Link sidestepped around the perimeter of the circle, trying to reach Hena without turning his back to the portal. Another ear-rending shriek echoed from the sky, and this time it was accompanied by a body. A large, black, ape-like form plummeted like a parasitic boulder from the opening. Before it hit the ground, it unfurled, revealing thick ropy limbs and a faceless tentacled head.
The no-face turned to Link and seemed to trap him with its absence of a gaze. The flat thing that stood in place of its visage attacked Link's mind like a dagger, instilling an unnatural fear in him. His hand was getting slippery on the hilt of the Master Sword.
He tore his gaze away from the terrible thing and glanced at Hena. She stood with her back pressed against one of the stones, knees trembling visibly. Her caramel eyes reflected the darkness of the shadow portal instead of their usual bright humor as two more beasts dropped from the sky.
Feeling his gaze, she threw a look at him in return, and it was full of terror.
Link suddenly stopped moving toward her. 'Stupid.' He'd been thinking to protect her, but if he kept moving he would just draw the beast's attention to her.
Cursing himself, he changed direction and crept back the other way, legs burning as he crouched low.
"Link!" Hena cried in a strangled whisper, beginning to panic as she saw him go.
He looked at her and shook his head fiercely. 'Get down,' he tried to say with his eyes.
The shadow beasts were all focused on him now. The unnatural fear that they radiated was making his innards twist, but he fought it. He couldn't freeze. Hena's life depended on it now— not just his own.
A beast shrieked and leaped at him.
Link gasped and rolled forward, cutting under the beast's belly as it jumped above. He came up turning a hundred eighty degrees to face the beast's back and lashed out with his sword. A red beam of light sprang from the wound that Link's sword tore in its flesh. Another unearthly scream, and the thing fell.
The other two monsters surged toward him angrily.
He deflected a ropy black arm with his shield. A flat no-face appeared on his right and he whirled to smash it with his sword hilt.
Something blurred toward his legs and he leaped, just clipping his toes on the obstacle. A claw.
He landed lightly and spun, blasting both monsters away from himself with his flashing blade. One growled. The other went into throes of agony, clawing at its flat face where a red wound now glowed hotly. It staggered back.
Link felt a flicker of satisfaction— until he realized that the monster was retreating right toward Hena's cowering form.
Link was about to pursue it and cut it down, but the third shadow beast was still upon him. Link went on the defensive, parrying swipes from terrifying obsidian claws. His breath was growing rough. He spared a glance over his shoulder and registered that Hena was running. Running away from the wounded beast, which was following. Toward Link.
He cursed. The monsters were converging on him.
He whipped his head back around to face his opponent just in time to see claws coming for his neck. Link barely raised the Master Sword in time to save himself.
As the monstrous fingers glanced away from his skin Link took advantage of the opening and lunged, sword braced against his hip for stability. It pierced the chest of the faceless beast and sent red light shooting from the new, fatal wound. A shriek tore into Link's ears at close range. The beast reared up, talons flailing in its final throes.
As it fell forward, Link withdrew his sword and pivoted to face the final creature. It was closer than he'd thought— and right on Hena's heels. "Duck!" he cried to her. There was no more time. In a blur, the shadow beast lunged, thick arms outstretched; Hena dove to the ground; Link whirled his sword to point at the creature's chest.
The black form hit him like a horse-drawn carriage. His entire skeleton jarred roughly and he fell. His sword arm was suddenly under immense pressure.
Black filled his vision. He couldn't tell if it was Twili flesh or the jaws of death.
A scream pierced his eardrums. Pain pierced his abdomen, and his own scream joined the beast's. His senses were all overwhelmed.
Somewhere, at the fringes of his awareness, something like his name surfaced through it all.
Then Link lost consciousness.
...
He came to, feeling something soft beneath him. Not grass. A bed. He kept his eyes closed and listened. He couldn't assume that he was among friends.
Hearing nothing but distant birdsong and the sizzle of some food cooking, Link decided that he was probably safe. Slowly he cracked his eyes open, letting his gaze roam over his surroundings: wood panels and low rafters…a canoe on the wall, long poles, and mounted fish…a live fireplace…half-open drawers filled with warm-colored blouses and waders.
Hena's house.
His heart filled with anxiety and guilt, and Link was overwhelmed with one thought:
I forgot.
He'd forgotten her. How had he forgotten her? 'Come back soon,' she'd said, and he hadn't. He didn't remember how long it had been.
He didn't want to stay here. He couldn't ask anything of her, after he'd failed her so callously. All he could do was leave and hope she forgot him soon, too.
He had to leave.
Link tried to sit up—
And he nearly passed out. Pain ripped through him, radiating from his torso and burning him down to the tips of his fingers. He bit his tongue to keep from crying out. Looking down, he saw that he wore a loose gray tunic that wasn't his, and beneath the fabric, bandages were wrapped around his middle. They were stained through with blood. Breathing heavily, Link touched the bloody fabric with his fingers, trying to understand what it meant. His memory was spotty. He knew he'd fought the shadow beasts, but the details of the fight eluded him. He remembered that Hena had been there, but not why or what had happened. Sudden fear rushed into him, and it felt like déjà vu. Was she safe?
Link's breath caught inexplicably, and he coughed. It sent waves of pain shooting through his body. He had to lie down, wincing until the bout passed and the pain gradually died away. Even after Link felt some relief, he kept his eyes closed as if that might block out reality.
He couldn't be wounded.
Being wounded meant he would have to stay here.
With Hena.
And face his mistakes.
It was then that a step sounded on the floorboards across the room. Link knew who it was without looking. He kept his eyes shut tightly, trying to look unconscious, trying to shrink into himself so that he wouldn't have to meet her lovely caramel eyes and tell her he'd betrayed her.
It did not work. Hena must have seen his contorted expression from the doorway and realized that he was awake, because she hurried to his side at once. Link sensed her kneel down beside the bed.
"Lincoln?" Hena whispered. Her voice was soft and concerned. Link felt her shift again, and he reluctantly opened his eyes just as she pressed her wrist to his brow, feeling for fever. He flinched slightly at the contact.
She pulled back. "I'm sorry. Does that hurt?"
Link rolled his head slightly from side to side.
Hena sat back on her heels. "Okay, good. I'm glad you're awake."
"What happened?"
"Some…monsters came down, and trapped us. It was like we were walled in by the shadows themselves. You were fighting them off and one ran after me and you…you got in between."
There was a pause as Link tried to match her story to his memory. It was like a fog hung over his thoughts, hiding them from his scrutiny. It was disconcerting to be blocked off from your own mind.
"You saved me," Hena added softly. "And this is what you got."
She reached across and fingered the edge of his bandages regretfully. Link wanted to shy away, but he was wary of the pain it would bring. Then Hena stood.
"Anyway," she said, looking away, "I brought this." She reached into the pocket of her overalls and brought out a jar filled to the brim with water.
"Water?"
"From the spirit's spring," she clarified. "Hyrule is too far to take you to find a physician, but I thought this might help heal you. I collected it a long time ago. I'd started to think I would never need it."
Link groaned against a sudden wave of pain from his torso. He shook his head, saying tightly, "No. Keep it." He would not ask this of her.
Hena pulled up a stool beside him and placed a bundle on the foot of the bed, within reach. She pulled a strip of bleached white cloth from the bundle and wound it around her open hand. "You need it more than I ever will," she said, leaning forward to peel away his bloody bandages. Link winced as they came away from the wound, taking disturbing clots of blood with them.
"You don't understand. You shouldn't help me," he said hoarsely.
"Don't be silly, Lincoln. Where I'm from, the rule is 'a life for a life.'" You saved mine, so I'm going to do my best to save yours." Her voice was firm as she spoke, but she kept her eyes downcast. She wasn't telling him something.
"Hena."
She made a questioning noise, but still would not look at him. She took another cloth from her medical bundle and popped open the lid of the water jar. There was a gleam of nervous sweat at her temples.
"What won't you say?"
Hena cleared her throat. "What are you talking about?" She dipped the cloth in the water and prepared to apply it to his wound.
Link grasped her wrist. He stared at her, waiting for an answer.
Hena stopped, lowering her head and her arm went limp in his grip as she seemed to deflate. "I won't lie to you. I…I don't know if this will work. Your wound is serious."
Link remained quiet. Absently, he realized that he could feel Hena's heartbeat beneath the soft skin of her wrist. He imagined what it would be like to feel his own pulse slow and slip away.
Because that's what she was saying.
He was probably going to die.
"Link, don't lose hope. I'm going to try—" Hena began quickly, reaching to take his cheek in her hand. Link tipped his head away slightly, so that her fingers fell away.
"You shouldn't help me," he said bluntly.
"I'm not going to give up just because—" Hena's voice rose with conviction.
"Hena."
"I promise you, Link—"
"Hena. I forgot you."
She broke off and sat back, squinting her eyes slightly in confusion. "You...what?"
"I didn't come back because I forgot." Once he said it, he had the urge to keep talking so as to delay her inevitable disappointment. "I forgot the fishing hole. I forgot peace. I forgot you."
Hena pursed her lips very slowly, and she absently ran her fingers over the edge of her healing water-soaked handkerchief. She became uncharacteristically quiet.
After a long, heavy pause, Link said softly, "I wanted to tell you. So you have no false hope in me. No expectations."
Hena was still silent. Link forced himself to look up into her face, searching her expression for some sign of her reaction. Her clear brown eyes were riveted on the cloth between her hands, but there was no sign of anger or betrayal in their depths. Eventually, she felt his gaze and let her eyes travel to meet his.
"Link," she said, and her tone was unreadable. She took a while to speak after pronouncing his name. "Whatever it is that you do with that big thing—" she gestured over her shoulder to indicate Link's sword, which leaned against the wall, "and that spiffy uniform of yours, it's obviously way bigger than me. I can see in your eyes that you carry a heavy burden. I don't blame you at all for not coming back." As she spoke, she leaned in, smoothing the hair off his brow with a gentle hand. "And besides, you were here when it mattered. I would be dead if you hadn't come strolling by, pretty boy. All I ask is that you stay here now and let me try to save you. I have a feeling the world is a better place with you in it. Now lie down and hush while I apply this."
She stood and leaned over him, dabbing the cloth once again into the healing water.
"This may sting."
...