Only when the sun sinks behind the mountains does Dakota finally emerge from beneath the canopy. She joins her companions circling a campfire outside on the grass: a bedhead of black hair in a blue tunic; travelling boots with pointed toes that looked as though they had never set foot on the ground. She plucks a baked apple from Ningan's grasp with a mischievous grin.
"This is nice." She bites into the sweet toasty fruit. "Kind of reminds me of Hyrule Field."
"I like it." Laurel agrees. "It's very peaceful. And not a monster in sight."
They listen to the rhythmic sway of the branches in the breeze and watch the sparse shapeless clouds pass above their heads. It isn't long before they remove their sleeping bags from inside the wagon and prepare for a night under the stars.
As usual, Ezra is captivated in one of his books: this one was a green guidebook titled The Gardens of Engrove: A Botanist's Bliss. Since its purchase, he had become preoccupied with the properties of plants. Meanwhile, Laurel aimlessly pokes at the embers of the campfire as he recalls life back home.
"I wonder if Hyrule is back on its feet yet?"
"I don't think Hyrule will ever recover from Ganondorf's devastation…" Ningan grunts.
"The economy, education…" Dakota shakes her head with dismay. "Hyrule's entire infrastructure needs to be rebuilt from the ground-up."
"And the environment!" Ezra chimes from the pages of his book. "Don't forget the environment!"
"I pity Her Majesty's position." Laurel sympathises. "The burden upon her shoulders must weigh a colossal tonne."
"The Princess has definitely tried her best to rekindle relations with other tribes." Dakota explained. "Although I believe the Gerudo are a lost cause."
"The Zoras almost became extinct!" Ezra reminds them.
"And as for the Sheikah...?" Dakota turns to Ningan.
"Only one survives." he affirms with a fold of his arms. As far as the rest of Hyrule knew, the Sheikah line had ended with Impa, save her only son: Ningan himself.
"It must be awfully sad," Dakota says pitifully. "Having no family, no surviving relatives...not even a mother..."
"Alright Dakota, that's enough." Laurel interjects. "Let's talk about something else."
"The fire's looking a little weak." Ningan jumps to his feet. "I'll just go and fetch some firewood."
The Sheikah skulks off into the forest. Laurel shakes his head whilst glaring in Dakota's direction.
"What?" she scoffs. "I just offered some sympathy!"
As the waxing moon rises into the sky, Ezra surrenders his book to the darkness and delves into the depths of his sleeping bag. Laurel volunteers the first night-watch, allowing Dakota some rest.
Time passes. With every minute, the embers fade to dust, like sand passing through an hourglass. Laurel occupies the hours by counting the stars overhead. His father had taught him the useful skill of identifying constellations at a young age, and the talent stuck with him at age nineteen.
Under this particular night sky, he observes the distinct shape of Libra and its bordering asterisms, Scorpius and Hydra. And of course, the familiar Ursa Major, with its famous Big Dipper formation. He remembers when he showed that constellation to his childhood friend Malon many years ago at Lon Lon Ranch. So many years ago...
An unexpected pang of homesickness grapples his heart. He has been away from Hyrule for only around three months, but it is already hitting him hard. He misses his family, he misses his village, and most of all, he misses Malon.
Something that she told him all those years ago echoes in his mind: You may be a little lost now. But you'll find your way back.
These words jerk Laurel from his self-tormenting state of mind into the reality of the present. The light of the embers has diminished to total darkness. Where has Ningan gotten to?