Kakariko's quiet bustle was a song Dark missed hearing.

Townsfolk swarmed the square, boots crunching on fresh snow, calling out to friends and neighbours. A shopkeeper swung open his squeaky door, swept snow from his entryway with a broom. A house's pen of cuccos clucked and scratched in the dirt. The distinctive windmill creaked with every spin. From an open window, fiddle music drifted down.

Dark heard it all a background melody. His eyes were on Silas, who took in each picturesque street and colourful house with a smile. He grinned at passersby as if they were old friends, his charming demeanor melting even the grumpiest countenance.

"I can see why you talked about this place so much," he said to Dark. "It's really sweet."

Spotting a cart tended by an old woman selling spiced mead, Dark wandered over. He gave the woman a handful of rupees and accepted two cups, passing one to Silas.

"Mm, delicious!" his friend complimented the old woman, who smiled in return. "It's so quite and quaint, like Taipa," Silas went on. "But bigger. More to do."

"And plenty to see," Dark agreed.

Now that Silas was recovered and had a good night's rest at Link's home just outside of town, he was determined to show his friend around. They'd already visited the signature windmill, the graveyard and the library, and wandered idly through the many shops. After that they'd spent time at the shooting gallery, competing against one another.

Warming their hands and their stomachs with the mead, they crossed the street and began wandering down more side streets.

Dark was glad his friend took such a liking to Kakariko. It was one of the places in Hyrule he'd deeply missed. One of the places that held happy memories. After the timeline's backward jig, he, Link and Sienna had settled together in Kakariko for a time. There'd been no worries, then. Just the joy of reunion and making up for the time he'd lost getting to know his brother.

"Is there a plan for dinner?" Silas asked. "I'd love to try some of the local cuisine."

Dark snorted. "The 'local cuisine' is pretty much fried cucco, potatoes and apple pie for dessert."

Silas grinned. "I'm happy with that. Who doesn't love apple pie?"

"There's a good place nearby. We can keep walking this way."

They continued down the street, talking about a potential hike up Death Mountain to visit Goron City, when a large Ordonian man stepped out from under an awning and stopped in his tracks.

"Dark?! I don't believe it!"

With a booming laugh, the man wrapped Dark in a rib-cracking hug. Recognizing the bearded face and hairless head, he wheezed to be let go.

"Taver," he gasped when he was released. "It's good to see you."

Watching with amusement, Silas introduced himself while Dark caught his breath.

"I'm Taver, a local blacksmith and friend of Dark's. It's been too long, man! You don't visit enough."

Dark managed a smile. "I know. I'll try to work on that."

Taver squinted at Silas. "It's rare to see a fellow Ordonian here. Whereabouts are you from?"

"Taipa."

"Ah! Lovely place. Delicious cheese. Come in, come in, boys! Come see what I've been working on, eh?"

They followed the blacksmith back under the awning into his workshop—Silas ducking under the low clearance—and were greeted by a roaring furnace and a long workbench of tools at the ready.

"Are you back for the celebrations, then?" Taver asked, pumping the bellows to keep the furnace hot. "Or are you moving back?"

"Link convinced me to come back," Dark explained. "I'm staying until at least after the wedding."

"Ahh," Taver chuckled. "Yes, we were all quite happy to hear the news. She chose well, I think. Link's a worthy man a dozen times over."

"I couldn't agree more," Dark said. "As long as he's happy."

Taver chuckled. "Is there a wedding in your future, Dark?"

Silas brushed a hand over his mouth, camouflaging a smile. Dark shot him a glare.

"I don't think so."

Taver's expression turned sympathetic. "The right one will come along, my boy." He clapped Dark on the shoulder. "Marriage isn't easy, but when it's with the right one, it's worth it. I've been with my wife for 21 years, and we're as in love as we were when we first met." The blacksmith trailed off, a dreamy look in his brown eyes.

"What's your secret for such a happy marriage?" Silas asked.

Taver chortled. "Always listen to yer wife. As my Hylian lass reminds me often, the blessed sisters gave the greater part of their wisdom to women alone."

While the two of them laughed over the joke, Dark examined a nearby table full of swords, all emblazoned with the Hylian crest.

"Are you making swords for the Royal Army?" he asked, curious.

"Oh, aye," Taver replied. "Thanks to your and Link's praise, I've had much of their business. If I had some assistance, I could no doubt do much more."

Dark slanted him a look at the suggestive tone. "Is that a hint?"

Taver grinned slyly. "If you do decide to stay, Dark, you're more than welcome to a job here. I could use your skilled hands."

"I'm not sure how long I'll be here," he hedged, glancing at Silas.

"Even if you're only staying a few months, if you have the inclination…"

"I think I'll give you two a chance to talk," Silas interrupted. "Dark, I'll meet you at the Blue Moon?"

Dark debated blowing Taver off and going with Silas, but he owed him the courtesy of a talk, at least. He rattled off directions for Silas to follow, then turned back to the blacksmith as his friend departed.

"I'd love to work for you," Dark admitted. "But my plans aren't yet decided. Once spring is here, Silas will need my help back on the farm."

"I understand. But you are always welcome."

"I appreciate that, Taver." Dark clasped the man's hand. "Your craftsmanship on these swords is incredible, by the way."

"Oh, it's rather simple," the blacksmith waved off his praise. "Like following a recipe for these. I sometimes dabble in my own experiments, still, and see what I can create."

"Really? I'd like to see them."

Taver's gaze twinkled with excitement. "Then I've more in the back to show you…Follow me, boy!"

~oOo~

Lymira laced up her boots with a practiced hand, then drew her long cloak over her shoulders and clasped it at the collar. She swept her hands underneath and fluffed out her hair, letting it cover her ears. It was sunny and pleasantly warm today—much too nice a day to spend inside at the library.

Besides, she was growing irate with flipping through dusty volumes and finding nothing. Kakariko also had a reputed library, but today she simply wanted to be outside and explore more of Hyrule. She'd seen more than enough of the castle.

The pastoral neighbouring village promised to be her style.

She exited her room, feeling lighter than normal, due to her lack of a sword. She'd hidden her daggers in her boots and at her belt anyways, but without her primary weapon she was naked.

Lymira grinned as she approached the redhead, signing a casual greeting. Dagan's eyes widened, and a smile split his lips.

Hello, Ambassador Talen, he signed.

Lymira, she signed back. Am I doing this right?

Dagan chuckled and nodded. He signed a few words she didn't recognize, so he scribbled a few sentences of on his notepad and held it out for her to read: "You'll get there. You're doing very well."

"Thanks. Hopefully nobody minds if I keep some of the library's books in my room so I can keep practicing."

Dagan waved a hand to dismiss her concerns, then wrote down another sentence asking her if she needed anything.

Lymira almost chuckled. Always ready to serve. "I'm heading to Kakariko, actually," she said. "I wanted to get outside for a bit today."

Dagan nodded again, then gave her one last note with instructions on where to find one of the castle mages, who could provide faster transportation via warping. Thanking him again, Lymira located the mage in question and soon found herself inside a small cave. Outside, stone steps snaked up through a narrow pass and ended at Kakariko's impressive gates. The guards on duty barely glanced at her as she passed, not deeming her a threat. Lymira was a bit insulted at the insinuation.

She'd never been the sort to march a well-stomped path, so she let her feet lead her down any random street. She didn't care if she got lost—she could find her way back eventually.

Every home had the same flavour, with snow-topped roofs and warmly lit windows, wooden doors. The decorations served as a way to distinguish one home from another. The villagers had hung colourful banners and strings of bells from their roofs, displayed festive sprays of winter flowers in their windows, each home a bit different.

Kakariko was the sort of place that was full of cute little shops. Curiosity shops filled with sometimes rare and unique items, an expansive potion shop offering tonics for every ailment and condition, a bomb shop with an impressive array of explosive devices. Then there were the holes in the wall, the back alley traders and stalls where one might find something more unusual.

Lymira browsed them all, feeling at ease in a town where so many people lived together in harmony. Aside from Hylians, she spotted two gorons at the bomb shop, a man from Holodrum, and a Gerudo woman shivering in a long coat.

When she rounded a corner onto a street she'd already visited, she turned right and tried a new spot. Livelier, this street saw her weaving through others hurrying on their way home for supper. A pair of young men looking in a shop window spotted her and exchanged a few words, then started in her direction.

She sighed and slipped a hand under her cloak for the hilt of her knife. She tried to bypass them, but the blonder of the two caught her elbow.

"Hey, gorgeous," he purred, spinning her around. "Whoa! What are you!?"

He'd caught sight of her strange eyes and relinquished her immediately.

"What am I?" she asked, raising a brow. "I'm not an asshole, unlike you two."

The sandy-haired one sneered at her. "What are you, some kind of witch?"

Lymira laughed, tossing her hair. "A witch!? Yes. Now run along before I put a hex on you."

Blondie frowned, reaching for her again. With a practiced whip, Lymira sliced her dagger through his sleeve and into his forearm. It wasn't a deep cut, but the man howled with pain.

"Don't be such a wimp." She rolled her eyes. "Now get the hell away from me."

Blondie's friend, white-faced, snatched his arm and tugged hard. Lymira watched the pair of them retreat around the corner before she realized someone was laughing. She spun on her heel, trying to locate the comedian.

A very tall man was doubled over under a sign with a blue crescent moon. He wiped actual tears from his eyes, wheezing from the force of his chuckles.

"Something funny?" she challenged, stomping over to him.

She estimated him to be around six and half feet tall, with a heavily muscled physique. Not Hylian, since he had round ears. Short dark hair, blue eyes, square jaw. When he recovered from the bout of hilarity, he grinned at her, the gesture so boyish it transformed his features.

"I was prepared to intervene," he explained. "But I decided I wasn't needed when I saw that knife you had. Gods! The look on his face!" He descended into peals of laughter again.

Lymira snorted. "I can handle myself."

"Ohh…" The man wiped his eyes again. "That was something to see. I'm Silas."

"Lymira."

"I hope this isn't too forward of me, but I'm meeting a friend for dinner. Would you like to join us?"

Lymira considered him. He seemed nice enough, and she was hungry. "Why not? Who's your friend?"

Silas's gaze strayed over her shoulder, and he jerked his chin in that direction. "Right on time. Dark, over here!"

While Silas waved, Lymira spun on her heel. What were the chances of another Hylian having a name so ridiculous?

Sure enough, she met the surprised expression of Dark, 'just Dark' coming down the street towards them.

"This has to be coincidence," she joked, crossing her arms as he drew up to them.

"You know each other?" Silas asked, curious.

"We met at the castle," Dark explained. "This is Lymira Talen, an ambassador from Labrynna here to attend the royal wedding."

"That's a hell of a coincidence," Silas agreed, chuckling. "We're also here to attend the wedding."

Lymira glanced between the two, putting puzzle pieces together from her previous conversations with Dark.

"Dark said you'd been injured on the journey here," she said. "I hope you're feeling better."

The mild surprise on both men's faces was something to treasure. Silas rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. "Well, yes, I am. Thank you."

Dark was eyeing her with a mix of admiration and amusement.

"Do you know Princess Zelda?" Lymira asked next, curious about Dark's status. He was definitely Hylian and had some connection at court as she'd already seen. Yet he'd claimed not to be a lord.

"Only through my brother," Dark said. "The groom-to-be."

Lymira blinked, then a snort of laughter escaped. "Now I see the resemblance!"

Silas and Dark exchanged looks of confusion.

She waved a hand. "Your brother is Link? I met him yesterday, and before that on the ferry ride here. He didn't tell me who he was, the sly bastard."

The other two laughed, sharing the joke. "Sounds like Link," Dark agreed.

Silas glanced behind them as a few patrons exited the building they stood outside. "Shall we?" he asked, catching the closing door and holding it open.

Dark gestured for Lymira to go ahead, and the three of them went inside. The bar was cozy on the inside, and already half-full for the dinner crowd. Lymira went straight to the bar counter to order a drink and then chose a table in the back. Dark and Silas followed after, setting down their drinks on the wooden table.

She tossed her head back. "I have to ask. Does everyone really call you Dark? Is that your real name?" A laugh bolstered her words, making them bounce out of her.

Dark's mouth twitched. "Truly, it's Dark."

When she looked to Silas for confirmation, he nodded. "Oh yes. We all call him Dark."

"Well, I know what you call him," she answered with an imperious eyeroll, "but what is his name. Just because you call him Dark doesn't mean he is dark."

Silas started to laugh, but stopped at the serious look in Dark's eye. Neither man spoke as the fierce beauty continued.

"And as far as nicknames go, that one smacks of a self-fulfilling prophecy." She speared him with a look. "What is your real name, o' dark one?"

"Kai."

The word softly escaped his lips in a low purr. Lymira arched her brows, both in surprise at the name and how the sound of his voice had caused a shiver in her heart. Men's voices, no matter how appealing, did not affect her.

"Kai. Very nice. Much better than Dark." She said the word like it was slime tripping off her tongue. With a delicate theatrical shudder, she smiled at him. "But fret not. That name will just be between you and I."

Fire blazed in Dark's eyes. He leaned even closer. "If you have my name to use for just the two of us, then it's only fair that I have a name to use for just you and I as well."

His voice had changed again. Combined with the heat in his gaze, Lymira found herself leaning closer as well across the table.

"Well, you already have my name, Kai." A shiver visibly stole through Dark at the way her tongue caressed his name. "What would you suggest?" She very slowly took a sip of her drink, her tongue stealing out to lick up the last drop that clung to her lips. Her gaze never wavered from Dark's.

"What about Lym?"

Silas snorted. "You've picked the worst abbreviation of Lymira possible," he protested.

Challenge rose in Lymira, as familiar as the feel of a weapon in her hand. She stared unflinchingly at Dark, daring him to speak.

Silas cleared his throat. "Since he already took the good one," He rolled his eyes good naturedly, eliciting a wicked grin from Lymira, "I guess I'll just have to call you Mira."

Lymira toasted him with her cup. "An excellent choice, Sir Silas."

Choking on his beer, Silas sputtered. Dark was too far in his introspective mood to do more than quirk his lips. Lymira was tickled pink, and laughed heartily, a tinkling noise with unaccountable bass.

"Sir Silas?" He asked incredulously.

"Yes," she affirmed with a decisive nod of her head. "It fits."

"I beg to differ," Dark interjected, "He is as far from a nobleman as can be."

"No, Dark," Lymira shook her head. The riotous curls bounced as though they were dancing their refusal as well. "I disagree. Silas is definitely noble. He nearly came to my rescue outside when two idiots without a brain cell between them decided to annoy me. And then, even more noble, he left me to handle it myself." She sat back with a grin, sipping her drink.

Two crescent moons appeared at the corners of Dark's closed mouth and he glanced at Silas. The damn man refused to really smile. Did he even know how? Lymira was tempted to reach across the table and help teach his lips how to smile.

The three of them soon descended into friendly conversation, Silas and Lymira sharing their impressions of Castle Town and Kakariko and discussing the upcoming wedding. When the topic of the midwinter ball came up, Dark suggested Lymira and Silas attend together since neither had ever been to one before.

After they'd eaten, Dark stood up and gathered their empty bottles, offering to grab refills. On his way to the bar, a couple of female patrons turned their heads to watch his progress with clear appreciation. While he waited for fresh drinks, a brunette woman sidled up close, trying to engage him in conversation. Whatever he said must have discouraged her, because she trotted off a moment later.

"Is Dark involved with someone?" Lymira asked.

Silas clammed up, which struck her was suspicious, although she'd just met him.

"What is it?" she pressed.

"He's not seeing anyone at the moment." Silas scraped his thumbnail over a splinter in the table.

She arched a brow. "At the moment?"

Dark returned before she could question Silas further, so she let the topic lapse. As their conversation resumed, Lymira downed her drink, her mind slogging through more information than it could handle when the alcohol was starting to take effect.

"I need some air," she muttered, rising from her seat and heading for the rear door, without bothering to grab her cloak. She didn't catch whatever Silas or Dark had said after her.

Lymira slammed open the back of the Blue Moon, the door ricocheting off the building a little harder than she intended.

"Whoops," she remarked, taking a few uncoordinated steps into the alley. She placed a hand on the weathered stone wall and drew in a deep breath. A shadow cut across her vision, cast by the lamppost at the end of the lane. Dark had followed her outside. "I haven't drunk that much in a while," she said with a light laugh.

Once again, he didn't smile. She refused to count that little smirk as a true smile. But in his eyes she saw the flash of amusement, laced with concern.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

She flapped a dismissive hand. "I still have all my faculties. I just need a few moments."

With a shrug, Dark leaned back against the pub's wall, his arms crossed over his chest. And why that should make his shirtsleeves tighten over his biceps so enticingly, she didn't know. Letting out a blustery sigh, Lymira flopped next to him, bracing her back against the rock and drawing the toes of her boots between the cobblestones, tracing their paths.

The cool air helped clear her head and assuage the dizziness. It was warmer than she'd thought it'd be, so far north. Of course, she mused, it could be the human furnace standing a few inches away keeping her warm. She nudged a little closer, until her arm brushed his knuckles.

"Are you cold?" he guessed, tipping his chin to look down at her.

"No."

He snorted and uncrossed his arms, slipping one around her shoulders. He stayed where he was, letting her snuggle up to his side. She did so gratefully, leeching his body heat for her suddenly chilled hands and face. Lymira pressed her nose into his ribs.

"Damn, you're warm." She giggled. "You're sure you're not part dragon?"

Dark laughed, the movement shaking his ribcage and jostling her. Lymira drew back to stare at him in mock shock.

"He can laugh!"

His amusement faded to a few chuckles. "Sometimes."

She poked him in the side. "You're not as much of a stick in the mud as I first thought," she teased.

He gave her a half-smile, just one corner of his mouth curling this time. Her gaze traced up from the corner to the line of his cheekbone and the ridge of his pointed ear. Dark's ears were pretty much like all other Hylians': long and narrow, tapering to an elegant point. They also sported a collection of rings. In the right, two blue rings adorned the lobe and the top. On the left, a red and blue ring went through the lobe, with a second red ring over upper ridge.

Lymira was curious if they had any special meaning. In her clan, jewelry always held meaning.

"Can I touch your ears?" she blurted.

Dark's gaze jumped to hers like she'd electrocuted him. "W-what?"

Lymira's brow furrowed. "Is that bad? Was that a rude question?"

Dark looked away, but she caught the hint of that damn smirk coming back. "Not exactly."

"What is it, then?"

"It's a very…" He hesitated. Lymira noticed the faint flush creeping up his neck.

"What?"

"Are you familiar with the belief some Hylians have that our long ears were given to us in order to better hear the guidance of the goddesses?"

Lymira shrugged. Dark laughed through his nose.

"No? Well, most Hylians consider their ears very…personal space."

"So?..."

"Stroking my ears would be a pretty intimate act…and I don't think that was your intention."

Her foggy brain started to catch up. "Ohhh!" She laughed at his awkward expression. "I see. I was just curious about your earrings."

His expression was almost relieved. "Oh. Well, the blue rings are a Sheikah tradition: they give them to young warriors when they reach adulthood."

"And the red?"

"The Goron chieftain of Death Mountain gave them to me as a mark of brotherhood. We share the same element."

Lymira was only vaguely familiar with the Hylian belief that each individual held the spirit of a certain element within them. The element was supposed to indicate the individual's personality, strengths, weaknesses, abilities—could even predict their destiny. As far as she knew, only a rare few possessed more than one element.

"No need to guess what element that would be," she said with a grin. "You're giving off so much heat I'm liable to melt right here."

Her comment wrangled another quiet laugh out of him, and their eyes locked when she shifted to get comfortable. An arc of awareness passed between them. Those incredible eyes of his darkened to pools of hot magma, simmering with desire. Waiting to be let out. Lymira's hands fisted in the fabric of his shirt, rubbing against firm skin. She felt like she was spinning again, but this time she was in control.

Before she could think better of it, Lymira rose on her toes and pulled his face down to hers. Their lips met and Lymira did melt, the kiss soft and sweet. Her skin was instantly warmed, her liquor-numb nerves sparking back to life.

For a second, he was completely still while she pressed closer, seeking more of that warmth and the darkly seductive taste of him. When he at last responded, matching her slow, savouring pace, she hummed with pleasure. Dark's hand cupped her cheek, slid back to cradle her head. He tilted, aligning them for a better fit. Lymira sighed at the sensation of him, pressed lengthwise all up against her. The he ruined it.

He dropped his embrace so fast she experienced a mild shock as the temperature dropped. He broke the connection, stepping back out of her reach. Dark stared at her as if he couldn't believe what had just happened. He ran a hand through his black hair, making it strands of it stick up. She pursed her lips, experiencing the strangest sense of irritation with him at not being the one to run her hands through his hair and mess it all up.

"I shouldn't have done that."

She blinked at him. "Excuse me?"

He lowered his hand slowly, as if she might attack. She felt like attacking. "I'm sorry. You're drunk; I shouldn't have—"

"I'm not drunk," she grumbled. "And I kissed you." She scoffed. "Sorry for not asking first."

Dark stared at her. She glared back, not sure what his objection was. Didn't he want to kiss her? Was it that bad?

"I'll take you back to the castle," he offered. "You should get some sleep."

"Don't tell me what I need," Lymira growled. "I'm not as drunk as you think I am, and I didn't kiss you because of the alcohol."

His expression betrayed his doubt. Grumbling about the stupidity of men, she pronounced she could see herself home and began walking. Dark easily kept pace with her, keeping a respectable amount of space between them.

As they passed the main square, Lymira said, "I didn't take you for the shy type. I assume women other than me have kissed you."

Dark didn't answer her. His expression had morphed into an explicable mix of pain and doubt.

"Regrets?" she asked caustically.

"Lymira—"

"Save it."

She stalked away from him, towards the gates of Kakariko. She knew he still followed her from his footsteps, but her head was beginning to pound and she didn't want to talk.

When they reached the gate, the guard on duty recognized her and waved her through.

"Lymira."

She sighed and stopped a few steps short of the gate. "What?"

Dark stood in the middle of the road, meeting her eyes seriously. "I don't have regrets."

Lymira glanced at the guard, who tactfully pretended ignorance. "Then why stop it?"

That flicker of pain flashed across his face again. "It's complicated."

She sighed and dropped her shoulders. She didn't have the brain power for a lengthy conversation. "Let me know if it ever gets uncomplicated," she settled on, giving him a backwards wave as she walked through the gates. "See you tomorrow, Dark."

She marched back down the steps, stopping at the little cave that contained the warp point she'd left. When she turned back, she could see Dark walking back to town.

Lymira stopped for a moment and watched him. A seed of doubt of her own wriggled into her mind. Maybe it was for the best. She was here for a reason. She shouldn't be letting herself get distracted by handsome, enigmatic strangers. There was no time for it.

She would never have an opportunity like this again, and she needed to gather as much information, be as prepared as she possibly could.

As she stepped into the warp point, walked back to the castle and navigated her way to her chambers, Lymira resolved to forget the whole incident, as Dark clearly wanted to.

Complicated. He was right about that. Whatever was between them, it wasn't simple.

She dropped onto the bed without bothering to undress, letting her throbbing head hit the blissfully soft pillow.

By tomorrow morning, she hoped her poor judgment would vanish as swiftly as the pounding headache.