Chapter 4
A warm pair of arms were wrapped around him. At first, he was confused. Ed had endured so much pain in the last two days, that he had thought he would never experience such tenderness again. He tried to sit up, but soon discovered that he was being carried.
Was it the murderer, Hagen? He wondered. No, this person was much less bulky, and didn't have the stench of blood on him. And, Hagen would never have carried anyone like this, let alone Ed.
As his eyes adjusted to the light, he noticed that his savior was wearing a forest green tunic.
"Link?" Ed whispered.
The young man smiled down at him warmly, and Ed couldn't help but feel guilty. There was a long, deep gash on Link's cheek, most likely caused from his reckless rescue attempt.
"Where'r we?" He slurred, weakly pulling the ripped fabric of his jacket down to fully cover his stomach.
Link surprised Ed by not mouthing words, or using gestures, but instead using his voice. It was not how he had expected it to be at all. His voice was deep - Deeper than Ed's at least - though it was still hoarse and wavering from underuse. "I thought it would be safer if we came to Kokiri Forest. I know this place like the back of my hand, and there is one place in particular that I know we will be safe."
With Ed now knowing he was in good hands, he relaxed into Link. Link of course, didn't mind. He was surprised that Ed was still alive in this condition.
It was quite a long way to carry Ed directly to the forest temple, so Link had to stop a few times to rest. It had taken longer than expected, but eventually they reached the sanctuary.
Ed gaped up at it, his eyes wide. He had never seen anything so impressive. This building had to be very old, and yet the only thing that was missing was the front steps. It was a definitely overgrown, with vines covering most of it, but they seemed to give it an ominous feel, like there was something otherworldly about it. It made him wary, though at the same time, made him want to explore the grounds further.
"This is the forest temple." Link stated simply.
Ed nodded. He didn't care where they went as long as he never had to see Hagen again.
Link carried Ed towards the entrance and lay him carefully on the grass. "This might be difficult. I've never used my hookshot with anyone before, so I'm not sure what the outcome of this will be, but it's our only option." He pulled out a small metal object. It had a very sharp, very dangerous hook on the top, which was connected to a long chain wrapped around the handle. "It gives a bit of a jolt at first, but it only takes a second." He added warningly.
"Alright." Ed agreed as Link picked him back up with one arm.
The branch above them seemed to be Link's target. Ed shut his eyes tightly, and heard the clicking and whirring noises of the small device as it shot up at it's target.
A second later, he felt Link's knees buckle as he landed hard on the top of the remainder of the stone steps. The added weight of Ed had proven too much to support as he dropped from the branch, and his legs had given out. At least the hookshot had held though.
Link got up slowly, careful not to jerk Ed around too much.
"You can open your eyes now." Link muttered as he entered the temple. He set Ed down on the damp carpet and stretched out his arms. "First priority is your neck. I don't think that strip will help too much."
Ed fingered the strip of fabric tied around his neck. How had he not noticed it before? "Thank you Link." He said softly. "For everything. I don't know how you got me out of there, but I'm grateful you did."
Link smiled. "Well I couldn't just let you die. Now let me look at your wounds."
He kneeled beside Ed, carefully working at the knot that held the strips together. His long, slender fingers deftly removed it and ripped another long strip of his tunic off, replacing the bloodied one. He tore another strip in two, ripping it in two for each of Ed's wrists.
Link spoke again, his voice muffled through the strip of his tunic that he held in his teeth. "Is it too tight?" He looked up at Ed. He was holding the ends of the makeshift-bandage, attempting to cover the raw skin of Ed's wrists.
"No, it's fine." Ed replied awkwardly. He wasn't used to Link talking yet.
As he secured the second strip around Ed's left wrist, he pointed to the variety of wounds covering his abdomen. "Is there anything too serious there?"
Ed blushed. "No, nothing at all, I'm fine!"
Link gave him a curious look, but didn't question it further.
"I can take care of it, thank you though." He muttered, not daring to look Link in the eyes. "Actually, I'd like to go explore. Is it safe?"
"Safe enough." Link answered, a look of disbelief on his face.
"Alright." Ed said briefly before walking slowly towards the farthest left door. He opened the door cautiously and was greeted by a bright room filled with lush vegetation. A pool of clear water lay in the leftmost corner of the room, and a stone balcony lined most of the wall above. Ed was covered in filth, and the water looked very inviting, so he stripped down to his boxers and jumped in. The cold water was soothing on his wounds, and he sighed in contentment. He hadn't had a proper bath since he had been in Amestris.
Link grew bored quickly while he waited for Ed to come back, so he too decided to explore the temple. He made his way around the twisting passageways, glad that the ceiling masters had vanished long ago. He had heard stories about their bite, and they were not pleasant.
He soon came to a wooden door with insets of stained glass. He vaguely wondered if Ed had gone back to the main chamber before stepping into the next room. Link stepped over the tangled mess of roots and vines as he continued to the edge of the railing.
Peering over the edge, he looked down on the small lake in the corner. Was Ed swimming? He shrugged it off, though couldn't help but stare. He had such a slender frame... It was unusual for such a strong person as him to be that skinny.
A strange feeling overtook him then, as if there was... Something behind him? Link whirled around to face his enemy; a big baba. Link cursed silently as he reached for his sword. How could he have left without it?
