The squeals and growls of the bokoblin pack fell silent as the glowing blue ball rolled to a stop between them. One bokoblin approached it with a curious growl and sniffed. The bomb detonated.

The blast vibrated through Farrow's boots as she watched all five bokoblins get blown back by the blast and land in the river with a splash. Each flailed and splashed in the river, getting swept yards downstream before they burst into clouds of calamity.

Farrow tightened her grip on Kazim's reigns as the horse whinnied and paced back a step. Kazim had done remarkably well considering the bomb's power and volume, but these last few blasts had tested his nerve. Even seconds after the tremors of the blast had ended, tiny streams of dust streamed down the cliff walls and onto the path. Once the dust had settled and the last pebbles had clattered down the rock face, Link waved them forward.

Link rounded the next turn in the path with a bomb already summoned and ready in his hand. Once he did, his shoulders relaxed and he dismissed the bomb. Farrow joined him a second later.

Just down the road, the pass opened into the wide fields of Blatchery Plain. Wind rolled through the grass, making the blades flash in the sunlight. The river twisted across the plain and into the forest at the base of the distant mountains.

"We did it," Farrow said, coming to stand beside Link. "The road from here to outskirts stable is short and safe."

Link gave her a relieved smile and minutes later they stepped out of the shadows of Twin Peaks and onto the sunlit path. Kazim shook his mane out, seemingly relieved to be out of the pass.

"So," Farrow said as she spotted the bridge coming into view, "you said you're going to Kakariko Village?"

Link nodded.

"How are you going to get there?"

Link raised an eyebrow and pointed north, in the vague direction of the village. Farrow took that to mean he intended to walk there.

"Yes, well, how are you going to get through the maze?"

Link frowned and made a quick sign. Farrow thought she caught the sign for 'what.'

"Kakariko Village is hidden in a maze of cliffs and plateaus. Do you know the way through?" Farrow had never been to Kakariko Village. she'd never had the need. The Sheikah were always born with white hair and they wore it proudly. But she'd seen the entrance to the area, and heard other travelers speak of the winding paths and cliffs that surrounded the hidden town. They were a mysterious people, and Farrow only knew as much as she did about them because of her conversations with Purah.

Their boots thudded against the wood planks of the bridge as they stepped onto it. Link glared the silhouettes of the cliffs to the north and sighed.

"I take it you don't know the way?" Farrow asked.

Link shook his head.

"Why do you need to go there? You said you need to talk to Impa but, from what I hear they're not exactly . . . welcoming." There was a reason the Sheikah hid their village and trained their children to fight. They had a decades long blood feud with the Yiga clan, and it made them warry of visitors. None had been attacked, that Farrow had heard of, but they had been firmly turned away if they managed to get too close to the village. A very few trusted traders were let in, but Farrow suspected they were sworn to secrecy.

Link took out the sketchbook and wrote 'I have to get advice from Impa. It's important I meet her.' Link put the book away and glanced back in the Twin Peaks pass. Farrow guessed he was thinking of the tower, and its ability to make maps.

Farrow considered the mountains in the distance. "Well, you could go back and get a map. But even if you know the way in, I'm not sure they'd let you in. But, I'm heading to Hateno Village and there's a Sheikah scientist named Purah who lives there. I know she has a way to contact Kakariko. Maybe if I introduced you she could help."

Link's eyes lit up and he nodded. He signed 'thank you,' and smiled.

Farrow returned the smile and waved away the thanks. "No problem. I'm heading there anyway. And if we go together it will make the both of us a bit safer, too." Farrow glanced back at Kazim. "Although, if we want to keep our pace up, we'll need to get you a horse."

Link took the book back out and wrote 'Where do I buy one?'

Farrow smirked. "That's the best part. You catch it yourself."

Link's eyebrows rose in alarm as his gaze flicked up to Kazim.

Farrow laughed. "Don't worry, I'll teach you. There's a trick to it that'll make it easier than you're thinking."

Relaxing slightly, Link nodded. The rise and fall of many voices grew as they approached the stable. The smells of hay and horses drift to them on the breeze and a dog barked in the distance. Fires dotted the area and smoke rose into the air.

Farrow and Link passed a group of men sat around a fire. One of them stood on a log, his arms held out wide as he recounted a story. The man said something as he made a swiping motion with his hand and the group burst into roaring laughter. A young girl ran past Link, her black braids bouncing as she pulled along a goat by its lead. She stared at Link as she passed, no doubt eyeing his hair.

Farrow realized Link was watching the scene with eyes wide with wonder. His focus darted from the people to the animals to the stable building. It was as if he'd never seen this before. Farrow pulled her gaze away from him and to the stable desk as they approached.

She rapped a fist against the wooden desk and a moment later a stable hand appeared behind it. The stout woman gave Farrow a beaming smile. "Ah, Farrow dear! Good to see you. You'll be staying the night with us, I assume?"

Farrow grinned. "Good to see you too Lonie. Yes, I will. Two beds though." She nodded to Link, who gave the woman a shy wave.

"Sure thing dear," Lonie said. A quick exchange of rupees and Kazim was led away to enjoy a night of rest and oats. "You have beds three and four." Lonie marked down something her book and waved. "Have a nice stay."

"Thanks," Farrow waved and they stepped away from the counter. Raising a hand, she checked the sun. "Alright. Plenty of daylight left. Let's get you a horse."

Link jumped and spun to face her. He made a frantic signal.

Farrow shook her head. "I don't understand that one."

Link whipped out the sketchbook and wrote, 'now?'

Farrow laughed. "Yes, now. These plains are the perfect place to get a horse. There are plenty of herds here and Lonie will give you a fair price on riding gear." Farrow paused. "Ah, sorry. Do you have about twenty rupees?" She hadn't thought about Link's finances, but considering the worn out boots and too small shirt he wore, maybe she should have.

His worried look fading, Link nodded and pulled out his slate. Before Farrow could say anything, he'd tapped the slate, upturned it, and three rubies fell from it and dropped into the dirt at his feet.

Farrow stared at the gems, winking in the sun. She looked to Link, who stared at her expectantly. Then her mind finally caught up with the situation and she dropped to scoop up the gems and shove them back into his hands. He fumbled them, his expression startled.

She hissed a whisper, "Don't—How—Don't just pull those out here!" She glanced back as she pulled Link around the side of the stable and out of view of most of the people there. No one seemed to be looking their way, but there was no way to be sure.

Once around the corner, Farrow faced Link. He wore a baffled expression, the gems and the slate clutched awkwardly in both arms.

"Okay," Farrow took a deep breath, "you'll have no problem getting riding gear, but don't show those off, okay? First of all, it lets anyone who might mug you know you have money, and secondly, that slate is going to draw attention. In places like this, try to keep that subtle."

Link watched her with a serious expression, nodding along with her explanation. By the time she was done, he was already placing the rubies back into the slate. Farrow watched as the face of the slate glowed blue and Link dropped in the gems into it like stones into a pond. When he was done, the slate faded to black once again. It was as if it was a bag with limitless capacity. Farrow stared at the slate for a long time, trying to figure out how it was possible, before she decided it wasn't something she'd be able to comprehend.

As Farrow watched Link return the slate to his belt, it occurred to her how much he didn't know. The way he'd taken in the stable, it was like he'd never been to one before. And he could have been nervous, but his reaction to meeting Kazim had been similar. Link knew how to fight, but had no concept of hiding his valuables. And she'd been the one to explain to him why blonde hair was a problem.

Farrow glanced around as she moved further towards the back of the stable, waving for Link to follow. She led them to the back fence of the sheep pen. The closest person was a girl on the other side of the pen minding the livestock, but she was well out of ear shot and busy mucking out the enclosure.

Farrow turned to Link. "Where are you from?"

Link's eyes widened a fraction and he glanced away from her.

"You don't have to tell me," Farrow said. "But I get the feeling you're new to a lot of things." The most reasonable explanation she could think of was that Link had been raised in isolation. Maybe once his parents realized they had a blonde baby boy, they'd moved somewhere hidden from people and monsters to raise him in safety. It seemed like a dramatic way to handle something that could have been concealed with a hat or some dye, but even with those measures, accidents happened. Maybe Link's parents wanted to avoid even the smallest chance of an attack.

Link scuffed the dirt with his boot and shoved his thumbs in his pockets. He didn't meet her gaze. Just when Farrow was about to tell him not to worry about it, he took out the sketchbook. He wrote 'I don't know.'

Farrow read it twice to be sure before glancing at his face. He stared at the dirt and wouldn't meet her gaze.

Farrow grimaced. "You don't know the name, or you don't know the place."

Link nodded on the second option.

Frowning, Farrow spoke. "I don't think I understand."

Link frowned at the notebook as he wrote again. 'I don't have my memories. I woke up on the Great Plateau and I don't remember anything before that."

Farrow straightened and blew out a slow breath. In that first moment, she was skeptical, but she thought about all the reasons she'd asked Link where he was from and realized; they fit his explanation. She heard of people who hit their head and suddenly forgot who they were. They could talk and walk and do basic things, but specific memories were lost.

"Is that why you need to see Impa?" Farrow asked. "She can help you with your memories?"

Link nodded.

"Well," Farrow said, "that's another reason to visit Purah. She functions as the village doctor. Maybe she can take a look at you."

'You believe me?' Link wrote, his expression hopeful.

"Yeah. I mean I doubted it a bit, but it explains how you didn't know about the hair thing, and some other stuff." And Farrow was sure his reaction to being told about blonde hair was genuine. She'd seen the blood drain from his face, and as far as she knew, people couldn't fake that.

Link's shoulders slumped in relief. 'Thank you,' he signed.

"Don't thank me for that," Farrow grumbled. "Thank me when you catch a horse." She elbowed him and grinned. "You ready?"

Link grimaced, but nodded reluctantly.

"Oh don't worry," Farrow pushed off from the fence and walked out into the field. "You'll do great, and probably make a great friend."

Link brightened a bit and followed her. 'How,' he signed.

"The key," Farrow said, "is not getting kicked in the head."

Link glared at her.

"Kidding—I'm kidding." Farrow waved a hand with a grin. "Sort of. Seriously don't get kicked. But I'll give you a few apples and teach you how to sneak up on one. It's easy, you'll see."

Link only looked half convinced but he continued to follow her. They reached the top of one of the gentle hills on the plain and Farrow shielded her eyes. "There," she pointed to a distance heard of horses grazing near the tree line. "Take a look and tell me if you see one you like. Don't pick one that has a foal, though."

Link squinted and followed her gaze. He examined the herd for nearly a minute, before nodding.

Farrow grinned. "Let's go."