Chapter 4: Son of Man

472 A.H.

"Hi Epona, how things going?" Ilia asked the horse as she patted Epona's mane. He horse said nothing to Ilia's inquiry, but at the precise instant in which that an answer would be said from Epona a scream of frustration let out from the tree house above. The owner of the scream was obviously Link. Ilia noticed the scream (much like the rest of Ordon) and immediately began climbing the ladder that led up to Link's door. She promptly knocked a few times and awaited for a response which never came. She sighed in frustration as she let herself in while simultaneously yelling "I'm coming in!", but before she could finish the last word of her statement a pile of books rained down from the upper levels that nearly landed on the village girl if she hadn't jumped back into the doorway.

"Dammit!" Link yelled in frustration as he bent over the rail and looked down at the mess below.

"What the hell you doing in here, Link?" Ilia screamed up at him as he finished readjusting the shelves that the books had fallen from. He looked back down at Ilia whom he had not noticed before. She gave him a scowling look that could kill him if she so desired it. "Is this how you welcome somebody into your home after days being cooped up in here?" she demanded.

"Oh, sorry Ilia!" Link hollered back down to her, giving an apologetic look. "I didn't notice you were down there! You alright?" he asked with a touch of sincerity in his voice, as he began climbing down the series of ladders to the bottom floor where Ilia and the pile of books awaited him.

"Besides the near-death experience by the careless hands of my best friend?Just fine." She scowled at him.

"Like I said; I'm sorry." He apologized again. Ilia's scowling look at him slowly turned to a smile.

"it's okay, Link. But I gotta ask what are you doing?" she asked pointing to the pile of books at their feet.

"I'm … uh looking for stuff on my family history; photographs, letters, names, anything really." He explained as began trying to tidy-up the books from the pile, Ilia soon helping him.

"Why?" she asked casually, however Link suddenly froze up, trying to think of a response.

"Well, you might think that this is stupid but…" he began, trying to build up courage.

"Just tell me!" she insisted with a smile. He sighed in defeat.

"Well, I don't know why but I think I'm having weird dreams. These dreams honestly feel like memories, but I don't recall who the people are but they seem oddly… familiar." Ilia paused what she was doing and gave him a concerned look.

"That's odd." She simply commented at first. "How long as this been going on?" she inquired. He scratched at the back of his head.

"Well actually I first started having these 'dreams' roughly a year ago – almost an exact year after my adventure. But they didn't really start bothering me till a couple of weeks ago when I… 'Remembered' something that was so odd in particular that I've been thinking about it since." He sighed and looked away, not sure how to proceed.

"What was it?" Ilia insisted, giving him a stern look.

"well I remember someone asking me – and by me I mean I was in someone else's eyes watching everything. But anyway they asked 'me' if they could name their child 'Romani' if it was a girl or… 'Link' if it was a boy."

Ilia's eyes went wide in shock. "What?!" she exclaimed. "How…" she tried speaking but the shock and confusion at what Link had explained were too overwhelming.

"I don't understand it all either, but it's been bugging me too much. I need to find out about these memories – if they are indeed memories. And whose memories are these and why am I having them." Link stated as he continued putting the books into a neat pile with Ilia's assistance for several minutes in silence and thought.

"Link." Ilia stated suddenly, breaking the silence. "maybe you should talk to my dad. I think I remember him telling me that he wasn't the one who founded Ordon. It was actually a small of family that did. It might be possible that it was the couple that founded this very village who were your parents."

"Possibly, but if that's true then who was this person that my mother asked regarding my name. I'm pretty sure it wasn't my father."

"Maybe it was your Grandfather?" she stated. Link, brought up a finger to his chin in thought as part of his habit.

"Maybe your right. It would make sense. Would your dad know who my parents were and possibly my Grandfather?" he asked, picking himself off the floor.

"Yeah, of course." Ilia stated with a smile as she too finished getting up. "Come on, let's go talk to him." She insisted as she grabbed Link's wrist and dragged him out the door and down the ladder, towards the village, and finally to the Mayor's residence. Ilia opened the door and immediately called for her father, whom slowly came up the stairs from the basement.

"What is it Ilia?" he asked as he rubbed at his balding skull.

"Dad, Link wanted to talk to you about something." She blurted out before Link could even open his mouth. The Mayor looked to the young man, expecting the explanation.

"Well Mayor I was wondering if you know of anything regarding my parents and if possible my Grandparents… I'm… uhh… curious about them."

"Your family, eh?" he echoed the question as he stroked his chin. "I think I remember something of them. What do you want to know, lad?"

Link's eyes shined in hope. "Anything, sir; names, where were they from, anything." Link stated with excitement.

"Why don't we sit down?" the Mayor asked as the three sat down at the table. "Let's see…" the Mayor began in thought. "Well, honestly I didn't know them that well even though it was just your parents and I think your mother's father. If my memory serves me right her name was Marin. I think your father's name was Rinku*; I'm not totally sure."

"What of the third? My Grandfather?" Link asked impatiently.

"I knew of him less than your parents. When I found their little place here, I asked if I could settle here, and they said I could. But that's about it, there was something going on regarding your Grandmother's death when I and my wife moved here. It was only a few months or so when your Grandfather died as well. Apparently his health was failing him around the time of his wife's death."

"What was his name?" Link asked, his impatience growing at a surprising rate – even to himself. The Mayor leaned back in his chair and thought hard.

"I think… I think it was the same as yours, lad; 'Link'." The Mayor stated, not totally sure of his answer, but after a few nods; "Yeah, it was indeed 'Link'. Clearly you were named after your Granddaddy, lad." The mayor stated finally with a smile till he noticed the looks of shock on both Link's and Ilia's faces.

Author's Note: Feeling lazy about Link's father's name. So I went for that.