Light on his feet and music pulsing through his thoughts, he strut his way through the village, a messenger bag hanging from his shoulder and blade hanging from his hip. He couldn't tell what had made him feel so light, so confident, so happy. Perhaps it was the warm day, the way the sun beat down onto their forest home and the way the birds sang in the treetops around them. Perhaps it was people around him, the way vendors were alive with animated owners, the way children ran past playing their games, the way everyone seemed to be out and enjoying the last few days of summer's warmth. Perhaps it was the fact that he had been forced to take the next two days off for rest. He had been working himself to the bone as of late, soul jittering just beneath the skin in worry, running all over to make sure this new life was safe. After yesterday's incident Eagus had forced Link to take a few days for himself.
"The world will still be here while you have your rest, Link. You've pushed yourself too hard these past few months, and you deserve to have a break." Eagus had told him.
As much as Link would have liked to argue with him over such an idea, he was glad he had simply nodded and walked away. Perhaps it was the fact that for two whole days he had no responsibilities other than to take care of himself that made his heart so light. No knights asking him to help them spar, no professors asking him to teach them about some fauna or flora they had found interesting, no world begging him to save them from the next horrible beast that lurks in the dark. He had no one to look out for but himself. Eagus had been right. A few days off was exactly what he needed.
At first the morning had been just as stressful and confusing. What was he supposed to do on his own? Eagus hadn't sent him a wake up call, and he had no duties to attend to as a knight. Zelda would be busy today with her own knightly chores, as she did not have a supposed concussion, and he would not be able to spend time with her until it was late at night, and no doubt at that point she would need her sleep. Pipit, Groose, Eagus, all of those he considered his friends would be busy while he was not. After a few deep breaths, however, the stress and confusion had lifted. He could do whatever the hell he wanted. With a thought so freeing, he had laid back down and went back to sleep, enjoying a dreamless rest until the sun grew so bright that his blinds could not fight it back.
When he could no longer sleep he had thrown on his knight's uniform, despite Eagus' insistence the night before he wear his casual clothes, and grabbed his sword and shield. A moment had passed where he remembered he had no duties, and no need for neither sword nor shield, but he shrugged it off and hung them from the belt that sat at his waist. There is always a need for them. He wanted to be prepared in case anything went wrong, however unlikely it was. And after heavy consideration Link had pulled a leather bag over his shoulder and left the Knight's Academy.
The world outside was warmed by the sun, birds soaring overhead in the breeze, wildlife going about their lives in the edges of the forest, the clouds lazily drifting in and out of the sun's light and keeping the earth from baking in the light. After a good sleep, emerging into a perfect summer's day only bolstered his mood. Without a sense of worry or urgency pressing at his mind, Link had started towards the bazaar in a leisurely stroll. For the first time in a long time, things had started feel like they were going to be okay. Ever since he had taken down the Demon King, there had always been a nagging, lurking fear that something bad would happen, that he hadn't actually succeeded, that all he had worked so hard to save and protect would be broken into thousands of pieces and ruined. A day without worries, a day without problems, a day without the nagging anxiety and fear was exactly what he had been dreaming of since then, and he hadn't even known it. Today will be a good day.
Just as Link had entered the section of roads in the centre of town known as the bazaar, hundreds of sights, smells, and sounds flooded him. The calls of vendors selling their goods, children running and playing kick ball, the smell of fresh bread and pastries, people sitting in the very centre of the traffic strumming on lutes and harps, plucking chords on a piano, singing and dancing and roping in the occasional passerby into a group dance. Seeing the village around him continue on with their lives without a care in the world brought a new level of brightness to his heart, a heavy weight beginning to lift off of his soul. Things were okay, and things are going to continue to be okay. With that thought in mind, his stroll became a strut, and it certainly caught the attention of the people. The vendors selling fruits and vegetables remarked how well he was looking. The butcher commented on how his smile could rival the sun's. Batreaux greeted him with a mighty hug, lifting Link off his feet and welcoming him back to his ever cobwebby and grimly decorated shop of puzzles. He would have told the man that humans didn't usually decorate their houses with bones and fake spiders and cobwebs, but after such a warm hearted welcome he didn't have the heart to break it to him. At least the children seemed to enjoy the inherent spookiness of the shop, and all of the little puzzles and crosswords and sudoku puzzles in it.
Each vendor and store Link visited, he was met with smiling faces and warm welcomes. Other villagers spoke to him and noted how happy he was looking as of late. Though he wasn't a big fan of idle small talk, speaking with those who stopped him brought him a sense of community, something he hadn't felt since his days in training at the Knight's Academy. It was wonderful to feel like he was an apprentice again, running around carefree and aloof like he used to. Feeling like he had actually completed something for the first time in days, Link called it a victory and strolled his way away from the bazaar. He had done his own chores, bought food and supplies, and even indulged with a few puzzles that could keep him busy for the rest of the day. He'd head back home and settle down for another nap and start working on some puzzles when he woke. Nothing could really ruin a day like this. There's no way a day like this could turn sour.
"Oi! Link! Wait up!"
The cry had startled him out of his daze. Turning to look at who had been calling to him, he spotted the navy tunic of a knight racing to catch up with him. He recognized her as the knight who had hit him in the head a few days ago during a sparring match, and while the memory of it didn't damper his mood, a feeling of dread slowly chewed at his gut. What was it? What did she need? He knew he couldn't say no to whatever she had to ask of him, but it was his day off, and he really didn't want that to end so soon. She was quick to stop beside him, slouching somewhat as she caught her breath.
"That's a real shiner I gave you the other day. I just wanted to say how sorry I am again."
Whatever dread had been seeded in his gut vanished, relief washing over him. Oh. She was only apologizing to him. She didn't need anything from him. His vacation day was still secured. He raised his hands in a placating gesture, giving her the most assuring smile he could.
"It's okay, really. Being a knight is a dangerous occupation."
"That still doesn't mean it was okay for me to give you a concussion."
Link just gave a shrug, his smile growing a little wider.
"It was just an accident. Accidents happen sometimes. No big deal. Better it's a concussion than loss of sight or a break in my skull, right?"
"I… I suppose so…"
"Come on." Link motioned to her, gesturing to his side. "Let's take a walk together. I can show you just how agile I still am, even with this bruise."
Despite her hesitancy, she nodded to him and smiled. Once more his smile grew, and he set off towards the Knight Academy, happier as she fell into step beside him. Today was a warm day, the sun shining and birds singing and a light breeze blowing through the streets. It was the kind of day one would want to share with another. Although he knew very little about the knight beside him, he knew that he wouldn't mind sharing a stroll with her back to the academy. She seemed to be just as pleased with the walk, grinning and humming softly with a bit of a kick in her step. Link couldn't help but hum along with her. It was one of his favourite tunes after all. When she realized he was humming with her, she smiled even wider, her voice strengthening some. Together they hummed, others in the busy streets looking over as they went along their merry way. As synchronized as they believed they were, it only took one crack in his voice to break the tune. Both burst into laughter at his voice that settled moments later. Within the silence that followed their laughter the streets seemed to buzz with energy, supercharged from their laughter. More and more people appeared to be feeding off of their happiness. It has been quite some time since such a thing has happened, he realized. With all of his seriousness and frowning, people had been quieter, more nervous, exercising intense caution over every little thing just as he did. After all, if the most relaxed and laid back person in town is freaking out over everything, then there must be something of serious concern about.
His thoughts shattered at the sound of a voice wavering, methodically musical. Looking over to her, she was looking right at him, motioning for him to join in. He hesitated, her voice reaching the end of her note. He hadn't sung in public in a long time. From the sound of the note she had sung, it was a song he knew well. Granted it was one of his favourites, but something nagging in his gut made him nervous. He hasn't sung in a long time. He glanced away for a second, mind racing between thoughts before he came to an official decision.
"Past lives, couldn't ever hold me down lost love, is sweeter when it's finally found."
A grin spread wide on her face at the sound of his voice, and a smile of his own slowly began to creep onto his features. She joined in a moment later.
"I've got the strangest feeling, this isn't our first time around."
"Past lives, couldn't ever come between us."
"Sometimes, the dreamers finally wake up."
"Don't wake me I'm not dreaming, don't wake me I'm not dreaming."
A second of silence punctuated their song, some of the villagers looking in their direction as they continued to walk. Their silence was broken as she began to sing the melody, shimmying her shoulders to the beat of the song. Link struggled to hold down a laugh before he joined her, shimmying just as she did until it was time to sing again.
"All my past lives, they got nothing on me."
"Golden eagle, you're the one and only flying high~! Through the cities in the sky~!"
Both she and Link hit another wavering note, singing it out in unison until once more his voice cracked. For a moment their singing was interrupted by their own snickering and giggling. Perhaps he hadn't used his voice for a lot longer than he had originally thought he had. Both managed to recover their composure quickly enough, starting their song once again.
"I'll take you way back~! Countless centuries. Don't you remember? That you were meant to be my Queen of Hearts~?"
"Meant to be my, love."
Once more they sang a wavering note, this time without Link's voice hitting an odd squeak.
"Through all of my lives~! I never thought I'd wait so long for you~!"
"The timing is right~! The stars are aligned~!"
By now their shimmying had started up again, both of them belting out their voices loud enough to draw the eyes of all the passersby on the path. For once, it didn't seem to matter too much that everyone was looking at them. They sang together, uncaring of whose eyes lingered.
"So save that heart for me! Cause girl you know that you're my destiny! Swear to the moon the stars the sons and the daughters~! Our love is deeper than the oceans of water!"
Without warning she dropped her voice, hunching her back and continuing to shimmy her shoulders.
"Hey. I need you now, I've waited oh so long!"
Link cut in, sinking into the same pose as she.
"Gimme love! I need you now, I've waited oh so long!"
With another strange squeak from his voice, both of them cut off in laughter.
"I'm guessing you don't sing too often anymore?" She asked, no longer singing and straightening herself out. Link scratched at the back of his neck, somewhat embarrassed by the way his voice sounded more like a teenager's during puberty.
"What gave it away?"
His feigned innocence brought another laugh from the both of them, this one a little softer than that of those before it. If there had been any wisps of dread or nervousness lingering in him, they were quick to have faded with their singing and laughter. Laughter could be a formidable medicine. A comfortable silence fell between them as they continued on their stroll, filled with the sounds of the world around them. Birds singing, the wind kicking up the banners that flapped lazily on their ropes, kids playing kickball, and the distant cries of knights.
Link's blood ran cold. Where those knights he was hearing, shouting and crying out? Or was it the wind that was rushing through the banners and ropes overhead messing with his head? His walking slowed, losing the joyful spring it had earlier. She slowed as he did, looking at him with curious eyes. He paid her no mind, staring up at the banners and listening. He could clearly hear the wind blowing past them, the flapping of fabric filling his head. The distinct sound of boots on earth and a battle cry was nearly masked by the wind. Just to be sure it really was what he was hearing, he halted and waited, straining to hear it. A crash of pots colliding and breaking was accompanied by another cry, one the sent a shudder down his spine. He glanced to the knight he had been walking with, and thankfully she seemed to have heard it as well. Both drew their weapons and began to dash, sprinting towards the sounds of a struggle. It became even harder to hear the cries and shouting beneath the clinking and clanging of sheathes and chainmail, but as they drew closer the sounds of the fight became louder and louder. A new feeling of dread and anticipation filled his guts, this one tighter than the one he had felt the day before. Something awful was happening right now, at the edge of their village.
Blowing past villagers retreating into their houses, both Link and the other knight swung around the corner and skid to a halt. Another knight, this one in mustard yellow, hit the ground and slid to a stop just at their feet. Despite having the wind knocked out of them, they seemed to be fine and were already picking themselves back up off of the ground. Farther down the path only a few yards ahead of them stood three figures. Each were adorned in dirty gray cloaks, tears and tatters in the few inches closest to the earth and ashes covering the frayed hems. One of them wore a thick blue scarf over their face, hiding everything but the eyes. The hood of their cloak shadowed his eyes, and made it difficult to tell the exact colour. They were the shortest in the group. The second tallest wore a mask shaped like a crow's head, a long silver beak protruding from the black feathered mask. The eyes were covered in a thick mesh, and seeing anything past them must have been difficult. The final and tallest figure wore a mask in the shape of something that he had only seen in the books of legends. Short muzzle with a stony face, and a mane of intense contrasting colour. He couldn't remember the exact beast it was modelled after, but all he needed to know was that it was a dangerous one.
The tallest had an arm outstretched and raised, long thick sleeves hiding the shape of their arm. In their black gloved hand was another knight, one in striking red, dangling by the scruff of his tunic. Other than being held off of the ground like a ragdoll, he didn't seem to be hurt, wriggling and squirming and trying his damnedest to twist around and slash at the person holding him high off of the earth. The largest of the strangers watched him through the eye holes of their mask, still and silent, before they shifted and swung the knight by his scruff. The knight went flying, falling to the earth like a bag of bricks and choking on his breath when he hit the ground. Whatever blood that wasn't chilled was soon icy in his veins. This person seemed to be just as dangerous as the beast their mask was modelled after, and should not be taken lightly.
The tallest straightened out their cloak and brushed off the outfit they had on underneath, head swinging around like a hungry wolf's in search of its next meal. They halted when they saw him, bright amber eyes seeming to pierce his very soul. Link stiffened, and tightened his grip on his blade. The knight beside him did the same, hunkering herself down in preparation to either lunge at the stranger or leap out of their way. Link held eye contact with the tallest of the group, refusing to move just as the other was. Both of the shorter companions, who had been busy looking around in disinterest, turned to face Link as the tallest had done. For several moments the silence held, with neither knight nor stranger daring to move. The wait was strangling, and the silence suffocating as they held their standoff. Dread continued to swirl and stew in his gut, growing exponentially by the second. More and more knights began to stream towards the path, stopping and unsheathing their own weapons as they joined the stand off. Amber eyes, hard and calculating, broke away from Link's and searched the crowd, once again seeming to look for the weakest link. Each knight bristled as their stare passed over them. It was only after some time of searching the knights before them did they make a move.
Any hostility in their stance dropped like a stone in a lake and they almost cheerfully raised their hands in a gesture of surrender and peace. The once stony amber eyes had shut, and Link could almost picture the gentle grin on the other's face. None of the knights relaxed at the surrender of the tallest, nor did they settle when the shorter two copied the tallest. Words came from behind the feline-esque mask in a voice too thick, clumsy, and foreign to understand. The language was one that Link did not know, and it took him aback for a moment. The one behind the scarf spoke in the same language, gargling to the tallest about something or other, and the tallest seemed to nod almost in embarrassment and shame. They cleared their throat, a horribly grating sound, before they attempted to speak once more.
"Fear not. Mean no harm, I promise."
His accent was still incredibly thick, but it was far more discernable than the language he had been speaking before. His voice didn't seem to have much an impact on the knights as none of them lowered their weapons or their guard. The tallest shook his head and hands in as placating a gesture as he could manage.
"Now now, it was a misunderstanding. I swear to you that my friends and I are not any threat. Simple language barriers, yes?"
"Who are you?"
Link startled himself. He hadn't even realized it was his own voice until it had left his mouth, but this was no time to show uncertainty. Link took a strong step forwards, his sword and shield still drawn and held defensively. The stranger once again waved his hands in a sign of peace and surrender. Even with a knight taking a threatening stance he managed to hold his ground.
"We are nothing but visitors. We only wish for safe plantings-"
The shortest warbled something to the tallest, and the tallest cleared his throat again.
"Safe passings, I mean. We only wish for safe passings. You must forgive me, as I am still not fluent in all languages of the wide world."
"What do you want from us?"
Another knight, Pipit, had taken a step forwards to join in on the questioning. Once more the stranger waved his hands. Did he really think they would stop bristling if he kept waving his hands around like that?
"It is not to see you hurt or dead, I assure you. We were merely defending ourselves."
The one in the crow mask gave a sharp elbow into the side of the tallest, chirping to him in a tone that he could only make out as feeling annoyed.
"To cut to the race, er… The ah, the chase, I mean. We only wish for safe passings, and if you shall grant it, some help in our search."
All around him knights were becoming more and more restless, each of them filling with unease and anticipation. Several were beginning to shuffle their feet, the clear signs of just wanting to fight and run the strangers off. Anxiety burst up from the dread within him, and the strong urge to fight and protect each of them forced him to take another step towards the strangers, his blade and shield slowly beginning to lower.
"What is it you're searching for?"
"We are searching for Krl'desh."
The answer was given so bluntly, so matter-of-fact that for a few lengthy seconds Link lost his train of thought. He had spoken it as if they were supposed to know what this krill dish thing is. Is it a person? An object? A weapon? The lack of clarity only twisted his guts into tighter and tighter knots. Thankfully the other seemed to realize that no one gathered around them knew what a krill dish is and scratched at the back of his neck through the hood of his own cloak.
"Krl'desh is an old friend of mine. Have not seen him for many years. He is… He is about this tall," he said, motioning with his hand how tall the man was. "He is pale, has dark eyes, light hair. He is very strong, very outspoken. He is not hard to miss, but he is evasive, solitary, and most likely injured."
With an explanation in order and a better understanding of the stranger's intentions, the crowd of knights seemed to relax. Murmuring began amongst them, bits and pieces of which could only vaguely make out. Some were still questioning the newcomers, some were sympathizing with their plights. Link didn't bother to listen to the others as he made direct eye contact with the tallest once more. Amber and sky blue stared at one another, both trying to read the other while hiding all they could from the seeking gaze. Link stood like that for several moments, watching the other. Another smile must have spread on the stranger's face, as the corners of their eyes folded and creased. Link only continued to feel worse and worse.
"Will you assist us in our search?"
The stranger's voice cut through the air like a warm knife through butter, and for a minute after the question was posed silence settled once again, just as thick and suffocating as it had been before. Finally, the silence was broken for good.
"We'll lead you to the other side of the village, and we will keep an eye out for your friend."
If it was possible for a once hostile stranger to become even cheerier, he managed to do it. He bounced on the balls of his feet, which he noticed he stands on constantly, and he clapped his hands a few times, the sound muffled by the thick gloves. He folded his hands together and continued to bounce on the balls of his feet, the edges of his cloak moving strangely.
"Wonderful! We greatly appreciate your kind natures! It means a great deal for us!"
Hesitance spread across the gathered knights, some of them beginning to disperse back to their posts and duties. Several, Pipit and Link included, lingered behind to take the strangers where they wanted to go. The stranger and his companions came closer, and Link could feel himself bristle a little bit more. He had never meant to spend his day like this, bristling and anxious and filled with dread. The peace and joy he had felt earlier in the day had melted away, letting the usual negative emotions he'd felt in the past two years take over again. A part of him wished he could walk away from this mess like it had never existed, but he knew that he would never be able to.
A black hand was thrown out to him, shoved towards him in a manner meant to be friendly. The tallest had extended it to him, amber eyes watching cheerfully behind the stoney, expressionless mask. Behind him his companions crooned under their breath, speaking to one another. The tallest paid them no mind, and gave an almost cat-like head tilt when Link hesitated to take his hand. Link pushed himself to move, sheathing his sword and strapping his shield to his back once more before taking the other's hand. Despite being covered in a thick black leather, the other's hand was incredibly warm to the touch, and accompanied with a large hand and an overwhelmingly strong grip, the hand shake was more than likely to be sweaty. The stranger didn't seem to notice or mind.
"We appreciate your assistance. I am Sol. Featherhead is Nilr, and scarf boy is called Loh."
"L-Link. My name is Link."
"No need to be shy," Sol chittered, his tongue becoming less clumsy. He pulled his hand back and planted it into Link's hair, which took him completely by surprise. "We wish no harm upon you. We only wish for safe passings and Krl'desh."
As soon as Sol pulled his hand away, Link had his hands in his hair, returning it to it's usual state of discord. Despite being at least seven feet tall, immensely strong and no doubt dangerous, he seemed to be a rather gentle hearted. Though the invasion of personal space was a trait that Link would have rathered he didn't have. The knight he had run here with was holding back her snickers, covering her mouth and scratching at her cheek. At least, she had been holding them back until Sol extended his hand to her and Pipit simultaneously. Seems it was less funny when she was put in the same position. Link watched them as Sol vigorously shook their hands. Though Sol was acting friendly something didn't sit right with him. Something about these strangers gave him a heightened feeling of anticipation. He glanced towards the other two, Niller and Low as he seemed to have called them. He immediately regretted doing so. Niller was staring at him, or at least he thought they were staring at them. With the eyeholes of the mask blackened with mesh, it was nearly impossible to tell, but a something in his gut told him they were staring right at him. If Niller was, they gave no sign of it. Low pushed himself in front of Niller, eyes creased with the telltale sign of a smile beneath his scarf. At this proximity it was clearer that his eyes were blue enough to rival his own, though they held no ill intent, only a lazy glimmer. Surprisingly, he lacked the accent that Sol spoke with.
"You seem like a decent guy. Have you seen our friend wandering around here? He likes his privacy, yeah, but he's naturally drawn to large groups of people."
Link was taken aback by the stench of his breath. It smelt sour like burning flesh and rot. What in the worlds was this man eating for his breath to smell so horribly and so strongly that it could pass through fabrics? Taking a moment to right his thoughts, Link shook his head.
"I haven't. I think you and your friends are the first strangers to pass through here."
Link was impressed with himself for keeping his voice so steady in the face of a stranger, though it didn't last him long once Low snapped his gloved fingers.
"That's a shame. Perhaps he's more injured than we thought."
"I doubt that Krl'desh is that wounded, Loh." Sol cut in. Seems he had finished his self introduction to the other knights and was now standing beside them, amber eyes almost glaring down at Low. Or… It was Loh, wasn't it? His tongue is so thick that it is difficult to hear the different letters in his words. Loh shuddered and backed away.
"Maybe he is, maybe he isn't… We'll just have to see."
Sol gave a firm nod and turned his gaze back to Link. Thankfully they were not hard and piercing like they had been when he had been looking at Loh. Somehow that made Link's gut churn even worse. A man that could switch between anger and joy that quickly definitely had something to hide. Sol made a quick gesture with his hand towards the road leading farther into the village. His voice was almost too innocent to be genuine.
"Will you do us the honor of taking us through your settlement?"
Link could only manage a mute nod before he turned and started walking. The other knights fell into a circle around the strangers once they began following behind Link. Already he could tell how poorly this would go. Something bad was going to happen once again, and these three would undoubtedly be at its core. Even with Sol and Loh acting so friendly, and Niller so quiet, something about them made him believe they would be nothing but a source of trouble. Even their appearances alone told him there was something off about them. Each of them ungodly tall, even Loh, and Sol being incredibly strong, strong enough to toss fully grown knights around like they were nothing. They didn't seem to speak their language, at least not as a first language. Link had never seen these people before. He was aware, of course, that there may still be people living on the surface from an ancient era. How else would Impa have been here? She must have had a village herself somewhere in the farther reaches of unexplored lands, and from the way her own voice had sounded, there wasn't a doubt in his mind that she too had another language as her first. But these three were very much unlike Impa. All three of them were far taller than Impa had ever been, even at a young age. Their voices did not sound like Impa's either. Her accent had been light and almost graceful, a kind of foreign music to the ears. Sol's accent sounded more like boulders crashing down the sides of a mountain, rough and grating and terribly, terribly thick. Granted Loh spoke without any hint of an accent, but he was capable of speaking the same language that Sol and Niller had. Even Niller's voice, through the layers of their native tongue, seemed to have a voice as rough as a gravel path. These are not the same people of Impa's, and they were not the same people of their own. They were a mystery, and a mystery is not something Link likes to fight.
Behind him Link could hear another knight- Pipit, he recognized- asking the strangers questions about themselves. Intrigued, Link listened in. It couldn't hurt to learn more about these strangers.
"We've never seen another human before here on the surface. Where are you lot from?"
"We are from a place far away from here." That was Sol's voice, abrasive and echoing. "We come from outside of your borders, past distant volcanoes and over great plains where ponds look like mirrors in the night sky."
"Did the goddesses not send your people to the skies like they did ours?"
A different voice, Loh's this time. "There were many people that were not graced by the gods. Perhaps we lived too far away, so that they could not see us. Some of us might even believe there are no such things as gods or goddesses."
Another voice, lower than Pipit's and more bellowing. An older knight no doubt. "You're saying that there are other humans living out on the surface?"
"Of course there is! The Sheikah, for one, live out on the land far northwest from here, near the plains of stars and puddles that Sol spoke of. At least, one colony of them do. I believe there are several other settlements of the Sheikah living all over, far out from the borders here. North west, south east, west, and east if I recall correctly."
Voices of the knights accompanying the party started chattering, loud and excited. The fact that there was in fact other humans living on the surface no doubt excited them. Link hadn't shared much of his journeys on the surface with Zelda, let alone the rest of the people. He had omitted the information that there had been others living on the surface long before they had moved to the surface. Whether or not now was a good time for the rest of the villagers to learn of other beings on the surface was beyond Link, but hearing them speak like nothing about this was wrong made something in his twist harder. For a moment he stopped. He had been so happy this morning. How had he become so on edge so fast? He shook the thought off and spoke up, trying to keep his voice light like it had been before meeting these strangers.
"A friend of mine, one from my journey, told me of what had happened in the past. Fissures in the ground broke the surface, and from them came the Demon King and his armies of demons and monsters. They searched and killed for a power that has been long forgotten, and left no humans alive. How did your people escape that?"
All of the chattering that had come from the knights and the newcomers quickly died. Maybe he hadn't been as light with his tone as he thought he had? He could feel several knights staring at him, both in confusion and shock. For a moment in their walk, all three of the strangers were silent. Something akin to fear bloomed in him when they didn't seem to have an answer, but it withered just as quickly as the talking had when a new voice chirped. It was just as gravelly as Sol's, but still far gentler than his. Niller, it must be.
"Not every creature is as powerless as you seem to assume them to be. Life is good at adjusting and changing to the world around it. It has to be, or else all will die. Your ancestors, and ours as well, knew this better than we ever could. That is why your people took to the skies, and that is why our people took to the ground, hiding right under the noses of the armies."
"Nilr is right." Sol jumped in just as she had finished talking, adjusting his gloves absentmindedly. "Adapting to our environments is all we can do. That is how your people lived in the sky, how the Sheikah remained on the surface, and how ours lived below the earth itself." A hand landed on Link's shoulder, and he could feel his entire body go stiff with anticipation. "Is there something bottling you, Link?"
Before Niller- Niler? Nilr?- could correct him in their own tongue, Link shrugged his hand off of his shoulder, rolling both of them for a few second. "It's nothing. Probably just some adrenaline jitters getting the best of me. We should hurry to the edge of town. I doubt your friend has even been here."
"Oh! Speaking of the edge of town, my friends and I have one last favour to take."
Dreading the question, Link made a halfhearted noise of interest. Sol continued when he was acknowledged.
"It has been a long journey for us. Perhaps you would allow us to spend the night on the edges of your settlement? I assure you we wish no harm, only to rest for the night."
Link hesitated. Strangers they knew very little about who had the potential to be incredibly dangerous and unpredictable wanted to stay the night. At the edge of the village or not, none of it made Link feel particularly safe. What if they were to attack some of the villagers at the edges during the night, and flee before anyone could catch them? What if they burnt the entire place to the ground? All over the surface there wasn't a single monster they could trust. Impa had been the only real human resident of the surface, and all others such as Kikwis, Gorons, Mogmas and Parella were all nonthreatening in the way they spoke and acted. Something inside him gave a sharp pang of guilt. They were strangers, yes, but to outright assume they were monsters was wrong. They were more intelligent than monsters, sentient and coherent and capable like the allies he made on his quest. But they were dangerous, too. Dangerous just as the monsters were. The fact that he couldn't see their faces made him even more anxious. His hesitation went on far too long, and an older knight responded in Link's place.
"You can stay, but only if you're fine with having some knights close by. Monsters can get real close to the village edges at night."
Link didn't even need to look at Sol to know how excited he was. Another bout of leather clapping and the sounds of his feets scuffling the ground excitedly.
"Wonderful! My tribemates and I truly appreciate your kindness!"
Despite their settlement having been made two years prior, it was still rather small and did not take long to reach the other edge. Sol surged ahead of the knights, a skip in his step, and settled himself down at the base of the nearest tree. Nilr and Loh were not far behind, less enthusiastic but seemingly just as grateful for a place to rest. Loh especially looked exhausted. As soon as the three were settled their acknowledgement of the knights vanished. They murmured amongst themselves, voices grating as they spoke and bickered and agreed. What they were saying went over Link's head. He could not understand their language, nor could he shake the familiarity of their accents. Like the other knights around him, Link wasn't sure what to do. Pipit was the first to move, beginning to patrol the area around the three and watching for any monsters. Two other knights followed suit, joining him in strict patrol. The others dispersed, wandering away back to their own posts. Link shuffled, eyes never leaving Sol. The knight beside placed a hand on his shoulder, and for a few moments he didn't acknowledge her, all his focus on Sol. Sol was glancing between his two companions, rumbling something to them before his eyes caught Link's. Amber met blue again, and the corners of his eyes folded in the sign of yet another smile. Link didn't smile back. They held their staring for only a moment before Sol jumped right back into his conversation, speaking as if he were scolding Loh. Link turned away, towards the other knight, and whispered to her under his breath.
"Something about them isn't right… We should double our patrols tonight."
