Next chapter would have been 27th, but I'm bumping that up to the 24th for Christmas Eve.
Hope you enjoy!
[Words: 3204]
.
.
.
.
Chapter 4:
Off to Hateno
.
.
.
There were two things Impa said Lynk must remember:
1) To keep her spirits high whatever the cost.
2) It was okay to cry.
.
.
.
Lynk, clothed in a new collection simply called Hylian Travelling Set, ventures from Kakariko only to hunt down the few Shrines in the surrounding area, places where not many people would go without prompting so she didn't have to worry about encountering anyone.
From the top of the mountain she had scaled, feeling Wolfie's eyes on here even all this way up, Lynk catches her first view of one the giant Divine Beasts. This one looked to have partly submerged itself in a lake and was spewing water into the air, likely making it rain non-stop.
Whoever lived there must be having a hard time because that can't be good, she thinks—once Impa thought her skills suitable, Lynk knew she wanted to head that way straight away. It wasn't yet on her map, but Lynk could see the Tower and marked it on her Slate.
Stumbling across a Fairy Fountain on her way back surprises her and after paying one hundred rupees to her, Cotera happily enhances her clothes with some of the monster drops she had collected.
(Lynk said she'd be returning once she had brought the Sheikah clothes set—that would be really useful to have, especially having it enhanced.)
Some of the cute pink balls of light—Fairies, her brain supplies—decided they liked her and fluttered close by, brushing against her cheeks and Lynk giggled at the tickling.
She brings them with her, safely stored in the Slate in a Stasis Lock.
By the Shrine above Kakariko, Lynk and Wolfie spent the next hour resting after their constant adventuring. Lynk tugged her boots off and wiggled her toes, glad to be free of them.
Wolfie huffed at her in amusement. She pouted.
[Shoes do not feel comfortable.] She signed, and he huffed again, rolling his eyes. Rude.
[How about I go shoeless from now on?] She offered and without hesitation stored said shoes in the Slate. Wolfie stared at her for a handful of seconds before flopping down onto the ground, dumbfound.
After an uneventful rest, Lynk ends up back in the company of Impa, ready to learn more of her past.
.
.
.
She was fiddling with the charm, running her thumb over the purple gem. Lynk stared in what she knew to be a vain attempt to jog something within her mind. Even a hint of something, like why she had it to begin with would do.
Slumping with a heavy sigh, Lynk clenched the jewellery piece and slowly eased her way from the blankets and Wolfie's side. She quietly descended the stairs, hoping that some fresh air might help seeing as clearly, she wasn't going to be sleeping tonight.
What she didn't expect was to see a still awake Impa who silently sipped on some tea.
The Elder had put aside her large hat and had settled on one of the blue pillows instead of her red ones. It makes Impa look her true size.
"Ah, Lynk, awake, are we?" Impa looked up at her with knowing eyes and Lynk felt looked through. It made her chest tight and fingers tremble.
[Could not sleep.] She offered.
"Perhaps some ease of mind is needed?" Impa set her cup down and gestured for Lynk to sit beside her, "I am willing to answer to the best of my abilities any questions you may have, dear friend."
Lynk swallowed, rubbing her thumb across the gem again as she clutched it. With only a hesitant beat, Lynk sat and uncurled her fingers to show Impa the jewellery piece.
The Elder exhaled with clear sorrow etching itself across her aged face. "It was…from someone close to you."
Family jewellery? A best friend? A partner? Heirloom? There were many different ideas that flooded Lynk's mind at her words but…what sort of closeness did Lynk have with this person?
[What…] she hesitated, finding herself unsure, her fingers shaking against her will. [What sort of close?]
Impa bows her head with a weary sigh. Lynk felts a foreboding emotion swell up inside her chest and she clutched the jewellery piece tightly in her palm.
"Her name was Mipha…."
King Rhoam had spoken of a Mipha—she was a Zora, a Champion.
"Mipha was the pilot of the Divine Beast Vah Ruta. You grew up together," Impa hesitated and Lynk knows deep down in her bones Impa didn't want to tell her this; tell Lynk her relation to this Mipha. A deep ache festers, weighing down her heart. "Eventually, you grew to be more then friends."
Lynk…breathes. Fingers clenching and unclenching. Her eyes burn and yet—Lynk feels…nothing. Maybe it's a type of shock, grief—or maybe, Lynk just doesn't feel anything.
But the burning in her eyes should say otherwise.
…right?
Lynk doesn't find her breath suddenly short or horror panicking her thoughts.
Her mind is quiet. Too quiet.
She swallows and signs slowly. [Thank you for telling me.]
Impa stares at her in worry and sadness; like a part of her both did and didn't expect such a reaction.
—Lynk couldn't remember this Mipha, someone she had supposedly come to love more than platonically.
—Lynk couldn't recall that love she had supposedly felt.
—Lynk couldn't remember anything, nothing more than a rush of emotion that fades before she could even think of grasping at it to try and understand.
—Lynk is a blank slate.
…How does one mourn a woman you don't remember?
Simple: you don't, or perhaps can't is the more appropriate word.
Lynk can't mourn Mipha, and that hurts her more. It's selfish but Lynk doesn't care because Mipha is dead and Lynk is alive but with nothing but her name and even that she had been given.
Had there been no voice at her awakening—Lynk doubts she'd even realise she needed a name, once had a name.
A part of her feels that would have been easier.
Lynk quietly excuses herself from Impa's presences.
.
.
.
"..Duh…un'stand." she rasped, burying her face into Wolfie's fur, "Should…mourn, 'ight? But—can't. Don't…feeling anything. Is that selfish? That…ah can't and don't want to?"
She sat back and sniffled, pulling her legs close. Fuck it hurt—but she's disgusted with herself because even this isn't about Mipha, not truly. Lynk is disgusted with herself not because she isn't mourning Mipha but because she can't.
Wolfie exhaled and nuzzles his nose against her cheek. Lynk reaches out, running her trembling fingers through the tuffs of fur on his jaw.
It's late—well past the point everyone should be sleeping and yet here she was, half an hour after her conversation with Impa, crying her eyes out with only her canine companion as witness.
(Her companion that had come hunting for her only twenty minutes after she had left. Had she been in a better mood, Lynk would have comically wondered if Wolfie had sixth sense in regard to Lynk sneaking off.)
However, despite the exposure, despite the dangers—Lynk finds a comfort in the outdoors. A strange sensation of at home.
(Lynk thinks she shouldn't feel something like this. That this feeling isn't normal (but what is and isn't normal?) and still, Lynk discovers, she doesn't care. She likes the feeling—wants to embrace the wilderness around her, the crickets and fireflies. The owls and birds. The foxes, deer, bears and everything there is to see. The rustling of wind through leaves and grass…
Inside had its perks, sure, but Lynk finds she doesn't feel the cold much—the rain doesn't bother her anyway.)
"Something…wrong with me?"
Wolfie whined in a clear display of disapproval and yet…
…was this her punishment for failing a hundred years ago? That she's not allowed to mourn the deaths that she allowed to happen? It would be a fitting punishment.
Lynk looked out over quiet Kakariko Village, lit by the lanterns and fireflies. The few Sheikah guards didn't have far to go to keep watch but they did so silently. Lynk's envies their skills and hopes she can achieve something like that with practice.
Still, she's getting restless. Lynk had been here for five days—she had been awake, alive, living for a week already and as much as she's thankful for this chance to learn, Lynk's body is itching to get moving. Eager to see this world and free the Divine Beasts—they had caused enough suffering and knowing she could be doing something about it…
She's progressed far in her signing with Paya's teaching—despite her initial fluster around Lynk, Paya had shown to be a great teacher and it was something the granddaughter enjoyed greatly, having been a teacher to Koko and Cottla.
Paya, and subsequently Sheik as they were twins, was three years older than her at twenty.
(And yeah, Impa had been able to instil Lynk with the knowledge of her age…she's seventeen—a hundred and seventeen?—which was younger than she had originally guessed…by two years. It makes her…disgruntled but Lynk can't tell it's because she couldn't even guess her age correctly or that she was younger than she had thought.)
Paya propelled extremely well as a teacher and Lynk had seen Impa's proud look.
("W-well, you see," Paya started, smile shy and hesitant, "First meetings are…are not my forte. I get all shy and awkward and stumble all over my words! But thankfully once I get to know someone, it gets easier and the stutter goes away.")
Lynk hopes one day she could speak at least somewhat normally, even if that meant stuttering.
"Le…eve…'morrow," Lynk decided, fingers continuing to absently run through Wolfie's fur, "Gotta…help. Can't…stay much longer."
At least being comfortable enough to speak with Wolfie was slowly helping her voice improve. It ached horribly after a short while that Lynk's sure is because the lack of use and that would fade away in time.
Wolfie rumbles and nuzzled into her hands.
Lynk wishes he could talk.
.
.
.
"Lynk," Dorian approached her holding some sort of brown book with red markings, he held it out. Confused, Lynk took it, "This belonged to Leona. She put it together from everything she had managed to salvage after the Calamity in case she wasn't able to be here when you returned."
Oh, she mouthed.
"My apologies for not getting it to you sooner, it was at the bottom of a chest and I couldn't find it."
Lynk tucked it safely into the Slate and blinked back the burn in her eyes. [Thank you.]
Dorian dipped his chin. "You have no need to thank me."
.
.
.
Picking off stray Monsters as she made her way to Hateno felt right—especially when Lynk passes a travelling merchant. This led her to the third Tower which was covered in overgrown thorns. She burnt them all using an old torch she found by a discarded cooking pot.
Wolfie waited for her patiently down at the bottom and Lynk took several moments to look at all the places dotted on the new region. She was hit with a burst of excitement at the knowledge of an ocean. She was definitely going to make that a location to see—and all the other locations, can't forget about them!
Lynk leapt from the Tower and sailed down to Wolfie's side.
Reaching the bottom, the sun had passed midday and Lynk was happy to keep moving without stopping for food.
Something she had discovered quickly was Lynk didn't need to eat as much as others did. Or even sleep as much. It was concerning but Impa came to the theory that it was a result of the Shrine of Resurrection in an attempt to keep her alive while in stasis and now, it was an indicative sign of the changes her body had gone through via the Shrine.
Lynk doesn't know if she likes it or not yet—she still doesn't know her body ques. Tired? Feet don't hurt, so probably not. Hungry? Her stomach hasn't rumbled so she mustn't be.
She only really remembered to eat because Wolfie had taken it upon himself to be her reminder. He'd nudge at the Slate to tell her to eat. Nudge her ankles to rest…
At least Lynk was more inclined to drink water because of the dry feeling in her mouth…
What Lynk didn't expect is to get accosted by a dark-haired woman when Wolfie had wandered off after having smelt something—what she wasn't sure because before she could follow the woman had approached.
The woman smiled widely, eyeing Lynk's form, "I can tell you're trained your body well…I'd say…you're familiar with both sword and bow, correct? That's a good skill set. Why don't you join the Yiga Chan?"
Well shit, was the first thought Lynk had…she decided to play dumb. Maybe the woman would leave her alone as long as Lynk kept who she was a secret.
[Yiga Chan?]
The woman's eyes widened in shock, "What? You don't know?" She smiled—maybe beamed would be a better term? Lynk wasn't sure. "I'll tell you…The Yiga Chan…it's a powerful, brace group of warriors, founded by Master Kohga and dedicated to defeating a hero thought long dead." Between one second and the next, the woman bared her teeth, "I will take your life!"
With a puff of smoke, the woman had transformed—Lynk recognised the uniform immediately from what she'd been told of them. Lynk drew her sword and was taken back by all the quick movements from the woman.
It was only Wolfie darting out from the woods that gave Lynk the advantage she needed, slashed her sword across the woman's chest where she cried out and vanished in a puff of small, leaving behind several rupees and…bananas?
Oh well, Lynk shrugged and dropped the fruits into her Slate for a snack later.
Wolfie's huff made her turn to see the confused look in his eyes.
[Y-i-g-a.] she answered, and he growled. [Somehow, she recognised me. Do not know why.]
Still, Lynk would be more vigilant in the future with roadside lingering people. She had a feeling this would be a reoccurring theme from now on.
.
.
.
After a hesitant night at Hateno's Inn by Wolfie's demand—Lynk finds it's not as terrifying as she thought but still, she doesn't want to spend any more time in one than necessary. The building was open, no real privacy and so anyone could walk right up to her while she was in a vulnerable position.
The only reason she slept was because Wolfie had been there standing guard and Lynk knew no one would even think of trying anything with him sat there.
Up the long hill, was Hateno Research Lab as it was called on the Slate's map. The building was odd, to say the least. It looked to have once been a large mill with the wind blades long removed. A house had been built around the base of the windmill and further development at the top of the mill with wooden steps spieling around to the peak. A massive—telescope? Lynk was pretty sure that was the word—had been contrasted on the second landing, pointing southward.
At the very top of the windmill was a Guardian. Lynk doesn't know how or why it got up there but compared to the others she had seen, this one looked in better condition albeit deactivated.
A hand brushed along Wolfie's mane to temper her nerves and Lynk raised a fist and knocked.
There was a long beat before she heard movement and the door flung open to reveal a little girl around seven or eight. She was recognisably Sheikah with her white hair and shade of red eyes. She wore red round glasses and a strange looking golden contraption on her head that reminded Lynk of an owl's face.
Immediately as the girl saw Lynk's face, she sucked in a breath sharply before grinning, "Lynky!"
Lynk blinked.
"Finally, you're awake! Took you long enough!" The girl struck a pose, "You probably don't recognise me but I'm Purah, snap!"
Lynk blinked again…this was Purah? But…
At Lynk's blank stare, Purah wilted with a pout, "What's with the blank look?"
[I do not have any memories.]
Purah's eyes widened comically large. "Really?! Well! I'm so shocked I don't know if I'll ever be able to recover from this!" she pouted, "Even though, a hundred years ago, I was part of the group to take you to the Shrine of Resurrection after Calamity Ganon fatally wounded you…you still don't remember me?"
Lynk shook her head.
Purah hummed, pottering back to the table in the middle of the room where she picked up a quill, "Hmm…as expected. After a hundred years in the Slumber of Restoration, subject…has…lost…all…memories. Noted!"
Lynk deadpanned as Purah jerked back to look at her with a sheepish grin, "Oh, sooooorry…I have a bad habit of taking notes rather abruptly like that. It's a charming quirk, isn't it? Anyhoo…do you have any questions for me?"
[Why are you a child?]
"How rude! Just asking someone why they're a child!" She huffed before trailing off, "Hm, or perhaps it's not rude at all…I suppose that's actually a rather logical question to jump to. The truth is, I look this way because of a failed experiment. Well, I say 'failed', but…in some ways, it was a success. I documented the full affair in my diary upstairs—BUT! The whole thing is embarrassing, so I insist you refrain from reading it!"
Lynk is gonna read it.
"Anyway, back to the topic at hand! You must have a reason for coming here, yes?"
Lynk nodded. [Impa informed me that there are things missing from the Slate.]
"What sort of things?"
Lynk unhooked the Slate from her hip and held it out for Purah to take, which she did. Lynk watched as Purah flicked this way and that, seeming to know every little thing about it. Then she frowned.
"Huh, I've never seen these Runes before. Remote bombs, Stasis, Cryonis, Magnesis…how curious."
[They were added to the Slate when I entered the four Shrines on the Great Plateau. Impa said that I was missing a Rune called a Camera?]
"Yeah, the Camera Rune is missing, along with all the photos Princess Zelda took a hundred years ago!"
[Impa has hope that visiting these locations may help me remember.] Lynk explained and Purah nodded.
"They might knock something loose in that scrambled brain of yours—epp!" Purah squeaked as she finally noticed Wolfie sitting calmly behind Lynk. "How long have you been there?!"
Lynk turned to look at her canine companion who huffed. Lynk turned back to Purah. [The entire time?]
"Well, aren't you a big boy!" she cooed, reaching out to scratch him behind the ear. Comically, Purah had to reach up on her tip toes to do so. "I've never seen a wolf your size or with such patterning before!"
Wolfie snorted, looking none too pleased at all the cooing.
"And grumpy!" Purah giggled.
Slight different Purah introduction, but I hope she's in character lol, Purah has to be one of my favourites.