EDIT DATE: 1/7/2017 (And boy was this one a doozy!)

Chapter 2

The morning sun took longer to rise as it seemed to take falling, almost as if it too didn't wish to wake up. Nobody in the camp clearly wanted to either, except for Auru. Being older, it was like he had the uncanny ability to wake up before everyone else. As such, he took it upon himself to rouse everybody with an uninvited kick from his boot to their feet. First he woke Rusl, then Link, followed by Ashei. He gave Shad a moment before doing the same with him, but as expected, he complained.

"You really don't have to be so violent." He moaned, clutching his barely, if even, bruised foot. "You could have just woken me up like a normal person."

"What do you want me to do? Lean over and ask you to wake up?" Auru was not in the mood for Shad's whining this morning.

"Well...no. But a kick is not necessary to get my attention."

"Oh, just knock it off." Ashei said, grabbing his arm to pull him up. "And stop rubbing it like it hurt."

Link let a grin escape his face again. They were almost like a comedic team, Shad and Ashei. He knew Shad wasn't always so prissy, having proved it several months ago when confronted by a drunken soldier in Telma's Bar. That guy learned the hard way that you can't judge a man by his looks, or books. Shad didn't hate violence, he just disliked pain, so he avoided it whenever possible. Thus, he was made a great foil for Ashei.

That woman had always been aggressive. Ready to fight any comers, her reputation had already begun to grow that she was stronger than all the knights in Hyrule...put together. The latter was of course mere rumors and overdeveloped stories, but she too, had a softer, almost girlish, side to her. She just rarely knew how to express it. Link specifically recalled a time down in Lake Hylia where she refused to ride the cannon, but once nobody was looking, sneaked in and gave it a go, as if they couldn't tell when a giant cannon shoots somebody to the top of the lake. He also believed that he'd heard her scream in unbridled joy as she was launched through the sky.

"You know what?" Ashei asked, now addressing Link. "One of these days, we should take Shad to that fortune-teller, yeah? If we slip her a couple rupees, you think she can say something that will make him want to finally become a real man?"

"I heard that."

"Good."

"If, and only if, you're both done bickering, I prepared breakfast. " Auru intervened again, hoping to keep the two off each others backs for as long as possible. "Eat fast, too. As I'd stated last night, I want to leave as soon as we're done, and I expect Link and Rusl would appreciate it as well."

Shad could have gone longer, but Ashei's mind was clearly on her stomach, and when it growled, she let her petty quarrel go, and sat down. As she did, she also pulled out a pair of envelopes. One was already opened, the other she just began to do so. Shad and Auru paid her no heed, but Link couldn't help but notice the expression on her face slowly change from her normal scolding/smug look to a sort of depressed/guilty one. Link would have asked her about it, but he felt it was not the best time to speak. Instead, he continued to eat his food.

The fruits and vegetables surrounding the now-slumping village were the only things left edible within the forest. With that unfortunate news, breakfast simply consisted of boiled vegetables and whatever food they had already packed with them. Link did his best to hurry, but he found himself too distracted as he thought about Silidan: a new land to explore and search. It made Link think back upon his earliest memories, when he was forbidden to enter the forest that led to Hyrule; how it made him yearn for the day he could leave and see the whole grand world out there. He also remembered being told to never try to enter the dense forest behind Ordona because it lead to a land of sorrow. It intrigued him, but at the time, he chose to set his eyes on Hyrule. It was a good choice too. It was the land where he had a tremendous adventure. Now he needed to leave it behind. He was going to Silidan and save the one he loved, if she was still alive.

If she was still alive. Link had not realized just how pessimistic he was becoming. He needed to think positive. The more he thought about it, however, the less he believed in himself. How does that work? Link pondered silently. Was defeating the man who defied the goddesses not enough that I can't trust myself to save a girl? My girl?!

He knew he was loosing it again. He just needed something to keep him off the subject once more. Good thing Auru was trying to get his attention. "Link, let's get going. I can't blame you for being distracted, but we best leave now. You can finish the rest on the road if you're not actually done."

The young hero looked back up, snapping his head back and forth. The others were already getting up onto their horses, and Link realized how completely Ilia was occupying his mind. He'd been sitting there for about twenty minutes, and had barely even touched his food. He understood the need to talk to someone soon. Perhaps it would help him relax his nerves, but he couldn't open up to anyone yet. He would just have to wait until the opportune moment.

Link mounted atop his faithful filly, Epona, and took the rear of the trail, utilizing every chance he could to look back at what was left of Ordon Village. He recalled all the days he used to run and play in that village and work on the ranch. He then remembered the nights, watching the waters of the spring shimmer brightly, and that one very special moment in the barn with Ilia. He kept all these memories close, and though he likely would not experience them again, he made a vow ensuring that he would treasure them all.

Hours passed as they trudged slowly through the woods. The forests here were much thicker, and more dense than those in Faron, almost as if it were trying to keep them out. It was taking much longer than Link had anticipated, but seeing as none of them had any clue how long it was going to take, he blamed only himself for expecting so much. He had hoped that something would happen soon, even if it was them being ambushed by monstrous creatures. What finally did ensue in the dark woods, however, was not what he had in mind.

Ashei's horse stumbled before wavering and falling to the ground. It was not a graceful fall, and it sent Ashei rolling off several yards before she had a chance to scramble onto her feet. Shad of course, had a good chuckle at the matter, while Auru expeditiously jumped off his horse to see if she was okay.

"I'm fine! I'm fine!" Ashei was not proud of her thoughtlessness. But it was only more embarrassing when they found out what happened.

"Your horseshoe." Auru said aloud, pointing out the front-right hoof of her horse. "I thought you were going to replace it when we reached Kakariko?"

Ashei began to blush. It wasn't like her to make such simple mistakes. As such, she wasn't sure what to say. She tried to speak, but found no words to rescue her. The only response she could think to do was to walk away, grunting in frustration with every step, with an occasional swear thrown in. Link had a good guess what was on her mind, but he was curious to know for sure what it was. It was a good thing that Auru could read his mind. "Link, go ahead and bring her back."

He didn't even bother to respond as he followed Ashei into a separate section of the woods. She was leaning against a tree looking up at a break in the branches. The light shone on her face, showing it to be much more pale than it was a moment ago. Link, not being too good of a conversationalist, simply tried to get her attention. "Ashei."

She turned her head to him, but that was all she did to acknowledge him. He figured she'd be hard to break open, but at the very least, they needed to keep moving. He tried again. "Ashei, we need to get back. If it's about the horse, we can't do anything to fix it now. Besides, no one else needs to know what happened if that's all that's bothering you."

He knew it wasn't the horse. Something in those letters was clearly preoccupying her, just as Ilia was preoccupying him, but he hoped it would at least make her more susceptible. It worked, but only partially. "Can it still carry me?"

"I don't know, but it's not a big deal." He paused a moment. Perhaps he should keep talking. "Look Ashei, we all make mista-"

"Of course," Ashei interrupted. "But it's one I shouldn't have made!"

The young woman found herself pacing back in forth. In Link's experience, she was never afraid to speak her mind, even at the expense of being perceived as rude. She never meant to be irreverent, which was why she would often clarify her words after realizing what she'd said. From what Shad had told him, it was a trait that started with her grandfather, and she likely just picked it up naturally.

A moment passed before she sighed in acceptance and tried to speak once more. Perhaps Link's tactic worked. "Look, I'm no person to try and be all touchy-feely with. I have some problems back home, and it doesn't concern you. And, aside from this one incident, it won't cause any problems with the group either. So why don't we just drop this and keep moving, yeah?"

Ashei continued to walk past him until she reunited with the others. Link slowly sauntered back, his curiosity towards the contents of the letters only increasing. If it was trouble back home, then it could only be her father. Link remembered seeing her father briefly in the past, but the elderly knight seemed so caring for his daughter. He could have sworn he even detected Ashei squeal slightly at the sight of her old man, not to mention that she clearly was resisting the urge to simply jump into his arms as if he was to hold her like a baby.

Regardless, Ashei was right. It was none of his business, and he wasn't going to pry her anymore. Link reconnected to his companions and remounted his horse. Ashei's horse, unfortunately, had broken its leg during the fall. As such, Link thought to offer her a ride, but she seemed quite content with leading the horse on foot. Link hoped, for both of their sake, that their meticulous trot through the woods was coming to an end.