The mood remained somber as night fell upon Hyrule, the Champions making up camp in near silence with Mipha's anguish permeating throughout the entirety of the group. For all their differences, Mipha had, from the beginning, been the one of the group who'd truly bound them all together in her cordial, quiet manner, even when it came to Revali, who remained rather quiet himself, though that might have simply been to follow the other's lead. Even then, her friendly gesture back in the desert of the Gerudo had endeared him somewhat to her, and her sadness wasn't lost on him.

Atop the ridge that just created along the higher edge of Northern Lanayru Lowlands, they had worked their way off the path to set up camp, now imbibing in dinner despite the shaken atmosphere. Mipha remained distant, citing her waning appetite before meandering off to be alone, much to the others' distress, though they ultimately figured she needed time alone, and even then, they needed time to talk themselves.

"I just hate it for her," Urbosa muttered somberly as she stirred her bowl of soup with a lazy cadence, "Poor thing. She's placed so much importance on such a trivial thing. relatively speaking, anyway."

Daruk peered off into the distance to try and find her amidst the rocky landscape, shrouded in shadow, before taking another bite of his own meal, "You think she'll start feeling better soon?"

"Not likely," Urbosa shrugged, "Even if it's trivial, there's more to it than just holding a sword. We all did something she couldn't; even before the importance of the act, that already paints her as an outcast, through no fault of our own."

Frowning as he stared sadly into his bowl, his soup absent of disruption, Daruk went on, "I just think shed feel better eating something with us. That usually does the trick for me."

"She just needs time," Link assured, crouched over the pot of simmering porridge with his hand carefully roaming along with a ladle dipping within his cauldron, "She does her best thinking alone, away from our loud mouths."

The mild slurping from Revali dipping his face into his bowl grew to a fever pitch as he pulled away, staring Link down with a cool voice, "I was told by your Princess to point out whenever I feel as though I'm being transgressed upon."

Link shrugged, "I said our loud mouths. Our."

Seemingly content with his enunciation, Revali slowly lowered his head to finish his soup before Link mumbled loud enough for the Rito to hear, "I only implied that it was you."

In an act of defiance, Revali turned his bowl over to allow the remaining broth to spill onto the ground before sitting the porcelain dish onto the ground, turning his nose up as he muttered, "Apologies."

"Okay, you two," Urbosa groaned, taking the reins, "Cut it out. Everybody's a bit down in the dumps, let's just-"

Link's indifference caught Urbosa off guard, allowing him to interject, "Why? It's like a wake out here. Look, Mipha's the strongest person I know- that I've ever known. Sure she's down, but she always comes back better for it."

Urbosa glared at him with uncertainty, simply taking him at his word as she sighed, huddling over her own bowl with dismissal, "If you say so. You know her better than-"

"No, no…" came Zelda's gentle voice, forcing Urbosa's attention away from the others to find the Princess presiding over a stone cold bowl of soup without a single bite having been taken.

Urbosa frowned, "Ever the scholar. Even scholars eat, you know."

Jolting to attention, Zelda's wide eyes turned up toward the others, "Oh, uh, sorry. I was just thinking."

"About food?" Daruk joked, hoping go improve the situation as gingerly as he could, now that he had something of Link's permission to do so, "That's about the only thing that can keep me from eating!"

Zelda shook her head, "Not food, just- The Master Sword was the first thing that really grabbed my interest, you know? got me into studying as much as I have. I constructed all these ideas, basically theorems, surrounding the sword's behavior, but- After today, it just seems like all that time was wasted."

"How do you mean?" Urbosa inquired.

"Well, it was something akin to psychology, just- on a sword," admitted Zelda with a shaky voice, signaling her awareness at how silly it sounded, "I mean, I was pretty naïve as a child, but if I've been sitting here thinking. After what happened earlier, I don't know, I always thought it was stupid, but maybe there's something to all that. Think of it this way-"

She paused, scratching her chin in thought, "We know the Master Sword is divinely created to withstand any test of time. It has marks of alteration, yet remains a singular piece. Were the Goddesses to make such a creation, what good would it be to remain unchanging when everything around us is doing the opposite? Why wouldn't the Sword be given something like a consciousness to allow it to change itself? I thought about this just the other day- What if Link was dead and-"

"Excuse me?" Link interjected with incredulity.

Zelda was quick to reassure him, "It was just a thought ex-"

"Link, you'd best watch out," Daruk laughed, "Even I have noticed how she glares at you with the blankest of expressions."

Widened eyes met the others as Zelda shone shock, leaving Urbosa to laugh, "Leave it to our scholar to have no tact when it comes to such devious plans."

"They're not-" Zelda groaned, having already recognized their teasing and deciding to simply relinquish any reaction to such things, "Look, if Link had died, or anybody upon whom Hyrule's destiny was entrusted-"

Urbosa wondered in interruption, "But if it's destiny, as you propose- how would a chosen one even be such if not guided by some divine force?"

"You mean that, to be chosen is to be made immortal so as to carry out the goddesses' plans?" Daruk opined.

Urbosa's glance suddenly turned toward Link, whose stirring motion suddenly halted under the combined weight of stars coming from her and Daruk, "…what?"

Urbosa quickly explained, "Nothing! Though, now we know why Zelda was planning on attacking you in your sleep."

"I wasn't-!"

"Bwah ha! Her experiments certainly have taken a dark turn!" Daruk laughed heartily.

Having crossed her arms in irritation, Zelda frowned, "Okay, so no, that's not what I was planning. It was a thought experiment, alright? If, IF, Link had died- if any of the heroes of old had died- would the Master Sword had been so obstinate so as to not allow somebody else to wield it? Obviously not, otherwise a darkness would have already fallen upon our world so myasmic that our very ancestors would have choked from that absence of the light."

"So what are you saying?" Link wondered aloud, his voice feigning interest while his mind was sincere in inquiry.

Zelda's lips tightened for a moment, "The Master Sword is guided by some consciousness, one that knows to change its…thoughts in accordance to the shifting world around it. Had we not began this journey, perhaps these three might not have acquired that level of ability to handle the Sword."

"That still leaves the problem we were faced with upon the onset of this very conversation," Urbosa shrugged, taking a sip of her broth in a show of the dramatic, "The Sword still refused Mipha's touch."

Zelda sighed weakly, dropping her head, "That's true. Even if that might change in the future, it still means little more than the idea that she is lesser than us. Somehow she isn't worthy of-"

Catching herself, Zelda's eyes jumped toward Link, watching his emotionless face staring into his cauldron with but the faintest sensation of yearning in his eyes. She felt a chill, wondering what might be going through the man's mind; she hadn't known him to be one capable of such things as companionship, at least beyond that kind that is compelled by authority, but here he was, Zelda knew, in something of a relationship with Mipha, who now seemed as much an outcast as Link had a week earlier. Perhaps he felt something of an affinity with her as a result, or maybe something else entirely.

"Worthy. Pah," Daruk grumbled languidly, steadily eating from his Bowl, "We Gorons know nothing of worthiness, at least when it comes to the divine. Our history is strewn about with great beings who did not wait for the call of divine right! They barred their teeth and hoistened their muscles and etched their very names into our history! I ought to go tell her that she needn't wait for that Sword, or anybody's, approval to carve out her own history!"

Revali sputtered in gawking skepticism, "Ah yes, regale her of those great Gorons who refused to part with their most valuable wares until passers-by learned their dance moves- I cannot believe my mind has left a spot where that information lies…"

Still heated, Daruk all but ignored the Rito's complaint, continuing, "My earliest teachers, they all told me, again and again, that those Goron heroes were aberrations- that I shouldn't seek the same fortune for myself- that no Goron should! My father, Komimba, he- he-"

Visibly shaking with frustration, Daruk hunched over as he raised a hand, rubbing the tips of his fingers just enough to begin sprinkling the tiniest of particles from their abrasions, "He told me, son- Son, you are nothing but rock and sand. Don't dare invite death by thinking otherwise. I hate the thought of Mipha feeling the way I felt."

He dropped his head with a sigh, "I wish I hadn't ever attempted to grab that sword."

His words tugged at the research centers of Zelda's brain, a frown making it's way to her face as she replied quietly, "I mean, it sucks, but- If I've found out anything, it's that knowing more isn't always fun, but it's necessary to protect ourselves. to protect everyone."

"You have a point," Urbosa nodded, "Though I doubt everybody would agree the tradeoff is worth it. There are still pockets of unrest by Hylians upset over your Kingdom funding those massive excavation projects."

A knowing grin crossed her face, "I think most people would be happy in that bliss of not knowing what they ought to."

Revali cleared his throat, "I do believe I'm feeling transgressed upon again."

"I assure you," Urbosa chuckled, rising to her feet with her bowl in hand to make her way toward the fire for seconds, "That says much more about you than it does me, Rito."

Revali rolled his head along his shoulders in bemusement while Urbosa crouched down opposite Link around the cauldron, taking the ladle from him before working up another helping. Her attention remained on the soup she was collecting, though shifted upward toward Link as her eyes jumped upward, catching his distant glance with amusement, hiding a smirk as she carefully lifted up her next portion.

"Y'know," she muttered quietly, the crackling flames disguising her voice from the others, "Even the strongest among us don't mind a helping hand once in a while."

Link's eyes lit back to reality as he watched the Gerudo with confusion, unable to ascertain what she was getting at. Her smirk no longer hidden, Urbosa simply poured her next helping before dropping the large spoon into the cauldron, allowing her attention to fall wholly onto Link.

"Especially when it's somebody they're infatuated with."

Suddenly, a groan escaped Link as his face took on a droll expression, "How much did she tell you?"

"Enough," Urbosa grinned, "You should already know Zelda tells me everything."

Attempting to hide his face by burying his head toward his chest, Link shook his head in disbelief of his impudence, though Urbosa was quick to cheer him up, "Come on now. You might as well make the best of this sticky situation and take her some soup, see if she's okay. Someone as cheery as she doesn't do such things without reason."

Link remained stoic in his stubbornness, resulting from such a blind-sided revelation, though in a moment's passing, he raised his head before standing up, "Daruk."

"Wha-?! Why me?!" cried the Goron, leaving Link's eyes to widen in surprise.

An awkward air permeated for a brief moment before Zelda spoke up to ease the atmosphere, "I, uh, just asked who among us denizens of Hyrule would ever attempt to dissuade the goddess' authority over the Master Sword, but-…"

Link sighed, his shoulders visibly slumping in defeat before explaining further, "Daruk. I liked your idea about taking Mipha some soup, so I'll handle that."

The group was met with a rather odd sound, that of Revali suddenly breaking into something of a genuine laugh, his body slouching forward as he held his stomach, "Bwah ha ha! Ha!"

Swiping away a tear, he spoke up with dour glee, "Your misunderstandings amuse me greatly! Please, continue to unknowingly denigrate one another in my presence!"

Link turned toward Zelda, "Okay, now I feel slighted."

Groaning, Zelda refused to give much of anything in the way of a formal reply, simply allowing the others to continue their charged teasing amongst one another, "Just- go make sure Mipha's okay, alright?"

"Yes ma'am!" Urbosa answered for him with a tattered giggle, attempting to disguise her exhilaration, "He'd be thrilled to do so, wouldn't you?"

Link forced a severe glance toward her, which only seemed to bring forth even more laughter to be stifled, before readying another bowl of soup and turning off to where Mipha had gone to seek solitude, ignoring any further demands upon his irritation.

The darkness clouded his vision immediately upon treading away from the camp, the chilly air also greeting him simultaneously upon exiting the campfire's inviting air. The bowl in his hands seemed that much more scalding now that the cold air bit at his skin, and in an attempt to keep warm, he brought the soup up high for the steam to rise against his face, even if such a practice did little in the open air. He knew the night air rolled fierce down from the Eldin Mountains; such sweltering heat rising up to cool before charging down the mountainside to rush over the landscape of the Lanayru Lowlands, which was little more than a basin of winter-like air no matter the season.

The chilly air of this locale often greeted a contented Link whenever he came across this portion of Hyrule, though tonight, for whatever reason, the cold was less welcoming to him than it often was. Perhaps he was thinking of Mipha's cold blood battling these elements, such a thought rattling his nerves to begin with, the idea forcing his own body to grow more frigid than normal. In any case, he regretted not having the forethought to bring a blanket to accompany the soup he'd made sure to bring in offering.

He grinned at the thought: in offering. Were she any other friend, this gesture would have been auspicious at best; he'd simply be ensuring his friends were as well off as he to keep the collective as strong as possible- it was simply a matter of being in Link's best interest. Now, however, with Mipha, it became something far more meaningful, something he hadn't ever come to know.

His steps had taken him far enough that he'd begun to question his direction, gradually increasing the swings of his head in lookout before coming to a complete stop as his body slowly turned in place, only pausing at the solemn timbre of Mipha's voice crossing his ear just before being overpowered by the gentle breeze surrounding him.

"Hey."

Link followed the softened sound to a small enclosure made in the cliffside where Mipha had made her temporary shelter away from the bellowing winds, the soldier's gait cautious as to not spill anything while traversing the rocky ground beneath his feet.

"Hey," Link replied in unison, "I brought you some soup, so- Figured I'd check up on you."

A loose smile found its way to Mipha's lips, "I was sort of surprised they hadn't had a search party out hunting me down."

"Yeah, well; Daruk might have headed such a thing, but cooler heads prevailed," Link shrugged before bowing forward to offer his culinary creation to Mipha, "Speaking of cooler heads- That ought to warm you up. Should you be this far removed from a fire in this cold?"

Mipha examined the frothy mixture with quiet expectation, tugging at the think blanket around her shoulders, "I should be fine."

Nodding in reply, Link took a seat beside the wayward Zora as she gently took hold of her spoon, her delicate movement accompanying her words as she spoke up, "I know I look it, but- I know they all think I'm not all that strong or capable."

"Probably," Link scoffed, smirking in recollection, "They wouldn't exactly be the first ones. Might as well be a pattern for you, wouldn't it? Who was it- We were kids and that one Zora boy was giving you flack for being a princess wanting to play whatever it was. I think that just made you more angry that you weren't included."

Mipha nodded, her pursed lips blowing atop her spoon allowing her to conceal a crooked grin, "He had it coming for telling me I was "little lithe pole", really."

Smiling, Link dropped his head as he relaxed his posture, leaning back against the stone wall behind him while quietly keeping to himself, listening to the weak, polite slurping coming from Mipha's tasting. Her insides immediately lit up with warmth as the broth noticeably traced down into her stomach, the rushing sensation forcing Mipha's scales to shiver in surprised delight. She eyed the soupy mixture with awe, wondering how it was this proper soldier had managed to create something so unbecoming of the craft.

"Thank you," she spoke up quietly.

"Anytime," Link assured easily.

She took another, heartier bite as the two of them sat together quietly, with Mipha enjoying Link's company, particularly due to his body heat being just noticeable enough that her fins quivered whenever she noticed his radiating energy upon her scales. For his part, Link simply enjoyed listening to Mipha's eating growing ever more improper as she hastened her bites, possibly due to how tasty she'd found his dish. He did his best to hide a grin after a particularly sour slurp escaped her routine, forcing her to jump in surprise.

"S-Sorry!" she apologized at the ungraceful occurrence, though Link was quick to assure her of the opposite.

Shaking his head, Link replied, "Please, the others eat like fiends after a long day's trek. You could pour that thing over your face and hold more decorum, still."

The imagery enough to bring her humor, Mipha giggled lightly at the thought, "It is good though. I hate the thought of it losing its warmth."

"There's plenty more over the fire for when you're ready to come back to camp," Link explained, "Assuming Urbosa and Daruk haven't licked the insides of cauldron dry."

His eyes turned up toward her, "You are returning, correct?"

"Of course!" Mipha quickly interjected, though her rising voice was bellied by her sudden return to her dour mood, "I just-…"

Link watched her with furrowed brow, "Hey. What's up? Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah," Mipha assured quickly before taking in a sigh, "I mean- Yeah. I'm okay…"

Uncertain how to progress, Link remained silent as Mipha's slumped frame hung over her meager meal, his eyes watching her sadly as he recalled that miserable look she'd had after being denied the Master Sword earlier in the day. He didn't feel defeated, but knew better than to force an answer upon her, deciding that him simply being there might be enough to quell whatever nerves were within her. Such foreign ideas to Link as relationships with others, he now surmised, left him with little in the way of intuiting what to do in such situations. As solitude returned between the two, Link grasped at his sword, tapping its opposite end into the dirt absent-mindedly as he thought of what to say, his eyes fixed upon the shining blade that just escaped the sheath every time he raised it from the soil.

"You know, on my way over here, I was thinking," Link muttered quietly, "If I just took this sword- and threw it. as hard as I could. If I threw it clear across Hyrule, even. Would it somehow find me again? Even if it took years, would it be discovered somewhere, bartered around, with some divine force compelling me to find it in a shop somewhere."

Mipha's eyes watched him curiously as he went on, "I don't know; it's just a thought. I just-"

He felt a biting cold nipping at his spine, wondering for the briefest of moments whether or not it was the Sword communicating with him somehow, "I spent my entire life fulfilling what I thought was my destiny, and now-"

His hands lifted the sword upward, "Now this thing comes into my life. It's supposed to give me some higher purpose, I suppose, but- I think I feel more lost than I ever did when I was a knight."

Slowly dropping the sword back toward the ground, his grip tightened as his voice returned, lowly enough, "Seeing it cause you pain, I just- It wasn't a good feeling."

The blustery wind howled with every pass before the small indention of rock in which the two sat, the cold ever worsening as the night progressed. Mipha's heart tugged at the thoughts roiled about in her head, thinking of her declaration to Zelda about just how high in regard she'd been holding Link, especially when it came to something of a destiny. Even after figuring out he'd loved her too; even after feeling his lips upon her own. She cared for little more than Link's future, which carried infinitely more stock alongside the Master Sword than with her. Perhaps that had been what had hurt so much about earlier in the day…

"Really…Link," Mipha spoke up weakly, "If the time ever arose… You should toss me away before that Sword."

Link's attention quickly jerked toward her with a start, "What-? Mipha, I'd-"

"That Sword is more important than I'll ever hope to be. If we're talking only of logistics," Mipha grinned with a heart wrenching subtlety, "As any good knight should-"

Link held the Master Sword up with a vigor that forced Mipha to pause with surprise, thinking that he might toss it, though his motion was only accompanied by a swift, serious voice, "This Sword knows I won't do that- Throw it away, I mean. If I'm able to carry this thing, that means it somehow knowingly tied itself to me as much as I bound my own fate to it when I lifted it from its altar."

"Now," Link went on seriously, lowering the Sword and cautiously resting it on the rocky ground, "I love you. I've always been wildly obsessed with the mere chance of being able to see and be around you. That's non-negotiable, so- That Sword is just going to have to learn that, regardless of its poor taste or judge of character, I'm never leaving your side."

Mipha grim smile remained, though a slight giggle at Link's sudden boyishness helped soften its place along her lips, "You're arguing with an inanimate object."

"Yeah, well-" Link suddenly stammered, realizing how ridiculous it had sounded, "Zelda has some ideas that that might not be the case. She was thinking it can change who it, you know, 'likes', just in case somebody who's supposed to wield it dies or something. Basically, there might be more to this thing, but-"

He steeled his resolve, chivalry pouring from his tone, "I would still argue with inanimate objects for you."

Finally broken from her spell, overcome by Link's serious tone contrasting with how silly his words were, Mipha gave a quick start before laughing, leaning forward as she held onto her stomach from the sheer severity of the boisterous sensation. Link simply smiled as he watched her, quickly reaching over to grab hold of her soup bowl before it vibrated free of her grasp.

"I- I-" she managed between breathless gasps, "I never knew knights were afforded such things as humor."

Shrugging, Link replied, "Well, you should already know how- what was it- how 'uncouth' I am for a Royal Knight. "

Mipha's eyes met his as her face was still greeted by joyful spasms of laughter, thinking of that night they shared at the oasis, "I suppose 'unbecoming' might be more appropriate. That's not as negative, I don't think."

"Perhaps," Link nodded, turning away to hide his face, "Regardless, I've long grown to admire your smile, so- Just seemed natural I'd figure out how to keep it showing."

Mipha's lips curled into a sincerely heartfelt smile as she watched him toying with his fingers in his vain attempt at feigning just how cute he was sounding to her. For how much her heart panged at his loyalty and ferocity, it was these moments, the quietest among them, where she had grown to love these hidden shades that so often rested in the shadows of all the personalities Link often surrounded himself with, whether it be a troupe of soldiers, or the Champions themselves.

"You know," began Mipha with a solemn tone, turning her head to match Link's as she followed the stony earth at her feet trailing in zig zags beneath her fins, "Ever since I left Zora's Domain, and I met Daruk on the road to Sanadin Park- Being with all of you is so fun and lively and-…

She paused, "…it's truly been the best days of my life."

Link smiled at her admittance, hoping that, in his own way, he'd done something, even before his own 'official' joining, to increase this wayward Zora's enjoyment of the world. He was helping her learn to write Hylian, which he figured would be a bore, though even that seemed to entice Mipha, who was all too happy to learn such things. How odd she was, he thought to himself for a brief moment, to find amusement in dueling with tridents while also seeking out the quill for her own enjoyment. It was a contrast Link often found in himself, caught between his life as a soldier and the many lives he now found himself caught in between.

"With you…" Mipha managed only barely, her voice lined with uncertainty, and a pang of embarrassment, "Being with you, it's- These have truly been the best nights, as well."

Link couldn't hold back a smile.

He turned toward her only to find her having pulled her blanket up and over her head to hide her embarrassment, which only caused Link to smirk with amusement, "Mipha-"

"S-Sorry!" she quickly allowed, though immediately reverted to silence as her shame consumed her.

"I feel the same way," Link assured easily, holding back a reassuring hand to avoid startling her.

At that admission, Mipha slowly began to bring down her guard, the thick quilt sliding ever so delicately down her crimson-scaled head, stopping only as her eyes peered out overtop the blanket's end, "R-Really?"

"Unless you thought me getting into frigid water was just for fun, then really," Link assured once more with a smile, "I never thought I'd ever really have this kind of- connection with somebody else. Much less somebody so fun and pretty. Somebody I admire."

At the sudden reappearance of Link's shades of personality, Mipha relinquished the rest of her clothen guard, allowing the blanket to fall back to her shoulders as she averted her eyes, "Well… Thank you for the, uh… thought, I suppose. I'll remind you that I'm about as new to this as you are, so-"

"I understand," Link noted with a nod, "That's what makes it fun, though."

Watching the craggy soil below, Link allowed a soft chuckle at the scene playing out between the two of them, which might have seemed an odd pantomime of sorts to anybody else in attendance. For Link though, and perhaps for Mipha herself, it was something far more heartfelt. They'd known one another for most of their lives, or rather, most of Link's, and yet- When it came to love- Link hadn't known much of it growing up with his dutiful parents, while Mipha's loss of her mother seemed to have had something of a similar effect when Link thought about it. Regardless, these two were strangers to love, and yet here they were, in their own way, attempting to create something of a roadmap between two hearts never meant to be joined, anyway.

Link's ears perked up, jolting him awake from his thoughts, as he turned to find Mipha's outstretched arm, holding out her blanket in invitation as she held back something of what might be a blush, her only explanation being, "You, uh, must be cold, right?"

Smiling, Link nodded, "Yes, very much so."

Mipha shivered at his acceptance of her gesture, her scales tingling as Link slowly slid across the small indention of rock they'd been using as seating. Even before their bodies met at the side, she could feel the air around her begin to warm, in something of a preemptive breath and all that might entail. Her fins shook, which forced a rather shameful jolt to gush across Mipha's neck. As carefully as a child meeting a pet for the first time, Link managed as close as he dared, grabbing hold of the opposing edge of the blanket to hold around his shoulder, though quickly discovering that it hadn't exactly been made large enough for such camaraderie. Knowing Mipha's biology, he simply left himself largely uncovered, not daring to steal any warmth from Mipha, though her eyes quickly darted to his far side to discover this all for herself.

"Sorry," she spoke up, "I wasn't even thinking that might be the case."

Link smiled, "It's no big deal."

Frowning in reply, Mipha's eyes turned fierce, "I know I'm like an ice cube."

"So?" Link smirked back in verbal battle, "I know I'm like a ball of embers. We cancel each other out, although, as Zelda herself might explain, heat is energy anyway, so my heat will make sure to bring your lack of heat up to match it, not the other way around."

Lifting his nose up humorously, he finished, "So there."

Mipha couldn't help but grin feverishly at his impression of Revali as his body heat began to swirl around her, causing her scales to liven up in cacophonous elation, much as they would during a sun bath. It was a pleasurably relaxing sensation, like receiving a gentle scratch to the back of the scale, though Mipha was so enamored with Link's proximity that she was more embarrassed than relaxed, despite their teasing words.

Both of them coming to terms with their rather presumptuous predicament, they quickly fell into silence as they allowed the cold, billowing air to accompany them with all the noise that was necessary. There was some contentedness, certainly, between them being so close, though Mipha's mind quickly began to whirl as Link's heat forced her body to churn to life.

"I was, uh-" she began quietly, drawing Link's attention as her free arm silently wrapped around his own, "When the Sword wouldn't allow my to grab it… I wasn't jealous or anything, just- I was scared."

Link watched her quietly, subtly pulling their arms against his side to better warm her extremity. Her voice petered out reluctantly, as if she wanted to go on and explain herself to this man, but- Something was still keeping her from doing so. Eventually, she managed once again.

"I'm not-" she started with an aching tone, "I'm not perfect. Nobody is, I know, but- Things have happened that-"

Link's brow turned with sadness at just how difficult this was for her, though she went on, "I was scared that- my life has been taken in directions that will forever make me unworthy. make me un- unable to-"

Her head dropped like an anchor toward her chest as her shoulders quivered, signaling her immediate descent into anguish. Link cautiously leaned over and released the blanket to wrap an arm around her head, pulling her ever-tighter into his chest as he dropped his face against her scalp for any chance at comforting her.

The shakiness in her voice, its tenuously aching timbre, compelled Link to remain silent, not daring to ask anything more of her in explanation for fear of hearing such a daunting tone again. Perhaps, instead, he hadn't the heart to do so. For all his prowess in battle, he hadn't a clue how to fight these sorts of battles. He hadn't the confidence, he knew, to help Mipha fight whatever demons were plaguing her mind.

or perhaps, still, Link was simply afraid. Afraid of what there might be to be found out about this woman who never allowed much of anything to bruise her body, yet didn't seem capable of doing the same for her heart.

All he could do was hold her tightly and mutter something in the way of prayer as she grew quieter in his arms, her shivering gradually calming as his body offered all the warmth he could hope to muster, which he already knew so relaxed her. He nearly jumped as her other hand left the blanket to grab hold of his arm, gently attempting to pull it away.

"Sorry," she explained with a tremored whisper, "You shouldn't have to care for a princess such as me so much."

Link failed to relinquish his hold on her, "Perhaps, but that doesn't mean it's not what I ought to do. You're incredibly strong if you're allowing yourself this much in front of somebody else."

A burst of movement jolted from Mipha as she gave a quick, anguished laugh, "You're still trying to cheer me up."

"Of course," Link offered, "You've already said that you're bound to me. I'm bound to you all the same; holding you is only natural."

He couldn't see her smile, but felt it somehow, through the air, in his heart- just somehow. He smiled sincerely as Mipha began to recover, finding his next chance to better help her recover.

"Okay, you dropped the quilt; now you are an ice cube," he joked, earning him a playful swipe from Mipha as she smiled up at him with swollen eyes, "Look at you."

He carefully reached a hand up to her face, gently pressing the back of his hand against the bottom of her eye to better relieve her of its unsightly appearance after her crying. It was such a fierce warmth upon Mipha's face, forcing her eyes to shut in contented relaxation as she grabbed a hold of Link's wrist to keep her bound to the world of the awoken.

"Look at us," Link noted sadly, grinning weakly, "We're just two lost kids making our way in this world."

Mipha's grip tightened.

"You know what you must do," she spoke up, "You have your destiny now. The Master Sword has-"

"I'm lost without you," Link spoke up with weighted breath.

Mipha's eyes opened slowly, her brilliance-colored eyes quivering behind beneath her wonderfully crimson crest as they peered into Link's own uncertain pair, his voice emerging once again, "Hyrule isn't worth you."

"You fool," Mipha replied with a teasing smile, belied by her newly whetted eyes, "I'm just as much a part of Hyrule as anything else."

Link's face lowered in serious resolve, his eyes remaining fixed upon the only opposite pair he'd ever cared to look into, "Hyrule doesn't get me like you do. Goddess knows it isn't nearly as beautiful."

Mipha was unable to withhold a soft chuckle.

"If I carry this thing- What becomes of that destiny which allows me to wake up every morning to see your sleeping face?" Link asked in compelling dreariness, "What about those best nights of my life with you?"

Her hands shaking under the gravity of his words, Mipha reached over to place her certainly-frigid hand against Link's own cheek in emulation, making sure to bring her thumb up to wipe away the tear that had emerged there.

"I don't know," was all she could muster, even if she tried desperately to make it sound far more meaningful that it truly was.

Link nodded, "That's what scares me."

Mipha lowered her head thoughtfully as her hand fell away from her face, again matching Link's own motion as he reached down to grab hold of the blanket to return around her shoulders, "You shouldn't go without-"

Her hands gripping the cragged spot where they sat, Mipha pushed herself to her feet, allowing Link's eyes to watch her with uncertainty as she took a step closer toward him, only a brief moment keeping the two of them parted before she carefully sat atop his leg, swiveling herself to the side so that she was seated atop him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she buried her head against his.

"Cover us," she ordered, much to Link's lingering shock of her sudden audacity.

He did as she said, the blanket fitting perfectly now that the two were taking up much the same space, though it did little to relieve much of the stress now forced upon Link as he attempted to figure out what exactly had occurred. Sure enough, after a few minutes, Mipha's icy skin had become about as warm as Link's own body heat, forcing her to grapple onto Link's head as she would when keeping steady upon a Lanayru stone in the sun.

"Uh, Mipha-" Link began, though his words were cut off by Mipha gently stroking her face against his scalp, allowing his soft hair to brush against her.

She mused quietly, "All of this heat is your own."

Link thought for a moment how intimate such a thing was, though just how indelibly innocent it was brought a soft smile to him at the idea. As a child himself, such warmth was a necessity, but for the Zora, it wasn't. He wondered how he might have been altered, had he been more akin to Revali, who'd been left without such things, yet required it.

Then he thought about how, his entire life, he'd been without Mipha. yet he must have required her.

"Here, you can't go to sleep before we get back to camp," Link mentioned as he shook his entire body to keep Mipha from dozing off atop of him.

"Noooo," she fought back with weakened words.

Link assured her, "Come on, I thought of a game we could play. It'll save us from taking this dour atmosphere back with us."

Taking a moment to consider it, Mipha muttered gracelessly, "Game… Like when we were kids…"

"Pretty much," Link chuckled, "I did say we were just two lost kids, so-…"

Mipha regretfully pulled her head away, leaving her simply sidelong atop Link's lap as his hands tried to find her own beneath the quilt, "This will actually help. You been studying your Hylian?"

Another meandering smile that was rather unbecoming of a princess followed Mipha as she answered, "Of course."

"Well, here," he spoke up as he found her hand, bringing it into his own pair, "I'll trace a character and you try to guess it only by touch. Alright?"

She nodded without tact, allowing Link to draw out a character in her palm before Mipha muttered lazily, "That's 'n… ayyyyy"

Suddenly trapped between a rousing need to laugh and a desperate attempt to keep Mipha in comfort, Link attempting to stifling much of anything by clenching his lips as tight as he could, allowing only a faint chuckling to cause this princess only the slightest discomfort.

"Correct, sort of," Link answered, "How much have you learned?"

Mipha quietly replied in earnest, "Lots…"

Smirking, Link offered a bigger challenge, tracing along a series of words atop her palm this time, turning toward her with a wry sort of tone, "How about n-"

His attention was met with Mipha's sleeping face atop his shoulder. Her eyes closed in weak tension, signaling her trust in him, while her lips just barely broke apart in time with quiet breaths. As though it were natural, her arms remained just at reassuringly tight around Link's neck, though it failed to be a bother. If anything, he much enjoyed it; that feeling of Mipha depending on him as though he were an unmoving stone atop the sunny peaks of Lanayru.

He thought of the letters he'd left her to sleep with, cautiously allowing a gentle kiss to press into her crest, speaking to her in soft assurance, "Don't worry. I'll never stop proving to you what it was it wrote. You'll figure it out soon enough."