Paya helped clean Oro's wound, rebandaging it. Once she'd gotten used to his playful flirting, Paya began to grow more confident around him. It didn't take long for her to realize that Link held his full attention. He even reached and squeezed his hand as he held in a shout of pain when she stitched the wound.
"Don't be a baby," She had teased, making Link smirk to Oro.
The man huffed, looking to the Hylian and muttered, "I better get a damn kiss out of this." LInk just rolled his eyes and squeezed his hand back, giving Oro something to focus on.
They helped him out of the bed the inn provided and he leaned into Link as they headed outside. "Thank you. Both of you."
"Don't worry about it. I'm sorry for this, but we need to get up some stairs," Paya said apologetically, leading her to her grandmother's home. Oro groaned at that, making Link snicker. "Master Link, don't tease him, please. He's still growing."
"Wait! I'm not a kid! I'm just short," He huffed, pouting. This made his new friends laugh harder as he limped between them. Link adjusted, bumping his arm against the back of his leg. Oro blinked and wrapped his arms around his neck and Link easily lifted him, carrying him up the steps. "Whoa!" Oro yelped and hid his face against Link's neck.
"Are you alright?" Paya asked worriedly. She blinked as she saw his ears turning red. She smiled and led Link up the steps and into the home. "I'm back, Grandmother."
The old woman smiled then blinked as she saw Link gently setting down the Hylian. "And you brought a new friend and an old one," She chuckled. Link led Oro in as Paya got Oro a few pillows to sit on. He thanked her softly as the woman studied him. "So you're the Lynel boy I've heard about."
Oro straightened and nodded, adjusting to his best ability as he got comfortable. "Yes, ma'am."
She chuckled, looking to Link. "Reminds me of when I first met you. Awkward but polite." Link frowned, tilting his head. The woman smiled. "Link here suffers from amnesia. At the moment, we've only just figured out how to solve the problem. I assume you went to the gate before you ran into the boy?" She asked.
Oro glanced over, seeing Link swallowing the lump before he began to sign. Paya sighed and tapped Oro's shoulder. "The memory was before the Calamity happened. They were meeting with the champions after Princess Zelda tried to awaken the sealing powers that were said to be inside her when it began."
The bard frowned. "The Calamity but that..." It struck him all at once before he looked to Link. "Not named after him." Link nodded, confirming. "But that was-"
"One hundred years ago," The woman said, moving from her cushions. She walked slowly to a chest nearby and sighed. "You see, Link was resting in a small temple on The Great Plateau. There, his wounds from the battle were healed. However, such a long slumber...I assume Purah came to a conclusion?" She asked turning to Link as she pulled out something wrapped in fabric.
Link nodded and signed. Paya translated for Oro. "Purah guesses such a long slumber might've wiped his memories. He still remembers a few things, but mostly things like skills and the like. Couldn't even remember his name." She sighed sadly, looking to the hero.
Oro frowned and squeezed his shoulder gently. When Link met his gaze, Oro said, "But you remembered something. That means you can remember the rest. Before you know it, it'll all come back."
"I like this boy," The old woman chuckled, approaching. She gave Link the wrapped item before returning to her cushions. "I didn't want to give you this until you remembered something. Admittedly, I'd feared it would overwhelm you. I do hope you'll forgive me for such a thing."
Link blinked and unwrapped it, revealing a blue tunic. Oro smiled. "I remember reading about that tunic. That design is modeled after the sword that seals the darkness. The princess made it for her appointed knight. It's meant to be a symbol of his status." Link raised an eyebrow as a small smirk drew over his lips. Oro rolled his eyes. "Hush, you. I'm a bard. I studied all the songs about you. Or what little there was."
The old woman hummed. "Maybe you should write the songs then," She suggested, smiling softly. "I'm sure Link could use the company on his journey."
Oro blushed and looked to her then to Link. He nodded, smiling broadly at Oro. He blushed more. "Okay, don't smile like that at me. I might actually fall in love with you."
Paya and the old woman laughed heartily at that as Link snickered. Oro pouted at that and the woman finally said, "You should consider it. I have a feeling it'd be good for Link to have someone to travel with. Think of it as being there for every moment the story unfolds."
Oro hummed then smiled. "Actually, yeah. That'll be fun. But only if Link is actually okay with it." Link nodded frantically, making Oro smiled. "Thank you, ma'am."
"I'm Impa, dear." Oro gawked and blushed. "Hm? What is it?"
"I'm meeting all sorts of legends today-Impa, as in Lady Impa? As in the Sheikah who taught the princess the history of Hyrule? Oh wow. I'm sorta getting flustered from all this fame around me."
Impa laughed heartily at that, making Paya smile. It'd been a long time since she'd heard a laugh like that from her. She then adjusted, looking to Link. "Well, it'll be good to wait until his leg is healed up before you take off. Where will you be heading first?"
Link hummed and took out the slate, pulling up the map of Hyrule with some waypoints marked. Oro frowned. "It's incomplete," He noted.
Paya nodded. "Link has to access the towers that appeared all over Hyrule to add the regions to his map. But-" She got up and grabbed an extra map she kept, comparing the two with Link. "This area is closer."
Oro looked over it and beamed. "The Zora's Domain." Link looked up at that. "The Zora are the fish folk of Hyrule. They're incredible and graceful, and their buildings are a thing of beauty."
Link smiled and nodded to Paya. "Alright then," She said, pointing to spots on the map. "Your best bet is to go west from the village over Inogo bridge and follow the road. You'll be going through the wetlands, which are riddled with monsters, mostly Lizalfos. Please be careful when you travel through there."
Link nodded as Oro said, "We will, Miss Paya. Don't worry about a thing."
"Well, I'm going to worry. You need to heal first and Link needs supplies too. Maybe you both rest a few days before making the trip."
Link hummed in agreement, making Oro stare. The hero raised an eyebrow curiously. "You're mute, but by choice, right?" Link nodded. "I gotta know: Do you remember why or is it just instinctual now?"
Link blinked and moved his lips as he thought. Impa smirked as Paya looked to Link in worry. "I knew this would be a good match," The old woman cooed, making the boys look to her. "Oh, never mind me. I'm just an old woman blathering on."
The next several days were a bit of a blur, a mix of pain on Oro's part what with healing his leg and slowly putting weight on it, and patience on Link's part. He spent a small amount of time meditating and training with a few of the older Sheikah, all crooning about how young they felt sparring with the legendary hero and even being able to knock him down a few times. Oro smiled as he watched Link sparring and relearning his body.
There were even quiet moments at the inn when Link would teach Oro some sign so that he might better understand the hero. Oro slowly began to understand. Having said that, there were days when Link would be signing something excitedly, usually about something he'd found just outside the village while gathering ingredients for any possible meals later on and Oro would have to remind him to slow down or just grab his hands entirely to make him stop. Link would just smile sheepishly and repeat the gestures slowly for him.
Link even woke up on a few nights, listening to Oro absently strumming a song and jotting down notes as he whispered a song. He smiled, listening in. All the while, he couldn't help but wonder what nightmares had wakened him that first night in Kakariko. He decided to ask about it later, knowing that some things were left to later times.
A week had finally passed and just before sunrise, Link got on his horse, Oro slipping behind him. Paya saw them off, reminding them off the path that was needed to take and their journey began.
