Chapter four

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Link awoke before dawn that morning. He actually didn't get much sleep because he was so excited. He quickly ate breakfast and grabbed his saddlebags, opening the door and tripping over something in the doorway.

"Ow!"

It was Ilia.

"Ilia?! What are you doing out here?"

"I was waiting for you."

Link saw she was clutching a bag and a pillow.

"...Did you sleep out here?"

Ilia nodded.

"Did your father say you could come?"

Link waited for an answer. Ilia didn't meet his eyes.

"Ilia, do you know how furious your father would be with me if I took you with me? Do you know how that would make me look?"

Ilia stood up and glared at him. "I don't care what anyone thinks. It's about time I made my own choices, and I'm going with you."

"I'm sorry, Ilia. If your father said no, I am not taking you."

"Ok then." She moved aside, and followed Link to Epona's stable. Link ignored her and went to get on Epona. Her bridle was gone.

"Where did you hide the bridle?"

Ilia turned up her nose at Link. "What are you talking about?"

"Ilia, please. I need to leave."

"You're not getting it until you promise to take me with you to Castle Town."

Link sighed. "I don't have time for this."

Ilia's face was set in stone. She looked at him, he looked at her.

"...fine. I'll take you. Now please just give me the bridle."

Ilia climbed a nearby tree. The bridle was hanging high above in the branches. Link was surprised at how good the hiding place was. He never would have thought to look there.

Link fitted the bridle on Epona, saddled her up with their bags, and they rode away to the grassy expanses of Hyrule field.

They didn't make it all the way to the castle that day, so they pitched camp. Link started the fire and began to cook dinner.

Ilia had been quiet all day. She was the one who insisted on taking the journey slowly, to not tire Epona. And when even riding slowly, it was hard to talk to each other. Link had to concentrate on shooting the unlucky monstrous birds that decided to attack, and slashing the goblins that dared come too close.

Ilia was a little scared, but she was very impressed with Link's skill. He had managed to fight off the monsters and still guide Epona.

It was twilight now--night was on its way.

She looked at Link. His face was lit by the light of the fire, and he was stirring something in a pot.

Link had changed, Ilia thought. He wasn't so goofy anymore, shooting slingshots with the kids for the village and running around grabbing helpless chickens and jumping off buildings... Link had matured. Ilia felt weird thinking it, but Link was a man now. He left the village, still barely a man. but he returned changed.

Ilia tried to put her finger on how he had changed. It was hard.

Well, he was stronger than before. Those muscles weren't there for show. And he used them well. His weapon skills were unmatched now. And he had battle instincts. Better than before.

Was he wiser than before? He did have more wisdom on nearly everything. People went to him for advice, even coming from other villages to talk to him. He was an expert on self-defense, swordsmamship, farming, sumo wrestling, horse care, fishing, the cultures of Hyrule, the geography of Hyrule, the history of Hyrule, the governments of Hyrule...On and on it went.

Link even had an eerie knowledge of chickens. He knew the personality of every chicken in Ordon village somehow. Once, Ilia and Link were caring for the chickens. Ilia was clipping the wings of a new chicken, and she noticed Link rubbed his own arms uncomfortably. He had suggested that she be more gentle, because 'that spot was sensitive.' She asked how he knew, and he shrugged, changing the subject.

Link had more animal knowledge in general. Ilia swore she saw his sniffing things more often. She had made a pumpkin pie one time. She barely took it out of the oven, and Link came all the way from Ordon spring to knock at her door and ask for a piece. Giving him a generous slice, Ilia asked how Link knew she'd made a pie. He didn't answer.

Another time, a goat became dangerously violent. No one knew why, but the goat was charging, biting, and kicking. It nearly trampled Malo, luckily Colin was there to push him out of the way. Colin likes pushing people out of the way of danger, doesn't he?

Anyway, Fado wanted to kill the goat, but Link wanted to look at it first. Link watched the stance, gait, and muscle tension of the goat, and concluded that there was a thorn lodged deep in the cleft of the goat's hoof. The goat was going insane with the pain, but after they tackled the goat and Link pulled the thorn out, the goat was fine. No one would have realized there was a thorn; it was like Link had an animal sense.

Link was offering Ilia a bowl of stew. He raised his eyebrows in an "Earth to Ilia" moment. She smiled and apologized for spacing out. He smiled back, and returned to his own food.

Ilia tasted the stew. Her eyes widened. It was delicious. What in heavens name happened to him while he journeyed? Since when could he cook without burning everything to a crisp?

She watched Link eat his stew. He apparently had manners now, too. He didn't slurp, and he even had a napkin on his lap.

What happened to him? Ilia wondered. Why is he so different now? Different in a good way, she thought, as she ate her stew.

But still, this wasn't the same Link Ilia knew from before. She didn't know quite what to think of him anymore. Well then, she would just have to get reacquainted with this new Link.

When they had finished their meal, Link and Ilia set up the tent. It was simple--a canvas stretched over a tree branch, its edges pinned to the ground.

Ilia set up her blankets inside. Link did not set up his bedding. Instead, he told her, "Goodnight," and stood guard against the dog zombies that so often frequent the Hyrule night.

Link sat by the fire, sword in hand. His form, silhouetted by the light of the fire, was the last thing Ilia saw before she went to sleep.

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A/N: Good morning! The story will begin to pick up now. I'm excited!

I'm starting to get excited for Christmas. Sora from Kingdom Hearts now graces my desktop background, wearing an adorable Santa outfit. Last year, it was a chibi Link in a Santa outfit. In real life, I don't like Santa costumes, though. I remember when I was a little kid, sitting on Santa's lap. I never liked it because he would always smell like stale plastic (from the beard and wig) and old person. I wasn't thinking, "Yay! Santa! Presents!" but "Eww! Stinky! Creepy!"