Zelda could not sleep that night, despite the exhaustion plaguing her body and the fullness of her stomach lulling her into lethargy. Link had pushed the logs upon which they had been sitting away from the fire, shaping them into a protective circle against the side of the mountain. He had not spoken another word to her after bidding her goodnight, disappearing into the darkness as quickly as he'd come. It was a while until she realized that he had moved his gear to the other side of the plateau, away from her and the fire, and although he probably meant this respectfully, to give her some privacy, she couldn't help but feel lonely at his suddenly cold demeanor.
She gazed up at the stars, scattered throughout the midnight heavens like diamond dust, recognizing the various constellations that she had been taught as a child. There was so much that she knew about the earth and its laws, so much she knew about the ways of people and society, and yet looking into the vast night sky she could not help but come to the conclusion that there was so much more that she didn't know. She did not know why her land had been subject to a great evil, did not know why it had been spared through the efforts of another princess. She did not know her destiny now, since she had failed to achieve the prosperity of peace that her ancestors had discovered. Would the goddesses demand the full repentance that her people also clamored for? Or would she be spared, her wisdom and her crown left intact, let off with a harsh warning and ominous threat for the future should she let her guard down again?
But the thing that plagued her the whole night through was the thought of her savior: she did not know Link at all, even though she knew his story and his history better than he probably did. Strange memories surfaced through her mind, fuzzy but bright in the absence of light, but she could not recall when they had happened or even if they were real. They might have been memories she'd imagined in her day dreams. When sleep finally overtook her, though, her real dreams were filled with fairies and forests and familiarity.
The sun had barely risen before steady movements nearby stirred her from her slumber. Her eyes cracked open a fraction of an inch, but she was startled when all she could see was a sea of green. She sat up quickly, her cloak slipping off her, and in the morning dew it was as though she had plunged into a tankard of ice. It sent shivers down her spine, but this feeling was incomparable to electricity that coursed through her skin when she felt a light touch at her shoulder.
"Your highness? Are you all right?"
It took a moment for Zelda to be able to focus on both his touch and his voice, so that a pointed pause filled the air. She looked at him as he eyed her dubiously, and she blinked several times before finally muttering a response.
"Forgive me—yes, yes, I'm all right. You simply startled me."
Link frowned and dipped his head down in apology, but he did not move away. "I'm sorry, but we need to get going if we are to reach the Sacred Grove by nightfall."
Zelda nodded but her brain again concentrated on his grip on her shoulder and her eyes focused on his hand. When he saw the direction of her gaze, he removed his fingers and stood, grabbing a few of her bags into his hands instead. "Will you be needing any of these right now?" He asked awkwardly.
"No, that's all right. I'm ready to go as I am."
He smiled appreciatively and walked away to attach the bags to her saddle. He mounted and looked at her expectantly, though he did not say anything. Zelda hastily stood to follow and instinctively wrapped her cloak tightly around her. It was going to be a long day.
They rode throughout the morning at an easy trot so as not to tire her horse. His mare—Epona, was it?—seemed unaffected by the entire excursion and looked as though she would very much prefer a nice chase across the kingdom. Zelda envied the horse and its energy just as she envied Link and his easy skill; his horsemanship was impeccable and it dwarfed her proficiency and all her years of training.
Zelda had not noticed the night before, but they had already passed through Faron Province and were now halfway through Faron Woods. The scene around them grew more and more beautiful the farther they delved into the forest, the moss thicker and the ground softer. The trees themselves stood sentinel over the concaves of dirt and the barest traces of a well-worn path dispersed through the grass. The light seemed to grow more heavenly, too, in its rarity. The thin beams of sunlight that managed to infiltrate the heavy overlay of branches highlighted the fluttering leaves and dust particles that danced through it. It even smelled organic, like downstream river water mixed with prairie grass and warm wind; it smelled a little like Link, but this comment Zelda kept to herself. They did not speak a word until midmorning, when they reached the southern region of the woods.
At this point, he stopped them for a short break. Zelda happily jumped down from her saddle, anxious to walk off the stiffness in her legs and back. Link did not seem to be paying her any attention, so that when he started to walk off after tethering the horses, he was surprised when she stopped him.
"Wait! May I accompany you?"
His features fell into confusion for a moment before straightening into an impassive expression. He nodded and shrugged but did not wait for her to follow, and she hurried after him, lifting her riding habit to avoid twisting her ankle in the rocks. She did not want to be left alone, and even less did she want him to explore the forest without her.
He moved through the forest's edge fluidly, his light footsteps completely noiseless against the soft grass. He did not travel far and seemed to know way despite the absence of a path. Zelda could not help but marvel around her at the natural beauty and when they reached the destination, a meadow with thick berries bushes bathed in streaks of sunlight, she audibly sighed. He looked over at her with a knowing smirk and set about collecting the fruit.
She meant to ask him why they were collecting the fruit, but the question died in her throat when she thought of how delicious it would taste after a long day's ride. She knew the berries by name and by flavor, of course, but she had never eaten wild ones and her curiosity seemed to flow even into her taste buds.
Zelda bent to help with the task although her mind—always so full of questions—quickly questioned where they would be storing the fruit. But Link pulled out yet another glass bottle from his side and poured the small blackberries from his hands into the jar carefully, spilling not a single one. This stopped Zelda for a moment and she eyed his waist suspiciously.
"How do you carry that bottle without breaking it?" Her interest was so great that she even reached for his belt to examine the small casings closely. He grabbed her hands gently, pushing her away from his waist, and she looked up, blushing crimson.
But he smiled at her and squeezed her hands before releasing them. "The bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom doesn't know?" His teasing only made her scowl and she knitted her brows, awaiting his answer. But he shrugged and turned away from her to finish picking the berries. "Remind me to tell you sometime."
Her lips pursued in dissent but she copied his action and continued to pick. Her ears twitched again uncomfortably, the buzzing whispers of the goddesses clouding her hearing. But even that distraction, coupled with Link's aversion to conversation, could not dispel her inquisitive nature.
"What else do you carry? In that belt?" When he didn't appear intent on answering her, however, she moved around the bushes to face him. "When you fought Ganondorf, you had many weapons at your disposal but I could not see through the barrier well and I wondered where you carried them."
He sighed and looked up at her, a bit annoyed but still polite. "Why does it matter?"
The rebuke was short and rolled off Zelda within seconds. "I would like to know what else you picked up in your travels. They were keys to defeating the wicked, were they not? I shall need to know so as to instruct future generations."
He frowned and the berries in his hands broke, their juices staining his gauntlets. "You believe future generations will be faced with the same evil?" The thought seemed to upset him greatly.
Zelda shook her head to pacify him. "Ganon was destroyed the day you ran him through. Even his Triforce piece seemed to abandon him."
Satisfied with her answer, he nodded, but his expression grew to one of mild frustration when she refused to let his worry change the subject. He paused for a long time, staring at her intently, as though attempting to discern any alternative motives in her curiosity. When he found none, he threw the ruined berries from his hands, wiped their remains on the blades of grass, and reached into his belt, behind his shield, removing a metal object with a hooked claw at the end and a handle on the other. Zelda's eyes grew wide when she recognized it.
"Where did you find a hookshot?"
He looked up at her, surprised, as she stole it from his hands to examine it herself. "You know what it is?"
Zelda nodded without taking her eyes off the item. "It's a variation of the original, to be sure, but it's definitely a hookshot." She grabbed the handle and held it away from herself, pointing it with pinpoint accuracy at a nearby tree branch. Squeezing the handle, she watched excitedly as the clawed end shot toward her target, the long chain extending out fully. But just before the claw wrapped tightly around the wood, Link jumped out and seized her by the arm, pushing it down so that her target missed by a few inches and retracted back. With a firm snap, the claw was back in place, and she looked up at him, offended.
"What did you do that for?"
Link scowled at her and pulled the object out of her hand. "What? Stop you from breaking your neck?"
Zelda glared back at him, folding her arms across her chest. "I knew what I was doing."
Link rolled his eyes and returned the clawshot to its holding. "Then you knew that once it lashed onto that branch it would have taken you with it? Thirty feet across this meadow," he motioned with his hands across the open space, "and twenty feet into the air?"
This fact was one that Zelda had forgotten about in her piqued interest, but rather than admit such she simply continued to glower at him. When he stared back, just as forcefully, she hastily changed the subject.
"What else? What other weapons do you carry?"
Link frowned again. "You seem to know some of them already. Why don't you tell me?"
Zelda wasn't about to lose this disagreement, and so she searched her memory for any of the other items she had learned in the legend of the Hero of Time. "What about bombs? Or perhaps Deku nuts? Or a boomerang?" She grinned eagerly, remembering each item and its purpose. "Have you any of those?"
He stared at her without reaction before he answered. "Perhaps."
Her facial expression, which wore red, brought a short round of laughter from him although he did not move to bring out the weapons in question. She tapped her foot impatiently but he only looked at her, amused. Deciding to switch tactics, she caught him off guard with a sweet smile. "Oh, I see. The bearer of the Triforce of Courage is afraid?"
The tease was also a taunt and the Chosen Hero huffed in response. But he saw that there was no other way around her.
Link sighed, a bit dramatically, and in one swift motion he pulled out first a bomb, carrying it over his head for a moment before hurtling it across to the other side of the meadow and Zelda watched in fascination and then alarm as it exploded a few seconds later. But before she could compose herself, Link had retrieved several small shells, each containing a single nut that glowed gold, and he threw hard into the ground where they cracked and sent a blinding light into the area all around her. Zelda lost her sight for a moment and also lost track of Link; when she recovered he was standing on the other side of the meadow with a long, rounded piece of wood that he swiftly threw in her direction. She froze in place, watching the switch of wood fly in an oval around her, so close that it rustled her hair, and then back it sailed to Link, who caught it lazily.
This all happened in a matter of seconds, and Zelda was still in awe when Link walked back to her and, unruffled, continued in his task of picking berries. She regained her senses shortly and bent down to help him finish. Her face, she knew, was a red blush now and she tried to seem as nonchalant as possible in the aftermath of such a scene. She decided more conversation would resolve both their embarrassment, much to his dislike.
"How did you discover this meadow? And these berries?"
His back was turned to her but she spied a small smirk playing on his lips at her question. This caught her interest even more. "Not all of my travels required vanquishing evil. I did need to eat every now and then."
The answer was short and not the response she was looking for, so the princess persisted. "So you stumbled upon this place because you were hungry?"
"Luckily, yes. But these berries are not for us. A woman in the village is rather partial to their flavor and I promised to bring some back when I returned." He turned to her with the bottle so that she could place her small pile into the bottle. "Unless you wanted to try them?"
She eyed the fruit thoughtfully before shaking her head. She had been looking forward to it since seeing the fruit, but the buzzing in her ears reminded her that sampling desserts was not part of her penance. "No, thank you. It's better if I don't."
"Why should it be better if you don't?"
He seemed intrigued by the idea of her abstention and she bit her lip in response. "It just is." She hoped he did not maintain the same level of nosiness that she did because she did not want to get into another disagreement. She refrained from the sweet berries because the journey was one of sacred cleansing; he did not agree with the goddesses to begin with, so he would surely have doubts about the need for such a commitment. Thankfully, he only furrowed his brow and turned to leave the meadow and she followed him shortly, matching his steps.
After they had mounted again, they continued through the woods where the path grew confined again as it twisted around, but Link seemed to know the way instinctively. He shifted in his saddle, looking over his shoulder at her and motioning her closer. She obliged, coming right up alongside him to listen. "What is it?"
He frowned apologetically. "We should hurry through this region to avoid any lingering moblins. Would that be all right?" His phrasing had been careful, as though wishing to avoid any insults to her riding skill and Zelda picked up on it at once. Although she did not care for extreme exertion, she nodded solemnly, understanding the importance of their safety. She did not doubt that Link could handle the monsters if necessary, but it was always better to avoid bloodshed, even if that blood was tainted green.
He gave her a small smile and a curt nod. "Follow my lead then, and don't stray from the path. We'll be in the clear once we reach the next open expanse." She signaled her understanding and took a deep breath, as though she were the one about to sprint through the narrow path and not her horse.
Link turned back in his saddle, tightening his hold on the reigns. He growled, ushering his horse forward and into a gallop and Zelda did the same, focusing her attention on his exact path and ignoring her surroundings. She tried not to shudder as she watched the scenery fly past her in a whirlwind of colors and sounds mingled with the various enemies that barely noticed their presence until they had already disappeared around the next bend.
She recognized the opening at once and brought her horse to a slow trot, straightening up when she saw Link ahead of her, calmly patting his horse's flank and ruffling her mane. He turned expectantly toward her. "Are you all right?"
Zelda moved next to him. "Of course."
He smiled, gesturing toward the area in front of them. Zelda gasped when she realized that the entire area was surrounded by a violet mist which obscured her line of sight; she could only guess where the tree trunks stood because of their height. "The fog here is harmful, but no longer deadly. Stay close beside me here until we reach the other side, all right?" He chuckled a little when he noticed her fluster. "What's wrong?"
She frowned at him and then at the purple haze. "What do you mean, no longer deadly? How did this come to be here?"
Link hesitated a brief second before shaking his head. "It's a long story, but I suspect now that Ganon has been defeated the malevolent forces are not as strong as they once were. We will be fine, though; darkness is only driven out with light, not more darkness." He reached onto his right side, away from Zelda, and procured a lantern, already lit. He smiled again at her bemusement and held out his arm, swinging the lantern between them. "Take my elbow."
She obliged, holding onto him and her reigns at the same time. He guided his horse through the fog slowly, waiting for the last traces to dissolve before urging another step and then another. He made certain that no harm befell either her or the animals and he seemed to know the best route through the area, despite being able to see more than a few feet around them at a time. Zelda sensed that he was on the lookout for more than just sudden obstacles and she confirmed this when she heard the distant grunts of more moblins hidden out of sight. Half an hour passed and then another half, but Link never lowered his arm or changed his pace and Zelda could not help but admire him for his control.
They reached the other side just as the last pool of oil burned in the lantern, and Zelda turned to watch as the fog moved steadily back into place as though they had never crossed through it. Link lowered his arm and she finally released his arm though she remained closed to his side. Although they had just faced death, it seemed, both seemed unaffected by this gravity and Zelda smiled at Link.
"Well done, Chosen Hero." She emphasized the last words for effect.
He laughed quietly at the title. "My life is but to serve you, Princess." She rolled her eyes at this and he laughed some more.
They continued through the opening, their horses climbing up and over the incline with ease. The sunlight shone brightly in the next region despite the late hour, a world away from the gloomy forest cavern from before. At the end of the area, Zelda could see the mountainside drop off dramatically as it reached an enormous tree trunk that rose from a seemingly endless opening. The winding branches led to a doorway in the center of the tree trunk, upon which was carved a curled formation painted in red. It was a beautiful place and it took the princess's breath away, but the image also filled her with great serenity, as though she had visited this place, blessed by the goddesses, many times.
Link shielded his eyes as he looked over at the sun, which was just about to dip past the mountainside. His frown increased and he ushered Zelda forward, but she stopped him by pulling on his arm. "Wait, Link." He turned to face her, surprised, and she gestured to the sun. "If we enter the grove now we will not reach the Temple before nightfall. It would be better to camp here for another night and then cross the gorge on the morrow."
He looked as though he would like to argue, but at her firm glance he closed his mouth and nodded. "As you wish." Struck by a sudden thought, he turned to examine the space beside the massive tree before them. "We will need to figure out how to get to the Sacred Grove anyway. I think my usual means of transportation has flown the coop."
Zelda laughed heartily at that. "We won't need to use cuccos if we wait until tomorrow."
"How did you know that I used cuccos?" Link looked at her suspiciously, surprised by her statement. Zelda bit her lip and cast down her eyes, unaware that she had even known that fact to begin with.
"I'm not sure. I think I've just…always known that." He looked suspicious still, so she hastily added, "It was a guess then." She pushed her horse forward to pass him so as to end the line of questioning.
Exploring the area, Zelda found a small wooden stall fenced off on the other end of the field. Colorful fabric hung on the sides and a wooden perch stood high above two vats, one of fragrant red potion and the other bubbling lantern oil. She saw a lively bird eyeing her warily from a distance, its bright blue hair a mound of feathers on top of its head. She hopped off her horse and stretched her limbs as she walked slowly toward the little shop.
"Be careful! Trill only likes customers and customers who pay well."
Zelda turned back to Link, who still sat atop his horse some yards away, watching her in amusement. She frowned, ignoring his warning as she stepped into the roped off section and approached the liquids, peering into the stand with unabashed interest. The bird to her left squawked merrily, no doubt registering the expensive fabric she wore as a sign of wealth.
"Hey, hey, a customer! Hey, buy something, hey!"
Zelda smiled politely at the bird as she breathed in the swirling scent of the potions. She closed her eyes as her fingers traced the wooden crates nearby, before she shook her head. "How much for a bottle of lantern oil? My companion there has used up all of his."
The bird peered around her to stare at Link, glaring at him from beneath his pouf of hair and muttering under his breath. "Hey, you're with him? Hey, he's a cheapskate."
"Trill, you know I more than paid you back for that bottle of red potion." Link had followed Zelda into the area and gave the bird a reproving look. "Is the name calling really necessary still?"
The bird ruffled his feathers indignantly. "Hey, I call it like it is, hey. A cheapskate is always a cheapskate."
Link frowned and attempted to respond, but Zelda cut him off with a light laugh and a large smile. "Well, be that as it may, I am intent on buying some oil for my friend here, so if you could please refrain from insulting him." She leaned toward the bird conspiratorially. "Besides, he has a short temper, so it's best not to upset him."
Link rolled his eyes, as Zelda turned to him expectantly. "An empty bottle, if you please, sir." He raised his eyebrows but withdrew a bottle from his side, placing it in her palm. "And your lantern, Link."
"I can afford to purchase my own oil, thank you."
Zelda took the bottle from him and waved her hand in disagreement. "It's the least I can do. You journey here on my behalf anyway."
Link did not agree nor disagree, but he still did not retrieve the lantern. "It's on my way."
Zelda had already dipped the first bottle into the oil pail and screwed the cap on when she turned back around. "Please, Link? We might need some for tomorrow anyway."
Sighing, the hero reached around and pulled out the empty lantern as well, moving around her to fill it up himself. He turned to Trill, who had been watching the exchange with interest. "How much for two refills then?" Link asked with his hand already on his pocket.
Trill shook his head stubbornly. "Hey, you don't pay. You're the cheapskate. Hey, let the lady pay."
Link's mouth set in firm thin line at this comment, but Zelda smoothly interjected. "Here you are, Trill. Thank you." She tossed in a golden Rupee and shuffled Link away, trying her hardest not to laugh at his irritated state. He seemed about to say something rude to the bird, but Trill beat him to it.
"Hey, you camp here tonight?" Zelda turned on her heel to face him, still backing away from the stand with her hand on Link's arm.
"Yes, that's right. Why?"
From the distance, Trill called out loudly in order for them to hear him. "Hey, be careful, generous lady. That one not always so nice. Hey, Trill will watch out for you, stop the hanky-panky, hey."
At these words, Link turned around so quickly that he nearly threw Zelda to the ground in his urgent haste to attack the bird. But Zelda laughed so hard that she did fall, and the surprise tumble stole his attention off the bird and placed it solely on her. Her skin was tinged crimson and there were tears in her eyes, but from his angle he could not see her face.
"Are you all right? Zelda?"
He turned her to face him and when he saw her laughing, he nearly dropped her in annoyance. "It's not funny!" He looked over at Trill again, who had spread his wings fully as though beckoning a fight. "That damn bird…"
Zelda reached for his arm, and he turned to help her to her feet, but she still had not stopped laughing. "Oh, please, Link, be nice. He's only trying to help."
Link's brow furrowed and he barked out a laugh. "Trying to help? Are you taking his warning seriously?" Rather than lessening his grip on her arm, however, Link tightened it as he searched her eyes for an answer.
"No, of course not. I would never think that of you. But I've never heard you described in such an inauspicious manner." Her eyes twinkled in amusement and Link huffed again.
"Hmm. Well, we can't all be perfect," he teased, a smile sliding across his lips reluctantly. "Rest assured, I may be a cheapskate but I'm no rogue." He started walking them around the bend to where their horses had wandered. "It might be a better idea to camp on the other side of this knoll tonight, away from prying eyes and loud mouths…" He shot the bird another deadly look as Zelda continued to laugh, her heart fluttering in amusement and respect for the man whose arm she held. If it their roles had been switched, dinner might have been served with a side of bird.