Chapter 3
Travel

Kitaku laid in her makeshift bed and directed her empty stare toward the wooden ceiling while her thoughts wandered through everything that had happened. She soon became dizzy through an overwhelming sense of loss and confusion—nothing made sense anymore.

The longer she dwelled on the chaotic mess in her mind, the glassier her eyes became with frustrated, hopeless tears. The distraught girl ran a shaky hand through her tousled black hair as she took in a sharp breath of air. There was only one thing that she was sure of.

'This is real.'

Kitaku exhaled heavily as she bit down on her bottom lip. 'I have to calm down,' she scolded herself, 'I'll focus on being able to walk again, and then I'll go to this castle Link mentioned. Nothing else matters.' As much as she attempted to console herself and keep her sanity together, she was still in a state of utter distress.

She remained this way for hours—lost in thought and remaining, for the most part, silent. She ignored Anju's prodding and incessant inquiries to her wellbeing. Eventually she fell into a deep slumber—unfortunately; Kitaku couldn't find peace even in her dreams.

His face was everywhere. Regular shadows contorted themselves into demonic creatures that stared hungrily at the tasty morsel placed before them. Kitaku couldn't move at all and didn't dare breathe a single breath deathly afraid of the monsters that surrounded her. She had no choice but to bear the torture of seeing the twisted face of her assailant in her mind's eye. 'This is a dream,' she desperately reminded herself as she shut her eyes tight.

The next morning Kitaku awoke with a soft grunt. She stirred in her bed and eventually brought herself up into a sitting position as she lazily scratched her scalp. 'Out of one nightmare and straight into another,' she grumbled in her mind before glancing to the side.

To her surprise, half a loaf of bread and a small block of cheese rested upon the small table next to her bed. She swung her feet off of the cot and reached for the food— she didn't bother to question where it might have come from.

Kitaku's stomach softly rumbled as she took a bite from both pieces of her food. She hadn't realized she was so hungry! She wolfed them down, barely lifting her head for a breath of air.

"You're awake! Good morning," Anju exclaimed as she walked down from the stairs on the opposite end of the room. She let out a quick giggle at Kitaku's startled expression, which quickly changed into one of guilt. The woman waved her hand dismissively as she continued down the steps. "Don't worry, I didn't need any. Link left that for you before you woke up."

Kitaku swallowed the chunk of bread that she still had stuffed in her cheek. "Oh," was all she could manage before turning her attention back to devouring the rest of her breakfast. After she finished she stood to her feet and threw her hands up into the air in a refreshing stretch. She then extended a leg in front of her and shook it out, much to Anju's amusement.

"You're feeling better today, huh?" She smiled kindly as she stepped toward the girl.

"Yeah," Kitaku replied as she finished her stretches, "I guess sleep and food helped a bit." A polite grin stretched across her thin lips as she turned to face her caretaker.

"That's good. Link said that if you're feeling well enough, you two could head over to Hyrule Castle today," Anju chimed informatively before she motioned toward the building's exit. "If you're ready to leave you can find him playing with some of the village children."

Kitaku sighed. 'Traveling, great,' she grumbled in her mind, displeasure shining through her narrowed eyes. She turned on her heel toward the rickety wooden door and casually lifted her hand up to wave at the woman. "Alright, the sooner I figure out what to do, the better." She tested her footing as she took a single step forward, making sure she didn't wobble or falter. To her relief, her muscles remained strong after her rest through the night. The renewed girl strolled over to the exit with ease, showing Anju a final smile. "Thanks for lending a bed."

The woman beamed back as she tilted her head in a polite bow. "It's no trouble! Make sure you visit me if you're ever in the area."

Kitaku nodded briskly as she pulled the door open and took a step out. "I will," she replied before she strode out of the building.

The girl took in a sharp breath of crisp air and allowed her eyes to rove over her surroundings. She was a great deal calmer than the previous day and therefore could appreciate the quaint beauty of the village much more. There was a soft breeze that ran its gentle fingers through the girl's partially tangled hair almost as though it were attempting to comb it out for her. There was the faint smell of rising bread and cooking meat wafting from various village houses, which mixed nicely with the fresh, outside air. The ground was covered in lush green grass, aside from the rough dirt roads that ran through the area. The occasional chicken and dog still roamed back and forth while picking up any tasty morsels they might find on the floor.

Kitaku walked carefully forward as though she felt insecure about wandering on her own. She stared at the villagers around her that were dressed in medieval clothing. It was very peculiar to see men and women adorned in weapons and leather going about their daily lives as if nothing was strange at all. It wasn't long until she began to realize that it was she who was out of place with her bellbottom jeans and red T-shirt.

The sound of playful squeals and laughter soon reached Kitaku's small ears. She perked up as she began to follow the voices up a flight of stone stairs. She slowed as she reached the top, and was thoroughly amused by the sight that awaited her.

Near a beat up old well, Link, the Hero of Time, was on his hands and knees with a mock-fierce expression spread across his soft features. He bared his teeth as he let out a 'fearsome' roar and lifted his hand before stomping it down on the ground. His golden locks brushed over his azure eyes and swayed with each of his movements, free from the normal confines of his hat.

Just in front of him a young boy lifted his wooden sword while struggling to balance the oversized green hat on his small head. "You won't get the best of ush, monstewr! The Hewo of Time will win!" He declared defiantly, pointing his 'blade' at the hero's face. Four other children stood behind him, each striking their own brave pose.

Link let out another roar before taking a playful swipe at the child causing the 'battle' to commence. He was soon swarmed with the five children and fought to wrestle them down to the ground.

Kitaku crossed her arms over her chest and allowed an entertained smirk to creep across her lips. She waited a few minutes before she grew impatient, and then cleared her throat with a deep huff.

Link, who was flipped over on his back with a child triumphantly sitting on his stomach, glanced upward to stare at the girl's sarcastic grin. He smiled sheepishly before exchanging a few words with the children, and then brought himself to a sitting position. The small boy took the green hat off of his head and passed it back to its rightful owner before scurrying away with the rest of his posse.

Link let out a chuckle at the boy's retreating form as he fit the green hat back on his head. He stood and brushed the loose blades of grass off of his clothes, and then trotted over to where the girl waited. "You look better today," he commented as he grabbed his sword and shield, which laid nearby.

Kitaku snorted as she wrinkled her nose at the boy's smiling features—she just couldn't get over how much he resembled her nightmares. "Breakfast helped," she muttered under her breath, earning a raised eyebrow from the hero.

"That's good," Link replied nonchalantly as he tucked the last of his hair into his precious hat. "Are you feeling well enough to travel?"

The girl nodded in response before allowing her arms to fall to her side. "Yeah, the sooner we get there, the sooner I get to go home, right?" She muttered with hostility lingering in her rough voice.

Link ignored her tone and nodded before looking upward in thought. "It's early, so we should be able to make decent time. We should be there by tomorrow afternoon if we leave now."

Kitaku knitted her eyebrows with disappointment showing through her expression at the information; that was too much traveling and time for her liking. "Fine, let's leave now, then." She huffed as she turned briskly on her heel. She began to walk toward a path that lead to what looked like an exit.

Link cleared his throat to catch Kitaku's attention, mimicking what the girl had done only minutes earlier. "The exit's this way," he pointed down the stairs, "you're going toward the graveyard." An amused smile stretched across his lips as the girl swung back around on the ball of her foot in mid-step.

"I wanted to look at something!" Kitaku spat while stomping in the direction that Link pointed. "You don't have to be such an impatient prick." Even through her low growl it was obvious that she was making excuses.

Link shrugged, "I just thought you wanted to leave as soon as possible. You can go look at whatever if you want to." Though seeming entirely innocent his voice had an entertained edge to it. He walked down the stairs alongside her as he casually lifted his hands to the back of his head.

Kitaku sputtered in frustration before she threw her hand out to shove the hero without turning to look at him. Link yelped as he stumbled down the steps and flailed his arms as he felt a wave of adrenaline rush through his veins. He barely regained his balance, avoiding a nasty tumble by a narrow margin.

"Are you trying to kill me?!" He cried out angrily as he turned sharply to face the snickering girl. He continued to walk with her, except now he kept a five foot distance from her.

"Kill you, no. Hurt you, yes." Kitaku replied arrogantly as she skipped ahead so she wouldn't have to see Link's angry glare.

The hero remained silent as he continued along with his irritated stare fixed on the back of the girl's head.

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Kitaku huffed as she stared at the beast in front of her. Its reddish orange coat faded into white socks on each if its four legs. Its shaggy white mane moved with the cool breeze and brushed over its large almond-shaped eyes. Well toned muscles rippled through its body, which was visible even with its sleek fur coat.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Link replied, stroking the horse's black nose. "Riding on Epona would be faster than walking, not to mention easier on your body." He kept in mind that the girl was probably still weak despite her ability to walk.

Kitaku frowned—she knew this was coming. Somewhere along the line she'd have to ride on a horse—but that didn't mean she had to be happy about it. "I'm not good with horses," she muttered under her breath, keeping her arms crossed as she remained standing a few feet away. It wasn't that she didn't like horses—in fact, she loved them ever since she was a child. It was the thought of riding one that made her nervous.

"Don't be silly, Epona doesn't mind." Link laughed as he helped himself onto Epona's saddle. "I'll be doing the directing; all you have to do is hang on." He extended a hand toward Kitaku, much to her dismay.

Kitaku heaved a sigh before walking over to Epona's side. She took Link's gauntleted hand into her own before she hoisted herself up in the space behind the hero. She placed her hands on Link's shoulders and gripped as hard as she could, earning a small wince from him.

"You're going to fall off like that," he warned, "just put your arms around my waist."

The girl opened her mouth to protest but stopped as she considered the word 'fall'. She let out an audible grumble as she slipped her arms around Link's waist and held on as if her life depended on it. She could feel the heat rising to her cheeks in a blush, and she was suddenly thankful that Link's back was turned toward her.

Link kicked Epona's sides gently, causing her to move forward in a slow walk. If he were mean, he'd have snapped her into a full on gallop just to frighten the girl behind him—and he had to admit, it did cross his mind as revenge. However he took it slow, allowing her to get the feel of riding on the back of a horse.

Epona gradually began to walk faster and faster until she was galloping through the open plains. Kitaku let out a string of curses under her breath each time the speed changed but soon grew used to moving along with the horse. Her death-grip on Link's waist loosened as she grew more relaxed and casually began to take in the gorgeous scenery.

There was no smog and no cars loudly honking their horns. There were no artificial lights and definitely no tall skyscrapers to block the azure sky. Rolling clouds blew steadily by in the breeze, while the trees in the distance danced together in graceful waves. The blades of grass rippled like water in the gentle wind along with the occasional flower patch that they'd passed.

Everything just seemed so—rich. The colors were deeper than what she normally saw in her home world, from the purple tinted mountains and gorgeous royal blue sky, to the emerald grass plains and fertile maroon soil. She couldn't help but admit that this place was much more beautiful than anything she'd seen on Earth.

Hours later the sun began to set in the far off distance, painting the sky with an array of brilliant orange hues. Kitaku found herself in awe—she thought that the sunsets she'd saw before were nice, but this was simply breathtaking.

Epona slowed her steps as Link tugged on the reign and eventually came to a complete stop. "We should stop here and set up camp," he advised as he swung his leg over Epona's side. He hopped off the horse and stretched his hand out to help the girl.

Kitaku let out an audible huff at Link's outstretched hand before slapping it away with her own. She clumsily pushed herself off of the horse and landed on the ground with a thud.

"It's still lighted, though. Isn't it a bit early to stop?" She inquired as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Link's face fell in disapproval when Kitaku swatted his hand. "It won't be for long. We still have to set up camp," he replied as he stroked Epona's shoulder in praise. "Besides that, Epona's starting to get tired. It'd be bad to overwork her."

Link walked over to the packs that were attached to Epona's saddle and began to untie the strings that held the supplies.

"Oh," Kitaku replied dumbly—she'd almost forgotten that Epona wasn't quite as durable as a car. She remained silent as she watched Link fiddle with the buckles and ties on the bags feeling particularly useless.

Soon Link unhitched a rolled up sleeping bag and proceeded to spread it across the hard ground. He examined her somewhat lost expression and sighed lightly before untying another bag from Epona. He then nonchalantly tossed it to Kitaku. "Hold this feed bag open for Epona while I go and gather some wood for a fire."

Kitaku clumsily caught the bag and eyed it skeptically. "Yeah, sure." She muttered as she unfastened the bag's strings. She walked over to Epona and held it open and was a little thankful that she didn't have to stand like an idiot, doing nothing.

Link smiled before trotting away to some nearby trees to gather some sticks and twigs. Before long, camp was made with a small fire burning, just in time to protect the duo from the night's chilled air.

"You can take the sleeping bag—I only have one," the boy explained as he sat near the fire as he stretched his fingers by the flickering flames to warm them.

Kitaku also sat by the fire, and drew her knees up to her chin. "Right," she mumbled, not an ounce of gratitude in her voice—if anything, she seemed a little annoyed. She cast Link a suspicious glare from across the campfire. "Why are you helping me?" She inquired.

Link seemed to be caught off guard by her sudden question. He lifted his gaze from the flames and shrugged, "You're interesting," he half replied. "It's not every day you find a person unconscious in the middle of a field, claiming to be from this— 'Liss Angolus' place you're talking about." He stumbled upon the foreign name, struggling to remember it, "Besides that, I feel bad for you."

Kitaku seemed to be more irritated than ever. "I'm from Los Angeles, and I never asked for your pity," she spat bitterly before scooting herself over the nearby sleeping bag. She laid down with a plop, back facing the hero who was seated across the fire. She was, quite obviously, finished talking.

Link stared at her in bewilderment—people usually bend over backwards thanking him every day for the most minor of things, but this girl was determined to be as difficult as possible. He sighed to himself, not bothering to attempt another conversation. He laid upon the soft grass and used his own arm as a makeshift pillow.

"Good night," Link muttered to her but received no reply.

After several minutes, they both fell into a deep slumber.