Link led the way through the castle, looping around the throne room and eventually coming out into the courtyard at the back. The wooden platform and pole were gone, the smooth cobblestone warming in the rising sun. Throwing a dark look to the centre of the courtyard, Link angled towards the arch that would take them to the training grounds, and the soldier's barracks.

Thoria cleared her throat, rolling her tongue around her cheeks.

"I think that's the last of it," she said cheerfully. "Did you see their faces!"

"You mean faces of utter disgust?" Navi asked, from her perch on Link's shoulder.

"Yeah," Thoria said, grinning. "It was hilarious!"

Link smiled. "It was funny. I could have sworn your jaw unhinged."

"I wonder what they'd have done if I'd dropped a fart on my way out?"

Link burst out laughing. Her comment had been so unexpected, so surprising, that he couldn't help it. He stumbled, bent nearly double in his mirth. His back seared, and he flinched. Regaining his composure, he rose, and caught Thoria giggling behind her hand. He smiled. "Fainted, probably."

"You shouldn't behave like that," Navi chided the stranger. "It gives you a worse image than you've already got."

Link's smile slipped, but Thoria shrugged.

"Eh, no biggie."

"I did it first," Link reminded the fairy. "What's wrong with Thoria copying me?"

"Would she copy you if you jumped into lava?" Navi sniffed. Then, her eyes widened. "Don't do that," she said.

"It was funny," Thoria said. "I like funny."

"You have a bizarre sense of humour," Navi grumbled.

"Okay, let's calm down," Link said, as Thoria gave Navi a politely befuddled smile. Navi grumbled something in a tongue he did not understand as they entered the training grounds.

It was the wrong time for the soldiers to be out training, and the grounds stood quiet and still. The trio paused at the archway, looking around. The grounds were vast, as were all the grounds of the castle. Neat, fenced rows stood to one side, an archery target at the end of each, peppered with hundreds of holes. To the other side, larger fenced squares had been constructed, containing battered straw dummies. Further back, a large, sand-filled sparring ring dominated the centre.

Link led Thoria past the fences to the low wooden shed on the other side of the sparring ring. He tugged open the door and slipped inside, feeling around. He ignored his objecting back as he picked up a long spear, a bow, and an assortment of blunted swords. Easing back out into the sunlight, he laid his selection at Thoria's feet.

"You said you knew how to fight," he said, rising. Standing straight lessened the pain across his shoulders. "Tell me. What do you know?"

Thoria cast a wary glance at the weapons on the ground, and up to Link. She edged forward and nudged one of the swords with her toe as Navi tugged on his earring.

"Are you insane?" the fairy hissed. "Don't let her near weapons! You won't be able to defeat her in your state!"

"And whose fault is that?" Link asked, coolly.

"Not mine!" Navi squeaked, indignantly. "You never had to save her!"

Link took a calming breath and declined to respond as Thoria prodded the weapons. She picked up the spear and held it awkwardly.

"Have you ever held a weapon?" Link asked, not unkindly.

"Knives," Thoria responded. "And my fists."

"That's a good start," Link said. "Have a look at the weapons. What feels right to you?"

Thoria shrugged and waggled the spear. Link shook his head.

"Hold it properly. Two hands."

He moved forward and adjusted Thoria's grip on the wooden handle.

"Here. Now it won't fly out of your grasp when you spin it, or jab with it," he said, rearranging her fingers. Her fingers were slender and strong, and once he had shown her, they held the spear with more confidence. She waved it from side to side experimentally.

"Good," he said, stepping outside of her range. "Now, jab forward with it."

Thoria jabbed, and overbalanced. Link allowed himself a smile.

"Change your stance," he said. "Like-"

He stopped. Thoria had already righted her feet, one foot in front of the other, knees bent to lower her centre of gravity. She jabbed again, the spear tip wavering in the air. Her brow furrowed, and she jabbed again, hunching forward.

"Don't bunch your shoulders like that," Link advised. Thoria grunted, and dropped the spear. Link raised his eyebrows as she picked up a sword and tried a few swings.

"Stop teaching her!" Navi hissed. "You're making her more dangerous!"

"Look at her," Link murmured back, as Thoria tried a side-swipe and fell on her arse with a curse, the sword flying from her hand. "She wouldn't cut steak like that."

"So, keep it that way!" Navi said, pinching his earlobe.

Thoria growled something under her breath, picking herself up. She hooked the spear under her boot and flicked it up, grabbing wildly as it spun in the air. Link elegantly stepped to the side as it clattered to the ground.

"You have some work to do," he advised. Thoria spun to him, her eyes blazing.

"I'm coming here every day," she said. "Every fucking day until I can do better." She drew herself up, and raised her fists in front of her face. "Spar with me."

Link shook his head. "Not today."

"Come on," Thoria danced forward and feinted a jab at his shoulder. Link leaned out of the way with little effort. "Scared?"

"No," Link said. "You're just not ready."

Thoria's eyes flashed, and she lunged towards him. Link caught her wrist in one hand and spun, hooking his foot in front of hers and sending her sprawling in the dirt. Navi whooped and laughed as she fell, and pain gouged across Link's back. He flinched, hunching over.

Thoria flipped back to her feet, teeth bared, and stopped. In an instant, she was upright and close.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing," Link said. "Just an old war wound."

"Liar," Thoria said, simply.

"If that's what he says it is, then it is!" Navi said, shrilly. Link waved a hand.

"I'm fine. But let's leave it here today, alright?"

"Okay," Thoria said. "But I meant it earlier. I want to come here every day and learn."

Link gingerly gathered the weapons and retuned them to their store. As he fell into step beside Thoria, making their way back to the castle, he cast a look her way.

"Why does a lady want to learn how to fight?"

"Because it's interesting," she said, looking ahead. "And I've had to fight before. I'd rather do it properly."

"I'm going to try and be diplomatic here," Link said. "Your style is a bit… unrefined."

"Worked well for me in the past," she retorted. "I'm alive, aren't I?"

"You are," Link agreed. "But have you ever had to fight for your life?"

Thoria shrugged. "I don't know."

"Then how do you know it's worked for you?" Navi said. Thoria shrugged again and didn't respond for a long minute. Passing a training dummy, she suddenly whirled, her leg extended to almost a split, in a powerful, downward slice. Her heel caught the head of the dummy and knocked it clean off. Landing, Thoria stepped forwards and punched the dummy so hard it rocked backwards, the dull thump echoing through the still air. Link took a step back, astonished.

Thoria shook out her hair like a black waterfall and continued to walk as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

"I'm strong, but I want to know how to fight properly, with my body and weapons," she said, looking at Link. "Considering your history, I think you'd be the best person to teach me."

"He's got better things to do," Navi snapped.

"He can answer for himself," Link remarked. "I'd be glad to. I'm not the best, but I think we can improve on what you've got so far. But tell me. You are strong, and what you just did looks like you can fight. So how come I could beat you so easily?"

"I don't know. Must be my memory."

Link nodded. "Perhaps. Hopefully training will help you remember more of yourself."

"Maybe. Thanks."

Navi sniffed loudly and flew off his shoulder.

"Well, I think we should ask the princess," she said. "She'll agree with me that it's a stupid idea." With that, she flew off, her light blue glow lost against the azure sky.

"What's her problem?" Thoria asked, her eyes on the sky above.

"She's a worrier," Link replied, after a beat. "She was concerned for me when I pulled you from the lake."

"You're not in the lake now," Thoria said. "There's more to it. Tell me."

Link shook his head. She was still a stranger. To tell her of the prophecy would be the height of foolishness. "That's all there is to it," he said. "She's seen a lot of battles with me over the years, and she's seen me hurt more times than I can count. She's probably the closest friend I have, so I can't blame her for being concerned for me."

Thoria nodded slowly, her mouth twisted. "Does she consider me a danger?"

Link shrugged uneasily. "You did fall out of the sky."

Thoria gave a humourless chuckle. "I'd go back if I could."

"Zelda will find a way," Link reassured her. "It'll just take time."

They entered into the cool of the castle and made their way towards the stairs.

"Library?" Link asked.

"Might as well," Thoria said. "Doesn't matter if you want to tell me why or not, but your back is giving you real gip. So, we'll take it easy for a while, okay?"

Link raised his eyebrows. "Yes ma'am."

Thoria's laugh was more genuine as they ascended, and upon reaching the Library, she picked a book at random and retreated to her favourite sofa, curling up and burying her nose in the pages. Link eased himself into a nearby armchair, too tired to bother with the façade of reading.

Instead, he watched the stranger read. The book was Hyrule's Historia, a recent edition, edited by Shad and Zelda's historians. He remembered the owlish scholar seated behind his desk, the rim of his glasses glinting in the firelight, his quill dancing over parchment as Link told his story. He had tried to be as thorough as he could, though he kept some details to himself.

Whilst he talked about the temples he had entered, seeking the Fused Shadow parts and Mirror shards, and spoke at length of the monsters and creatures he had faced, he neglected to mention any of his own feelings on the matter. He did not describe the abject terror he had felt when he came face to face with Death Sword, a gigantic, malevolent spirit with the skull of a goat that he could only see when he was a wolf. He did not define the sense of creeping dread he felt as he passed through the silent depths of the Water Temple, conscious that at any minute, something could seize him from behind without him knowing, the sounds of approach stifled underwater.

He did not tell of the nightmare of watching the sweet and gentle Yeta transform into an ungodly monstrosity, warped by the dark power of the Mirror Shard, nor of the following battle, skidding across the frozen room and narrowly avoiding being crushed by darkly enchanted ice.

He never told of his horror at encountering Zant at the Lake Spirit's pool, how he was cursed once more into lupine form, Midna limp and dying on his back. How his lungs had burned as he raced across Hyrule, conscious that every passing moment was a minute nearer to losing her forever.

Instead he spoke of Zelda's noble sacrifice, of the efforts of Telma and her band of resistance fighters, of his emotionless battle against Ganondorf. The necessity of shattering the Mirror and sealing away the Twilight forever. Though Shad often paused and gave him a curious and inviting look, Link gave nothing more than a clinically detailed account of his adventures.

Thoria sat up straighter in her seat, running her finger along the page and frowning. Link came back to alertness and eyed her curiously. After a long minute, he coughed delicately.

"Is everything alright?"

"Mm," Thoria said, her brow furrowed. "I'm just trying to figure out this ancient Hylian."

"Oh?" Link heaved himself out of his chair and came around behind her. The book was open to a page that showed a drawing of an ancient wall in an old temple, inscribed with the archaic lettering of ancient Hylian. Below the picture was a translation of the passage.

In times of great need, the Spirit of the Hero will rise to fight alongside the mortal Goddess to rid the world of the blight of malice.

"Seems simple enough," Thoria murmured, tracing her finger along the letters. "This character is 'I', and coupled with this one makes 'in' but it's different for other placements…"

Link shook his head. "It's extremely complex," he said. "Princess Zelda had to study it for years before she could translate it properly."

"Is it taught regularly?" Thoria looked up. "I could probably do with someone showing me the basics."

Link shook his head. "No. It's not widely studied. I believe it's only the royal family and master scholars who can learn it. It is very difficult, most don't bother."

Thoria made a rude noise. "I'll do it on my own then."

Link sighed. "Good luck."

He retreated to his seat and sat stiffly, the plush back of the chair pulling against his wounds. The cuts were tender, and he hoped he wouldn't scar too badly. The marring of his skin did not irk him insomuch as the tightness of his back did. He would have to put in some serious effort to loosen his muscles once he was healed properly.

He watched Thoria pour over the book, her brow knitted. Occasionally she huffed and spat a muted curse. He resisted the urge to smile. She would give up soon enough, as she would no doubt give up weapons training. It was not something a woman did.

Except for Sheikah, Gerudo, or Hyrulean royalty.

He chuckled to himself. He was being ridiculous. If the princess could handle a bow, Thoria should be able to pick something up. His eyes strayed from her fierce expression, along her pale throat and to her chest, before he caught himself and snapped his eyes back to her face. Her face made tiny movements as she concentrated. Her lips moved, her nose twitched, and her brows seemed to cycle a never-ending pattern of rising, falling, creasing and smoothing. His eyes strayed again.

Her figure was gracefully curved, the soft edges of her shoulders and hips hiding powerful muscle. Her strength was astounding, even a fully-fledged knight would have difficulty decapitating a training dummy with a single kick. It contradicted her clumsiness in fighting him completely.

Was she hiding something?

Link looked at her more closely. He shook his head. No. Her memory was gone. Perhaps all people where she was from were as strong as she. He himself was naturally stronger than most men, and unusually gifted with weapons. He rubbed the back of his hand, his thumb tracing the triforce. He watched her eyes roving over the pages before her, the lashes long and thick. The curve of her small nose wrinkled as she grimaced at the book. her lower lip, full and cherry red, stuck out in a pout as she sighed. He swallowed as his eyes strayed down once again.

He became aware of footsteps in the library, and he jerked out of his reverie, turning to see Impa striding towards him, her face impassive.

"Her Highness would like to speak with you," she said, stopping before him. Link blinked.

"I'm watching Thoria," he said. Thoria snorted and muttered something.

"I will watch her for now," Impa said. "This is a royal order."

Link rose to his feet with a grunt. "I'll go." He turned to Thoria, who was making a show of continuing to read. Her eyes flickered to him, to the Sheikah, and back.

"I won't be long," he said. Thoria nodded, not raising her head.

Link slipped from the library and jogged to Zelda's tower. He nodded to the guards posted outside her door and knocked, edging inside as Zelda called.

"Link. Please, come in." Zelda was seated at her desk, her hair loose and damp over a simple gown. Navi sat cross-legged on a book, tearing into a piece of dried fruit. She ignored him.

"Highness," Link said. "I have a feeling I know why you have called me."

"Then I shall not mince my words," Zelda said. She laid down her quill with a sigh. "Why are you teaching the stranger the art of weaponry?"

"For two reasons," Link said. He stood loosely, his arms by his sides. In a glance, he took in the wide room that acted as a reception room, sitting room and study for the princess. The doors leading from the main chamber were not rooms he had seen, the only exit being the door he had come through. The windows were tall and wide with balconies without. Plenty of places to escape through, should the castle be besieged.

"Firstly," he said. "I wanted to establish her familiarity with combat. Thoria is boastful and strong, but her skill is lacking. Physically, she does not pose a threat."

"That is pleasing news," Zelda said. "She is unfamiliar with weapons?"

"It seems so," Link said. "Though she may be pretending, I doubt it."

"Your second reason?"

Link hesitated. "I want to-" he paused. That was it. He wanted to. But Zelda was watching. She wanted more than just his own desires. "I want to ensure that whatever skills she learns are learned from me. Then I can anticipate any trouble. It will also help me learn about her." He twisted his mouth guiltily. True though his statement may be on the face of it, lying to the princess was not something he enjoyed. Moreover, he was troubled at how easily the lie had slid from his tongue.

Zelda nodded.

"Very well. I was most concerned when Navi came to me with the news. I wanted to hear your reasons."

"I understand," Link said. As her gaze drifted from his face to the front of his tunic, a thought came to his mind. "Princess, may I ask you a question?"

"Of course," Zelda said, giving him her full attention. Her eyes were tired and red rimmed.

"Do you trust my judgement?"

Zelda blinked. "Of course I do, Link. I trust you with my life."

"Then allow me to make these decisions. I will always keep you informed of my choices, please know that they are made with Hyrule's interest at heart."

"I know this," Zelda said. "I know you always think beyond yourself. You would have made a fine addition to my council."

Link forced a smile. "I'm afraid I lack the patience for such things."

"I don't blame you." Zelda's smile was genuine. "If you feel that teaching the stranger weaponry would serve us well, then I allow it. But Link," Zelda's face grew serious. "If she poses a threat, in any way…"

"I'll do what I have to." Link said. "Hyrule comes first. You come first."

Zelda's eyes softened as her smile widened. "Thank you. Do you have anything new to report?"

"Not much. Thoria is currently trying to decipher ancient Hylian from the Historia."

Zelda laughed. "A foolish endeavour. Even I still find it difficult."

"I told her as much," Link said. "But she's stubborn. She seems to want to learn all she can, but she has chosen the most difficult things to learn. Weaponry does not come easily, especially as an adult learning it for the first time, and ancient Hylian…" he chuckled. "It's keeping her out of trouble."

Navi snorted from the book.

"Something to add, dear friend?" Link asked. Navi said nothing, but continued to chomp on the fruit.

"It will be time for dinner soon," Zelda said. "You have my leave, Ser Link."

"Are you coming?" he asked.

"Not yet. I have more work to do."

Link nodded. "Thank you, Princess."

As he moved for the door, Navi left the desk and flew to his shoulder, grasping his earring and chewing in his ear.

"Are you happy?" Link asked, as they began to descend the spiral stairs.

"Yes," she said. "Zelda knows what she's doing now."

"And what is that?"

"Trying to learn to fight from the best swordsman in all the kingdom so that she can take over," Navi said, primly, licking her fingers. Link twitched his ear.

"It would take her years to come even close to my level," he said, allowing himself the boast. "In which time, I will also still be training. You have nothing to fear."

"I hope you're right," the fairy said, setting down and snuggling against his jaw. "I'd hate to see you hurt by her."

"How could she possibly hurt me?" Link asked. "She seems utterly harmless."

"For all you know," Navi said.

"Navi, I've barely known her a week," Link said. "And so far, she hasn't shown me any reason to be concerned."

"She's obviously hiding something, being that strong," the fairy said. "I don't want you or Zelda to get hurt. Yes, it's only been a few days. But she's evil. I can tell."

Link sighed and shook his head. Navi had his best interests at heart. She always did. "If anything happens," he vowed. "I'll do what I have to."

"You promise?"

"I promise."