Translated to English by MissQuestions-LaAmazingNabo.

Thank you for your favorites, follows and reviews, they are really appreciated. I don't have a beta reader for this story, so if you find mistakes, please, contact me.

See you!

The Legend of Zelda series and its characters are property of Nintendo.

Chapter 10
Going home and the spirit Eldin

Zelda observed from the carriage how the forest was getting further little by little. She was going to miss that place, but it consoled her to know that she was taking something important with her. She looked at Link, who was walking next to the carriage.

All of the service members were surprised by the wolf's behavior throughout the trip. It ignored the horses completely and the horses also didn't seem to mind that predator's presence. Zelda was curious about that, she gave herself a mental note to ask him during the following new moon.

Just remembering the new moon, the princess couldn't help but blush. She still had fresh those memories of two days ago, when they had gone to visit Ordona. He had kissed her on the forehead two times, during those moments she had felt a pleasant sensation inside of her. She didn't know how, but she began to imagine how it would feel to have his lips over her own. Quickly, she shook that idea out of her mind. It couldn't be, she was a princess, that wasn't right. Although she repeated those words to herself again and again, they increasingly had less force and those images reappeared in her mind without her being able to help it.

She looked away and fixed over the open book on her lap. Best to focus on other things.

"Are you alright?" Impa asked. "Your whole face is red; do you have a fever?"

"Of course not." Zelda said, averting her gaze again towards the window.

Fleeing Impa's gaze, she stumbled upon Link's, who stared at her with curious eyes. She couldn't help recall those moments and felt again how her cheeks flared. Why did he have to keep that intense look as a wolf? It was not helping her in the slightest to distract herself from that.

Seeing that she couldn't concentrate on her reading, Zelda opted to remember what happened that morning. She had gone to see Johann, she wanted to tell him goodbye. Despite of what had happened, Zelda knew that he wasn't a bad person, just a bit impulsive and possessive, and, now that they will never see each other, she wanted to have a good memory of the time they spent together. Unfortunately, when she arrived at his uncle and aunt's house, they had told her that he had gone back home a while before. She felt a bit sad and guilty for not being able to see him one last time, he was the first friend she had ever had without her title as princess having anything to do with it.

Like last time, they stopped at night to dine and sleep. This time Zelda insisted on sleeping in a tent like the rest, she didn't want to sleep on such a narrow seat again. Since they had an extra tent, just in case, Impa agreed, although she didn't like that she let the wolf in and sleep with them, but Zelda wasn't going to let him sleep in the open with this cold. In the end, through her teeth, Impa allowed that too.

Just as she had supposed, and despite that the bed where they slept was a bit hard, she was much more comfortable than if she had slept in the carriage, but she found a very important problem while she tried to fall asleep: the cold. She was snugged into a ball under her blankets, but there was no way of getting heat. She looked at Impa who slept placidly, and sighed. She heard a noise and looked towards its source. She saw Link, who was sleeping at their feet, stand up and come towards her. He observed her for a moment and laid next to her, getting as close as possible.

"You came to give me warmth?" she whispered, he stared at her. "Thank you."

With her blankets, she covered him and snuggled with him. He was really warm, she felt how the cold was subsiding quickly.

"There's no better heater than a furry animal like you," she joked with a giggle.

Link gave a little growl, not so happy about the comment, and Zelda laughed again. She snuggled against him and didn't take long to fall asleep.

The trip was coming to its end. Castle Town's walls rose before them at a small distance and, inside of them, the majestic Hyrule Castle. She observed that huge building in which she had lived in her entire life with a mix of happiness and sadness. Happiness because she was returning home and seeing her father again, sadness because it meant that her holidays were over and she had to go back to her duties as princess.

She looked at Link who, again, walked besides the carriage. She wondered if, after many years of living in the tranquility of the forest, he would be comfortable in the castle with its daily bustle. She hoped he wouldn't regret his decision.

When she got down from the carriage, now inside the castle's front garden, Zelda saw her father waiting for her in the door. She ran towards him and hugged him.

"My little Zelda," the king said, returning the hug. "How I missed you so," he pulled from her and looked at her from top to bottom. "You look better, you seem healthier."

"Majesty," Impa greeted with a bow, placing herself next to the princess.

Zelda saw Link approach also and stop at her other side. She crouched to his level and addressed her father.

"Father, I want to present you my new friend," she said with a big smile. "He will be living here with us from now on."

The king stared fixedly at the animal, surprised.

"A wolf?!" he exclaimed horrified. "You brought a wolf? Are you mad?"

Zelda hadn't been expecting that reaction from her father's part. She knew he wouldn't be very happy with this, but she hoped to convince him easily.

"Impa, why did you let her?"

"You see, Majesty…"

"Wait, father," Zelda interjected. "He's not dangerous, he always does what's asked of him, right, Link?" she addressed the wolf with a little smile.

"Link? Did you give him that name?"

The princess looked at her father inquisitively, he seemed to be reacting the same way as Impa when she knew the wolf's name. What was so special about that name? It was true that it wasn't very common, but it was an ordinary name, right?

"Yes… well…" she stuttered. "Is something wrong with Link's name?"

"Huh? Oh, no, nothing! Don't worry."

She looked at Link, who looked at her confusedly, and saw her father stare at Impa from the corner of her eye, to which she shook her head. All that was really strange.

They finally entered the castle. The servants grabbed their luggage and took them to their respective rooms. Zelda excused herself with her father and ran after them, with Link following close. They had his things in one of the suitcases, including his sword, and she couldn't allow no one to see them.

"I still cannot believe you allowed her to have that wolf as a pet, Impa," the king said angrily. "What were you thinking? It is a wild animal."

"I know Majesty, I used to think like you, also," she replied. "But I have been watching him for weeks and I can assure you that he's completely harmless."

The king stared at her in an inquisitive manner, doubting her words.

"He does not behave like a wild animal," she continued explaining. "In fact, sometimes he doesn't even behave like an animal at all. He's really strange and surprisingly intelligent, he understands anything he's told."

"Even so, I'm not convinced of having a wolf here in the castle, it's dangerous."

"Believe me, Majesty, when I say that if I've ever saw any danger, as small as it was, I wouldn't have let her keep him. What's more, I think it's favorable for her."

"What do you mean?"

"When she's with him, your daughter seems relaxed and really happy," said Impa with an affable look. "I think having Link is the best for her."

They remained silent for a few minutes, thinking. Finally, he sighed and reclined on his seat, looking at the ceiling.

"Link, huh?" he murmured to himself. "I still can't believe she gave him that name. It seems like something of destiny," he added with a weak smile. "Or even a plan of the goddesses."

"It's just a name, Majesty," Impa said. "I know that it holds a great significance for you, but, as rare as it is, it's still a name," she insisted. "Before having the wolf, the princess was in Ordon, she may have heard it there."

"It is possible…"

In that moment, someone knocked at the door. Impa was quick to open it and let Zelda and the wolf, who walked beside her, in. The king looked attentively at the animal. He hadn't observed it in detail until now. It was big, with dark grey fur, some areas darker than others, and had a lapis lazuli hanging around its neck, but what stood out the most from it was its bright blue eyes. It was rare to see an adult wolf with that eye color, but he had to admit that they were really pretty.

He listened for a while what Zelda was telling him about her stay at the manor and about her walks through Faron woods. She also told him that the wolf had saved her from some wild dogs that attacked her. Although he wasn't very convinced about having the animal there, he couldn't help to thank him mentally for saving his daughter.

After finishing explaining all that, they changed the subject to something more serious. Now that it was his turn to tell her everything that happened during her absence.

Negotiations with the Desert People weren't going well. That man turned a deaf ear to requests to talk from his part. The king was beginning to exasperate, if only he knew what they wanted, he wouldn't be thrashing around blindly all the time.

"Until now there's only been small fights," the king informed. "But my spies have told me that they are positioning their army near the border. At any moment, he will attack with everything in his disposition."

"Things aren't looking good," Impa said worriedly.

Impa as well as Zelda were sitting before the king's desk. The wolf was sitting over its hind legs next to the princess, while she patted his neck absently.

"That blasted Ganondorf!" the king furiously exclaimed, hitting the chair's harm. "If he would at least say what he wants, we could reach a pacific solution."

Almost as if in reaction to his words, a snarl could be heard. The wolf was tense, it growled partially baring its teeth, but it didn't seem directed to anyone in specific, for it wasn't looking at any of them.

"What's wrong, Link?" Zelda asked, placing a hand over the animal's head.

The wolf stopped growling and looked at her. It faintly whimpered and lowered its head.

"You're worried?" she asked again, Link gave a brief bark, looking at her again. "Don't worry," she said in a calm tone. "We're safe here at the castle."

The animal lowered its head again and huffed. If it weren't because he knew it wasn't possible, the king could have sworn that the wolf seemed frustrated.

"We better change the subject," the king said. "Tomorrow you will resume your princess duties, as well as your lessons. You also have a meeting programed with Gerald, count Edmund's son."

Zelda gave a displeased groan.

"I know you do not like this, but the sooner you start, the sooner you will get used to it again," the king assured. "I told your teachers not to be too strict, that you have been away for so long due to your illness."

Just as her father told her, Zelda resumed her lessons the following day. Normally, she studied in a small study room in one of the castle's top floors, but she had asked to change it to the library, in the ground floor. That way she could watch Link, who remained in the garden in the meanwhile. He once told her that a wolf's body needed lots of exercise, so they decided to take advantage of those moments so that he could run around the enormous castle's gardens.

During the afternoon, she met with Lord Gerald, one of her suitors. The encounter was so tedious and unpleasant like many other she has had before, but thanks to Link, it ended funnily at the end. The wolf's presence next to her intimidated the lord a lot, who didn't dare approach the princess and kept staring at Link with suspicion and a bit of fear all the time. At one moment during the meeting, Gerald tried to take her hand, to the princess's obvious disgust, however, once he touched her, Link began to growl and bare his teeth. The lord moved his hand away quickly, excused himself before the princess and left hurriedly.

As Lord Gerald closed the door, Zelda couldn't help cackling out loud. She bent next to Link and hugged him, still laughing.

"By the goddesses, what I would have given to have you at my side these last years," Zelda said with an amused smile. "You're much more effective than Impa when it comes to scaring annoying suitors. From now on you're going to accompany me at each of these meetings. When you see that they take too long or they become annoying, I give you permission to drive them out."

Link barked once and started to wag his tail energetically. Zelda knew that gesture was equivalent to a smile.

Several weeks of routine passed. It seemed like her father had taken into consideration her prior stress problems and reduced her studying hours a bit, as well as her suitor's visits. Thanks to that, she enjoyed from plenty of free time in the afternoons, a time she took advantage for her fencing and archery lessons, to walk around the castle or the gardens with Link or even go to Castle Town with him, so that he could get to know the area.

Like they agreed to, Link scared her suitors away, thanks to that, those meetings were also shortened in length. Unfortunately, one afternoon, three weeks from coming back, Link had to be absent, remaining inside the room. That night was new moon, they couldn't risk him transforming in front of anyone. In his stead, at Zelda's request, Impa was present in that meeting, like in the past, but to her chagrin Impa was more patient and took more time to "politely turn out" that suitor.

When she returned to her room, Link had already transformed. He was sitting on the floor, over the rug, leaning his back against the bed's foot and reading a book. He seemed focused, for he didn't turn when she entered.

"It's not very prudent of your part to be reading there," Zelda said after closing the door. "What would have happened if it wasn't I who entered?"

"My senses aren't as acute as when I'm a wolf," he replied without turning. "But I can still distinguish the sound of footsteps. I knew it was you."

Zelda went towards him and sat at his side, giving a long sigh. Link at last looked away from the book and on her.

"You seem tired," he said as he brushed some locks that fell over her face. "Today you must go to sleep sooner."

She shook her head energetically, that was the last thing she thought of doing. She moved closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. He didn't seem to mind, since he didn't say anything nor did he make a gesture that seem to suggest that, on the contrary, he seemed to press against her and place himself in a way that she could be more comfortable.

"If you dislike meeting with suitors so much, why does your father make you go through with them?" he asked with a bit of annoyance in his voice.

"Because it's important to the kingdom," she answered with a tired tone. "It's necessary to find someone suitable whom to rule with in the future and continue the succession line."

Link kept silence for a few seconds, thoughtful.

"Tell me something, can anyone come here and say they want to be one of your suitors or is there requirements for that?"

"Of course it can't be just anyone," Zelda said with a giggle. "It has to be someone of noble or royal blood and, preferably, someone about the same age as mine, my father doesn't want them to be too older or younger than me."

"I see…" he said with a faint voice.

Zelda moved away from him and stared at him. Link seemed a bit upset and distant. It couldn't be about the matter of her suitors, right?

"Don't tell me you're jealous because you can't be one of my suitors," Zelda said in a jesting tone.

Link looked at her, he seemed surprised, then looked away.

"It's possible."

After saying that, he stood up before she could say anything, went towards the side of the bed and went under it. In that moment, someone knocked at the door. At first, Zelda didn't react, but when she heard the voice of one of her handmaidens call from the other side of the door, she finally did and ordered her in.

"Dinner is ready," the servant informed.

"I'll be down soon."

Thereafter, the servant left and closed the door behind her.

Zelda didn't know what to think about what Link had said. From his part, he didn't seem to want to get out from under the bed, even though the maid had left. He was probably embarrassed.

"I'll be downstairs for dinner," she informed, moving towards the door. "I'll bring you something."

As a reply, she only heard a murmur of agreement.

She left the room and headed towards the dining room. On the way, she couldn't stop thinking about the matter. Link was implying that he wanted to court her like one of her suitors. Did it mean that he felt something for her? What must she say or do now? A while ago she had admitted to herself that she was in love with him, but she was a princess and, as such, that was not possible. She had to reject him, tell him that she appreciated his feelings but that her duty as princess didn't allow her to accept them. Yes, that was best for them, as much as it hurt doing so.

He was an idiot, an idiot, idiot, idiot. How could he be so stupid to do something like that, to confess Zelda his feelings? Of course he didn't do it directly, but it didn't take smarts to realize what he had insinuated. Worse of all was that he did it right after knowing that he didn't have any possibility of being with her.

Until now, he had hoped that, when all was over and he could keep his normal appearance, he could court her the same as all those suitors, but that hope vanished in an instant. For that he needed noble blood and he was nothing but a nobody, the son of a soldier and a middle-classed woman. It was possible that his mother's family was important and had money, but they weren't backed up by a title.

He paced around the room, thinking. He had to fix this. There was also the issue of the two remaining pearls, he had to visit the two remaining spirits soon.

After a while of meditation, he heard footsteps approaching. He knew they were Zelda's. He couldn't help smile slightly at hearing them, he always did, her footsteps were soft and had a constant rhythm. He was standing, his back to the door, when she entered. He didn't dare face her, not yet.

He heard her coming and stop right behind him. He felt how she placed her delicate hands and her forehead on his back. Neither of them said anything for a few minutes, until, finally, she dared to speak.

"Link, I…" she started to say hesitantly, it seemed she didn't know what to say.

"I'll be leaving in a couple of weeks," Link interrupted. "I'll leave first thing in the morning."

He felt how she pulled away from him and clutched his shirt tightly.

"But…" she tried to say, but she was interrupted again.

"I'll see Eldin to obtain the third pearl," he informed. "It's best that I go alone, I don't think they'll let you come with me."

"You will come back then, right?" Zelda asked with hope in her voice.

"Of course," he said, turning a bit towards her, smiling. "After seeing how annoying your suitors can be, I can't leave you alone with them. Seriously, your father should be a bit stricter when he chooses who can court you and who can't, they're very persistent."

Zelda laughed. She released his shirt, which she still held on to, and placed her palms and forehead on his back again.

"Link…" she began. "About what you said before I left…"

"Forget it," he interrupted. "Forget what I said. I know I have no possibility with you."

"I'm sorry," she apologized, hugging him from behind.

"Why do you apologize for? Life is like that; you don't always get what you want."

They remained silent for a moment. Link took one of her hands with his left, intertwining their fingers.

"I want to ask you something, Zelda."

"Tell me," she said against his back.

"Let me stay at your side, it's the only thing I want. I'll do anything you ask of me in return, even biting those arrogant and irksome suitors," he added in a fun tone.

Zelda giggled at that comment.

"I'm serious."

"I know," Zelda replied, relaxing her hug. "I want you to be at my side, too, Link, but what will happen when you're no longer a wolf? I don't think I could keep you hidden when that happens."

"Don't worry about that," he undid her hug and turned, leaving them face to face. "I always wanted to be a soldier, to be a castle guard like my father. Now I have one more reason for it," he said with a smile.

Zelda hugged him again. This time, he hugged her back.

"If necessary, I'll make you my personal guard. That way no one can separate you from me."

In that moment, it was him who laughed.

Just as he planned, Link left in search of the spirit Eldin two weeks later. The trip wasn't very comfortable precisely, he was carrying too many things. Hanging from the neck he had a small bag with the two soul pearls he had to this moment and on his back and sides he had his sword, his shield, the light bow and clothes in case Eldin turned him to his form temporarily, just as the other times.

Before leaving, Zelda showed him the path he had to follow. She had pointed at a mountain not so far away, in which the town of Kakariko was located at its foot, the place where the spirit's spring was in.

It took him almost an entire day of traveling to reach the town. When he arrived, it was a couple of hours before dawn. The streets were completely deserted, with the exception of a few loose cuccos that walked peacefully. With time, Link learned not to alert other animals with his presence, with his way of walking and showing peacefulness let them see that he wasn't a danger to them.

He crossed the whole town to reach the spring. Like other times, the water glowed and the spirit appeared, holding the light sphere with its claws. Eldin's appearance was similar to that of a bird, but its dimensions were much larger and it didn't have a beak.

"My name is Eldin. I am one of the light spirits of Hyrule. I am the spirit that guards these lands," the spirit said in a solemn voice. "You came to seek the pearl, am I wrong?"

Link barked, answering its question.

"Behind that building," it pointed. "There is a road that leads towards the cemetery. Under the second gravestone at the left of the third row, there is a passageway that leads to the place where it is guarded. Once you arrive in front of the grave, I will turn you temporarily to your real form. Do not worry," it said as it saw Link's worried expression. "No one and nobody will be able to approach the cemetery while you are there, so no one will see you. But remember that once you step outside the grave, you will turn into a wolf again."

With that, the spirit disappeared again.

Link followed the road as indicated until arriving at the graveyard. Once there, he headed towards the indicated tomb. Just as Eldin said, he recovered his true form. Without the protection of the fur he had when a wolf, Link began to feel the strong winter chill, so he hurried to put on the clothes he carried with him.

Once dressed, he examined the slab of stone in front of the tombstone, looking for a way to move it, since it looked heavy. He placed his left hand over the slab and, just as it happened in the Temple of Time's ruins, the mark of the back of his hand started to glow. The slab started to move on its own to a side and gave way to a big opening in the ground with stairs that lead down to darkness. He followed the passage that the stairs led to and arrived at a stone door, which also opened with the touch of his hand.

The trials he had to pass reminded him of the ruins under the Temple of Time, but harder. The place's low visibility and atmosphere didn't help much. It was an eerie site, dark, barely illuminated by a few light orbs, and there was a lot of humidity.

A few enemies crossed his path, the majority a kind of rotten walking corpses. Thanks to the books about creatures and monsters that Zelda had showed him in the castle, Link could recognize what they were, reDeads, the most repugnant creatures he'd ever seen. At first, he struggled to defeat them, for they emitted a loud and high-pitched cry that chilled his blood and paralyzed him each time he tried to get close. Soon he remembered that he had the light bow with him, so he drew it and fired an arrow at the monster. The light arrows turned out to be incredibly effective, for they finished them in an instant.

He kept walking, deactivating traps and defeating monsters of not very pleasant appearances, until he arrived at a large circular room. The room was dark, just illuminated by a weak bluish light, and a mantle of fog covered the floor. He crossed the room, heading towards the door at the other side but, when he reached it, he felt a chill travel his back. He felt cold behind him and began to hear the sound of breathing, a pant.

He turned around to see a giant sword falling over him. He jumped aside, dodging the blade by a hair, which hit against the floor with a loud metallic clash. Link's heart pounded quickly. He looked up and contemplated his enemy. It looked like a specter, it was doubled his size, carrying a large black sword and was covered by a dark mantle with a hood that wouldn't allow him to see its face, the only thing it showed was a faint red light.

The specter attacked again. Link raised his shield and protected himself from the attack. He felt a tingling throughout his arm. That hadn't been a good idea, the specter had an enormous strength. As he dodged and blocked its attacks, he saw a small opportunity and took advantage of it to counterattack it. When his sword was going to reach his rival, it vanished without a trace. He felt that cold air behind him again, the specter had moved there. He turned just in time to block the specter's sword with his own.

During the exchange of blows, Link observed that the specter's red light in its face disappeared when it wasn't attacking. It so happened that every time he was attacking, that light wasn't there. He continued dodging and blocking, waiting for the right moment to attack. When it came, he gave a big leap and dug his sword in the middle of the red light with all his might. The specter gave a loud wail, similar to those of a reDead's, and collapsed on the ground. Its mantle disintegrated, forming a shadow on the floor until it also disappeared.

With the specter, the fog also vanished and the room brightened a little more. Link headed towards the door again and placed his left hand over it. The door opened and he went into a small room. On the pedestal, he found a small chest. He opened it and took the third soul pearl out of it. A light circle appeared behind him, he went into it and was transported to the place's entrance, just in front of the stairs that lead to the surface.

He remained still there for a few moments, standing, looking outside. Once he stepped outside, he would be a wolf again. He lowered his gaze and looked at his hands. Faron assured him that as soon as everything was over, that transformation wouldn't be necessary anymore. He suspected that the spirit's words had something to do with that man's moves beyond the border. Thanks to the mark of his hand, he knew if he was near or not. It has been years since he hasn't felt him close by, he always kept away, outside the kingdom.

Link paled. How foolish he had been! By having Zelda around for so long, he hadn't noticed that before. He felt how his stomach clenched and an itch on the back of his left hand. That man was on the move, he had already crossed the border.

He had to warn Zelda about the danger, but there were still two weeks left for the next new moon. He clicked his tongue, angry, in that moment he wished more than ever not to turn into a wolf. He sighed. He had to stay calm, that man was still far away and he didn't feel like he was going to be on the move again either. The kingdom was large and, by the distance, he estimated that he would at least take several weeks to reach the castle, if he moved that same day, which he didn't feel it would be that way. Likewise, he decided to be on guard and attentive of his moves.

There was still the matter of the last pearl, but he wasn't going to risk being away from Zelda, not without speaking with her and warn her.