Only four days left until Rusl leaves for Castle Town! Link thought, taking another sip of milk. He sat on the ledge that held his house above the world, watching as the village children play-fought with sticks.
It had been two days since Link had found the mysterious boy called Roy, two days of Uli watching the teenager, two days of Link listening in on conversations concerning what to do with him. It was clear the adults wanted to help, but they hadn't a single idea on how to do so, besides providing shelter and food.
He wondered if Roy was actually Hylian. His first guess had been no, he wasn't, but then, what would that make him? As far as Link knew, the Sheikah and Gerudo were both extinct races, wiped out by time's wear, and even then Roy was not either, not by how the legends described the two cultures. No, he was something completely different…
"Link! Link!" Link glanced over as Ilia ran up from the village proper, pausing to catch her breath before looking up. "Where's Fado? My dad wants you and him both."
Link leapt off the ledge, landing in a practiced crouch. He stood straight, and walked over to his friend. "Probably home, it's the middle of the day."
"Come on!" Ilia grabbed his wrist and dragged him back towards the village, leaving the four younger children to play by themselves.
Ilia didn't let go even when they had reached Fado's house, and opened the door. "Hey! Fado! Get out here!" she called. The herder stumbled sleepily into view, but Ilia grabbed his shirt collar and dragged him towards her house, Link following with a confused shrug.
"Hey, you crazy woman!" Fado cried. "What's going on? Am I in trouble again?"
"Don't be silly," Ilia replied. "Or…maybe. I'm not sure, my dad just told me to get you boys and come home." She finally released her friends, and knocked on the door to her own house. "Dad! Dad, it's me, I got them, and I'm coming in." She turned the doorknob, and stepped into the house.
Inside, the village men were gathered in a semi-circle, expressions filled with concern. Off in one corner, to Link's surprise, was Roy, huddled into himself and looking absolutely terrified. He had borrowed a pair of Rusl's sandals and replaced his odd circlet around his head, but otherwise looked no different than two days earlier.
"What's going on?" Fado asked, slipping inside last and shutting the door behind him rather loudly. Roy flinched visibly, but continued to remain silent.
Bo uncrossed his arms and rested a massive hand on Roy's shoulder. "We've come to an agreement on what we want to do with our guest," he said. "In four days' time, he'll go with Rusl to Castle Town. There, he may be able to speak with someone that can help."
"He's leaving?" Ilia asked. "So soon? Is that safe?"
"It's the only thing we can do," Jaggle sighed. "We're not capable of handling amnesia."
Roy shrunk away from Bo slightly, and backed against the wall. To all eyes, he was a frightened child, not a teenager Ilia's age, and he knew it. But there was nothing he could say to defend himself.
Link frowned. "Well…why do you want to see us three?"
Rusl stepped forward. "We want you, Ilia and Fado to make him more comfortable around people. He's scared by even one person; Castle Town will be overwhelming. You three are closest to his age, we want you to help."
The blonde cast his gaze to his two friends, then the red-haired teenager, who stared back with his dark blue eyes. Before he had lost his memory, Link could tell without question there was extreme wisdom and courage beyond his age and yet suffering and loss that most would be crushed by. The gaze of a warrior.
"Alright," Link said. "We'll help. I'm sure we can help Roy be better around people again."
Again. Roy seemed to relax slightly at that, and shuffled forward wordlessly. Bo nodded his thanks. "Now, you four go on and have fun. Take him around the village. He's our guest, make him feel welcome."
Ilia gently rested a hand on Roy's shoulder, and guided him out of the house. Fado rubbed his chin as he followed. Link made to leave as well, but Bo stopped him.
"Link," Bo muttered. "That kid went through something horrible before he came here. Rusl says he reacts to swords almost unconsciously, and books." Books? "Be extremely careful with that, alright?"
"Right." Link nodded, before running out of the house, stopping to only shut the door.
*
"Roy!"
"Hey, he's up!"
"How are you?"
Roy looked like he was going to pass out there and then as Ilia lead him through the village and towards what she had said was Link's house. Now the children were swarming about, asking questions and overwhelming him.
"Hey!" Fado stepped in before something could go wrong, and ushered the four backwards. "Be nice, alright? We don't want to send him right back to bed!"
Malo's ever-scowling face seemed to turn even sourer. "You people make such a fuss," he grumbled. "So, he's lost his memory, why should we treat him like he's a toddler?"
Fado and Ilia both made to react, but Roy beat them to it. He stepped forward, his eyes blazing with anger and his skin flushed with life. "Who are you calling a toddler, you little kid?" he sneered, his voice loud and clear for the first time since his arrival. "You don't look much older than one yourself!"
"Roy!" Roy looked to Ilia, who looked at him in confusion. The moment of clarity faded, and he recoiled, backing away from Malo, who appeared mildly surprised but not insulted.
"S-sorry…" he murmured, "I…I didn't mean that…"
Link glanced at Ilia, then the four youths. The seemed to realize what the blonde wanted, and quickly rushed over to Roy, bombarding him with requests to play with them and let them tell him about Ordon.
"What was that?" Fado burst out when Talo and Beth had managed to drag a hesitant Roy back into the village to give him a tour. "I heard Rusl say he was really shy, that was—"
"That was probably the real Roy," Link replied, straight-faced. "The one we see now…that's the one that can't remember anything. The one we saw just now…that was probably how he was before he got amnesia."
Ilia scowled. "He was kind of a jerk…"
"There was something else," Link continued. "Mayor Bo said he gets really upset when he sees a sword or book."
"A book?" Fado echoed. "A sword, I can understand, those things scare me, too…but a book? Who the hell is scared of a book?"
"Roy is," Ilia snapped, smacking Fado on the back of his head.
"I think," Link concluded, "That Roy's not from Hyrule at all."
Fado and Ilia pondered over that in silence, the latter occasionally shooting glances at where Roy had disappeared with the other children.
What had really happened to the mysterious boy?
More so, who was he?
*
Link found Roy sitting at the edge of Ordon's small river alone, the other children having been herded away by Fado to feed the goats. Ilia and Uli were sewing and chattering, and everyone else was working.
The blonde approached Roy, and when the red-head made no objection or even acknowledgement, Link sat down beside him. "Hey," he said. "Are you alright?"
"No." Roy clenched his fist. "I don't remember who I am, really. I'm scared…I'm scared someone will hurt me while I'm so…so vulnerable." He grabbed a rock off the ground, and threw it into the stream angrily. "I hate everything being so blank…Uli said I had no injury to my head. How did I loose it?" He turned his blue gaze, fraught with anger and fear, to Link. "Uli said you saved me…"
Link shook his head. "You stumbled out of the forest, cried something about your ankle, then fell unconscious. I don't know anything else, Roy."
The red-head slouched, his jaw quavering slightly as he looked back to the water, at his own haunted expression. "It's…it's alright…I'll remember eventually. I have to believe…that I can regain what I lost."
Link frowned slightly. "I'll help."
Roy looked back up, surprised. "Huh?"
"I said I'll help. I can't imagine how horrible being so unsure can be, and I want to help." Link stood, and offered a hand. "We haven't even been properly introduced. My name is Link."
Roy stared at his hand, then climbed back onto his feet and took it, shaking. "Roy…well, at least I think," he said, wincing. "But just go ahead and call me that."
"Alright." Link smiled, then looked at the sky. "Hmm. It's only midday. Always time for a little exploration." He returned his gaze to Roy, who didn't make eye contact. "I always find myself more relaxed around nature. There's a grotto east of the village that I like to visit when I need to cool off and think. Maybe it'll make you feel better."
The younger male nodded slightly. "I…I'd like that," he murmured. "Can you…can you show me where it is?" he asked hesitantly.
"Sure." Link briskly followed the river's shoreline, towards a small path behind Sera's and Hanch's house, to the small hills overlooking the river. He glanced behind him to see Roy following, albeit slowly, and out of direct sunlight. At least that was an improvement.
The Hylian glanced around, before summiting a short hill behind the local shop. Beyond the wild crest was a thin, little-trodden path that would around rocks and plants. When he heard Roy behind him, Link said, "I normally swim there. This way's rougher, but the chance of drowning is a lot slimmer, unless you collapsed in a rain storm and died that way. It's a pretty easy path to follow, though. Do you want to go alone?"
Roy nodded, mumbling a thanks that was so quiet even Link, with his Hylian traits, had trouble hearing, and slipped past, carefully treading the path towards the secret grotto. Link didn't turn back to the village until the red-head was out of sight, ever more curious.
*
The water rippled softly as Roy dipped his hand into it, settling at the edge in the small, hidden grotto Link had shown him. Everything was silent, save for the hum of bugs and birds and the trickle of the stream. No more yelling or pulling or questions…
I wonder if I had been more social before, Roy thought. More open with people…not so afraid. He watched a fish swim near his hand cautiously, and then frisk away. I wish I knew…Gods, I wish. Why did I loose my memory…why is it gone?
"Why?!" He slapped his hand down, breaking the surface tension and scaring the small fish that had slowly started to gather. "I want to know why I'm here! Tell me!" He shifted onto his knees, peering into his reflection furiously. "Tell me why I can't remember!"
A droplet stirred the stream as tears crept down his flushed cheeks, distorting his watery face. He brought his hand across the image, as though to make it go away, then sat back, curling into himself and burying his head in his arms. "Why…" he whispered. "Why is…is this…happening to me?"
Who had screamed my name?
It was nearly three hours before Roy stirred again, his legs falling numb and the warmth of day creeping into dusk. He looked up dully at the sky, a majestic orange and pink. He tried to speak, to hear himself, to remember his existence, but his voice stuck in his throat and did not sound. Reluctantly, he picked himself up, brushing dust off his clothes, before climbing back onto the small path and returning to the village.
He didn't look up from the ground until he rounded the shop, and only because Ilia approached and grabbed his shoulders. "Where were you?" she cried. "Me and the others were worried sick!"
Roy didn't meet her gaze, instead focusing on the tree conveniently behind her head. "No where," he replied. "I just found a place where I could think. I was there the whole time…I'm fine."
At least he sounds better… Ilia thought, reluctantly letting him slip by and return to Uli and Rusl's home, where the prospect of a meal seemed to lure him. Roy didn't dare look back, focused instead on returning to his borrowed bed and resting. Not sleep, though. Never sleep. His dreams were utterly haunted with images of shadows and a world beyond his grasp—his world.
He had never told anyone about those, but he figured they knew. He had overheard the boy called Colin talk to his father about how he talked in his sleep, when the red-head had pretended to be so.
They're just trying to help, he reprimanded himself, pausing in front of the house. Uli promised they wouldn't hurt me.
"AH! Help! Help, the village…it's under attack!"
Beth ran into the village, wide-eyed and fearful. "Weird creatures!" she wailed. "They're attacking!"
Roy seized up, but was forced to move as the door swung open and Rusl exploded out, sword in hand. "Attack? Again?" he growled. "Stay here, kid!" he added to Roy, running towards the entrance to the hamlet, swerving around parents gathering their frightened children into their arms.
Link grabbed a sharpened stick off the ground, his face twisted in a snarl, and followed Rusl, ignoring Fado as he shouted at him.
I have to help, Roy thought. I…I can fight! He charged into the house, startling Uli. "What's going on, Roy?" she asked, eyes widening when he kicked aside his cloak and grabbed the rather large blade he assumed was his own. "Roy! What are you—"
He was already running, pulling the sheathe off the intricate silver blade and casting it aside. Someone yelled at him, but he tuned the voice's owner out. The sword felt comfortable in his hand, like it had always belonged. He didn't like the other swords he saw, but this one…this one felt right.
Roy didn't refocus his attention to his surroundings until he reached the clearing outside Link's house, where the blonde and Rusl were engaged in combat against a small group of blue-skinned, white haired demonic creatures, wielding large wooded clubs and screeching nonsense.
"What? Roy!" Link's shout redirected Roy's focus. "What the hell are you doing? Get—look out!"
One of the creatures made a run at Roy, raising his club to attack. A fire seemed to erupt through the teenager's veins, directing his movements like a sixth sense. The sword probably weighed close to twenty pounds, but it felt like a feather in his grip as he raised the gleaming blade and ran it through the creature. It shrieked and died almost instantly. But before it had even completely fallen to the ground, Roy lunged, slicing through another creature's throat and killing it in a splatter of purple blood.
Link could only watch in awe as the Bokoblins fell one by one, unable to stand to the brute might of the intricate sword. Roy dodged expertly attacks set in his direction, almost gliding through the air as he slaughtered the raiding monsters, a deadly dance that destroyed anyone that neared.
It wasn't long before one of the Bokoblins screeched, and the few survivors retreated, leaving their fallen companions to rot. Roy's chest heaved, stabbing his blade into the ground in anger. "And don't you dare come back!" he shouted after them.
Rusl and Link both stared in silence at the red-head, looking more alive than he had in the last three days. "…Roy?" Rusl asked quietly.
As quickly as before, the boy shifted from that proud, defiant attitude to the gentle, fearful one. He glanced between the dead bodies and his sword, and cried out with horror. "I…I'm sorry!" he gasped. "I didn't mean…I…"
"I've never seen such swordplay before," Rusl commented. "As far as I know, the art is very forward, and defense is second thought. As well, it is rarely against multiple people. You fight like you're used to being surrounded, and a wound means defeat."
"I'm sorry…" Roy repeated, cringing into himself.
Rusl closed the space between him and the red-head, and grasped his shoulder. "Don't be sorry," he said. "You just saved us. Now…take that blade of yours back to Uli, and eat something. From what my wife's told me, you're lying about remaining nourished."
He smiled as Roy turned almost as crimson as his hair. "I know you're still in shock…but you need to live if you want to remember. Now go on, go eat and rest. You deserve it."
Roy didn't have the strength to argue. Simply, he jerked his sword out of the ground, and fled, running back into Ordon Village.
"That was odd…" Link muttered, walking forward to stand beside his friend. "I had guessed he could fight, but not so…well."
Rusl shook his head. "In due time, I'm sure we'll know the truth. Now, you can stop being brave about that cut on your arm, let's go get you patched up."
Link followed Rusl back towards the main part of the hamlet, but paused, looking to the scene from only moments previous. It was like Roy didn't even need to think to fight, to kill. He had been sorry for interrupting the fight, not for slaughtering almost two dozen Bokoblins.
'In due time, I'm sure we'll know the truth.'
How can we find out the truth from someone who can't remember? From someone who is more afraid of books than spiders? From someone who isn't Hylian?
From someone unafraid to kill?
-
This is totally and completely my current muse. I will probably be cranking out chapters for the next few days, and the other stories will fall into hiatus. Well, except Of Wind and Stars.
Please review! It makes me happy, and I always appreciate constructive criticism. ;D
-Muse