of the chest was a very sturdy pair of boots whose fronts were extra hardened and had an interesting curved protrusion rising out of the tops to extend another few inches up. He set them down on the chair next to him so that they were about eye level with him, and give them an assessing look.
...It was dark and dusty, and the small hand he had clasped over his mouth was serving the dual purposes of keeping out the dust and keeping in his giggles. A pair of boots appeared in the space he could see between the floor and the piece of furniture above him, and it started getting harder to squash his giggles as they threatened to give away his hiding place.
"Now where are you, you little scamp?"
A male voice asked from high above, and the giggles started slipping out around his hand.
"Could you be, under here?!"
A large hand suddenly shot in and grabbed his arm, gently pulling him out as he laughed and tried to wiggle his way out of that caring grip...
He looked away from the boots and pulled out the next thing, which looked like a forearm guard. It was made of very thick leather and while it had a few light scars on its well cared for surface, it had a very clear pattern rising from it that he traced lightly with a finger.
...He traced the pattern with his small fingers with one hand from where he sat on his father's strong shoulders, the other small hand holding a fist full of the man's blond hair. Father was holding his leg with one very large hand and the other was up behind Link on his back, holding him steady during their walk.
"It looks like a heart."
"What does?"
"The top of your vanbace, see? It makes a heart."
He pointed to it as Father let go of his leg and looked at the Vambrace.
"You're right, it does."
He grabbed his leg again and ducked them both under a low tree branch, the hand on his back sliding up to make sure that Link didn't hit his head on it as they passed.
"It looks like that on purpose."
"Why?"
"To remind the warrior wearing it of his family, his friends, and his own heart. It is also there to remind him that the enemies he is fighting have hearts and loved ones as well and should he have to take one of their lives, it is there to remind him to respect it. That is why we wear it on our sword arm-"
"So that way we see it!"
"Yes, that is why. So we can see it."...
He set the Vambrace down by the boots and pulled out the next things, a strange pair of gloves. They were fingerless leather with the back of the hand being hard and stiff for protection, but palm being far softer and more flexible. Beyond the wrist they turned from leather to a very thick cloth padding that extended almost to the wearer's elbow, and was a dark blue in color.
He set these aside and pulled out a thick, cream colored, long-sleeve shirt that had tough lacing all up the front, running from the hem to its high neck. It had slits cut in the underarms, and some lacing down by the wrists as well. He pulled out some pants that looked and felt like they were of the same material as the shirt, with lacing along the lower legs and the front fly. He folded these and set them aside, then lifted out a short-sleeve chain-mail tunic.
...He was careful to not get his head caught in the rings as he pulled it on over his head and as the weight of it settled on his shoulders, he looked down at himself. The mail fell down to about mid-thigh and just short of his elbows, its square neck mimicking the shape of the collarbone it rested above...
He lowered the chain-mail to the floor in front of the chest, and then lifted out the finest piece of clothing he'd ever seen.
It was a forest green, short-sleeved tunic with a square neck, lacing on the sleeves, lacing along its sides that started at the tunic's mid-thigh length skirt and ended at the underarms. It was adorned with beautiful, yet simple embroidery along all of its hems and there was the greatest concentration of embroidery at the square neck where there was also a slight V cut. The green cloth itself was very tough, but was soft and tingled slightly beneath his fingers.
...He walked to the front door, dressed for the first time in all of his father's armor. He heard his mother behind him and turned to say a short goodbye to her before he left. She gasped softly, tears glistened in her eyes as she looked him over.
"You look just like your father."
She choked out, and he started slightly. Not at her words, but at how she said them. She was always so composed, that he couldn't understand why she looked like she was about to cry. He knew that he was coming back and she herself had said that it was her wish that he do this alone, so why was she so grief-stricken?
"Mother.."
He said while taking a step towards her. She suddenly moved forward and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly to herself despite the hard armor he was wearing.
"Don't say anything, please."
She whispered in his ear, her voice was laced with tears and her body shook with the effort of not breaking down right then and there.
"Take this with you, and never forget...I love you..so much...My son."
He felt her slide something into his third pouch before she forced herself to release him and she took a few steps back...
He felt tears sliding down his face, but he forced his shaking arms to fold the tunic and rest it on the other clothing.
He pulled out what at first looked like another belt, but then he realized that it was a shoulder harness as he lifted out the sword with it. The sword was just as heavy as his hands remembered, and a few more tears slid down before he could whip them away. He couldn't remember exactly what had happened at that huge tree or what he had been fighting to get himself so injured, but he didn't want to remember anymore of this past he told himself.
He put the sword down with the belt, before looking inside and pulling out the last thing within the chest. It was a long green hat that matched the tunic he had pulled out before and as his fingers curled around the hem of it, one last tiny memory surfaced.
...The fabric was soft and warm on his face, but when he opened his eyes it was dark within the hat. He heard deep laughter mixed with a lighter one, and then his father's voice asking.
"What are you doing, silly?"
"Wearing your hat."
"It looks a bit big for you, dear. Here, let me help you."
Gentle hands pulled the hat up and back until he could see his mother's dark hair and smiling face.
"That looks a bit better, but I think that it well still be a few years until he is big enough to really fit into it."
His mother said was he crawled across the bed towards them.
"It will be sooner than you think."
His father responded calmly before suddenly grabbing him and pulling him up next to the two of them. Both tickling him until all of them had to stop and fell back on the bed to catch their breaths...
"The armor was my father's."
He said, startling the two other men in the room with him.
"I think most of it was his, but he died awhile ago so that must be why I was using it. I lived somewhere in this forest and while I do not remember where, I do not think that it was near here...So I think whatever I fought with won't come here because I came so far to get here."
"Well that's a relief to hear."
The Mayor said, wiping his brow.
"I wish to live here for at least a while longer, if I may."
"Of course! Let us discuss the particulars over dinner as I think it's ready now."
The Mayor said, walked by Link and the now empty chest.
A HUGE Thank You to the people who have read and reviewed so far!
Tai-ku-ai *blushes* I'm glad that you like it so far and that you gave my story a chance. Hopefully you will like the chapters to come as well!
FCL *blushes furiously, falls back on bed squealing happily* I..I don't know what to say, you're so sweet! Thank you for pointing out my mistake (i fixed it), I would love to have a Beta but none of the ones that I've PM'ed have ever responded...Link is around 16, 17 years old in this story. I hope to hear/read more reviews from you, buddy! ;)
Theotaku3 He did give that impression, didn't he? He's just too modest for his own good. ;)
Leave a review and I'll thank you too!
Best wishes till next time!
