Its disclaimer time once again I don't own this so I'm content to just write about it. Hope you all enjoy chapter four.

Echoes on the stairwell

The sun had barely risen when Ilia woke up the next morning. It had taken her so long to go to sleep that the square of moonlight on her bed had moved to the floor. She got up and got dressed catching a glimpse of herself in her mirror. She looked a mess her hair was sticking out all over the places and there were large bags under her eyes revealing just how tired she was. She walked barefoot out of her bedroom but voices from the kitchen made her stop not sure if she wanted to interrupt. Link was downstairs in her kitchen talking to her father about Ilia. What would make Link come to talk to her father this early in the morning?

Ilia had to stifle a gasp of shock when she heard that Link was unhappy that talking to Ilia was so difficult.

"She cares for you a lot you know" her father said. Ilia had only told him last night and he was already spilling her secrets to him? What had possessed the fool? Ilia started pacing about angrily. Unlike her father who was so heavy on the stairs Ilia was very light and her bare feet didn't make any echoes reach the kitchen so they wouldn't know she was there listening to their conversation. She was so angry that she almost missed Link's reply.

"I know she does. Everyone says so but even so she's never unleashed her temper on me like that before. I picked something up for her on my last trip." Ilia heard the sound of something metal being placed on the table." Give her this and that when she is ready. Thank you for seeing me even if it was so early in the morning." Ilia heard the sound of the door squeaking as it was opened. There was a moment of hesitation before Ilia hear the door close. She raced back up to her window to see Link walking away from the house. She hesitated wondering whether or not she should go down to the kitchen it might make her father suspicious of whether or not she had heard their conversation. She only knew Link wanted her father to give her something made of metal and something else when she was ready whatever that meant.

With a sigh Ilia turned to go downstairs in her natural quiet way. She thought it was just as well she was quiet on the stairs her father made enough noise for the both of them. She entered the kitchen to see her father sitting at the table laying into an omelet made with cheese from the lovely goats just up the road.

"Mornin' Ilia" her father greeted her surprising her at just how articulate he was with a mouth full of eggs, milk and cheese. It had always been this way as soon as her father saw her in the morning no matter what he was doing he would always greet her. Ilia remembered several times her father was having a discussion with someone in the kitchen and broke off mid sentence to bid her good morning.

"Morning dad" she replied sleepily. She helped herself to breakfast and waited for her dad to finish before she asked him "Why are you up so early dad?"

"Well you see Ilia link came round this morning well actually he seemed to be havin' trouble sleepin' and so he went for a walk around the village and those bloody cuckoos of yours woke me up next thing I knew I saw Link getting attacked by four of them. It was quite a site to be honest with ya."

Ilia took comfort in the fact that he had only arrived early in the morning and did not hear her conversation with her father. Ilia knew that things were changing she knew more about what happened on Link's adventure now but it still did not solve the mystery of Midna. It seemed that nobody knew who this Midna person was. Ilia got up and left the house. It was still early morning and at this time of year the creek of Ordon gave off a thin mist this early in the morning. Ilia saw the hazy ground and gave a small smile. The village looked peaceful with the mist. Completely forgetting her shoes Ilia took off at a run not really caring where she ended up.

Ilia's run had brought her to Faron spring. Ilia walked out ankle deep into the water bare foot. The water felt pleasantly cool on her feet. There was a sound that Ilia had never heard before. It was a solid bang followed by a clinking chain and it was getting closer. Ilia wasn't worried and with good reason as she saw link drop out of the nearest trees with two strange silver devices one on each hand.

"Clawshots" Link said in reply to Ilia's stare.

"Where did you get them?" Ilia asked completely losing herself in her desire to find out more about the strange objects.

"Well I got this one in the temple at the bottom of Lake Hylia and I got this one in the City in the Sky where the Oocoa live. Ilia are you ready to talk yet?" Ilia knew he didn't want her to start shouting again but whatever it was that he wanted to talk to her about was eating away at him inside. She could see it his demeanor was the same as ever alert for any sign on trouble always keeping a lookout but his eyes were filled with torment.

"No Link I'm not ready yet. I don't really know when I'll be ready to talk I'm sorry." Ilia turned and left the spring and started her long walk barefoot back to the village. She had had the perfect chance to talk to him but she had stopped herself. Why had she stopped herself like that? Fear was nothing new to Ilia she knew plenty of it in the small part she played in Link's adventure when she had lost her memory but this fear was different. This fear came from the feelings she had for Link and as difficult as being in love with him was she didn't want to lose him even if they would only ever be friends.

Link was still standing in the spring he hadn't move since Ilia had finished talking to him and left.

Well another chapter down this time they actually had a few civil words without shouting but Ilia couldn't keep standing there oh well. What was it that Link left with Ilia's father and what did he mean by being ready? I'll tell you that in later chapters. The next chapter will be up at some point in the next few days. Reviews will help me put it up quicker but it will be put up nonetheless.