"Do they train you all to be idiots?!"

Link stood aghast, not sure what to make of the livid researcher standing before him. He had been worried when walking into the lab to find Robbie pacing back and forth with alarming speed and further away from the tank than was normal. Purah stood off to the side, looking up from her clipboard to observe the two men.

"Well, do they?!"

Link gave the man a half shake of his head, still too confused and nervous to truly understand.

In a flash, Purah was standing next to Robbie. She placed a hand on his forearm, drawing his attention as she handed over her clipboard. "Why don't you finish up," she said quietly. "I'll get him up to speed and make sure he… knows."

Link frowned as his eyes flicked between the two. Made sure he knew what?

Robbie looked like he was about to argue; however, he suddenly deflated. "Very well." The man looked down at the clipboard with an irritable sigh as he started taking agitated notes.

"... Forgive him," Purah said quietly as they both watched the lead researcher grumbling even as he continued scribbling a few things. "There was an incident earlier today with… Sir Roderick."

Though the pause was short, Link didn't miss it. Nor did he miss the slightly sour note when she said "sir." The squire clenched his jaw as he considered all the things that his mentor might have done. The knight had a superiority streak to rival many of the most infamous knights, and that ego somehow allowed him to often treat others thoughtlessly or even outright cruelly. When he had first taken Link on as his squire, he had made it quite clear to Link and Impa that it was a charity case.

Link had no doubt that he also didn't want to train a knight that would surpass himself.

The squire started looking around for something to communicate with, but Purah quickly stopped him.

"The details aren't important, kay?" She sighed, rubbing her temples as she looked back at Robbie. "Suffice it to say it was bad, and now Robbie's research has been set back a couple of weeks at least."

"Don't forget about your own career," Robbie called as he nearly slammed his notes down. "No matter how faultless you are, the academy is only going to care about the end result, and you are far too promising to remain an assistant forever."

Purah took a deep breath, rubbing her temple as she looked back at Link with a single eye. "Because of that, we're worried that she may be more aggressive right now, especially toward her guards. I know you have some sort of… bond with her, but for your safety, we need you to keep your distance."

The sinking feeling in Link's gut only worsened. What could have happened to upset her so much? He had never believed she could be very happy and he had seen her reserved, but she had never struck him as outright hostile.

Purah stepped forward, wearing an unusually stern frown. "Impa has told me how much you like to help out in situations like these, and normally that would be appreciated but please, for once, let someone else handle it."

Link didn't respond.

The assistant sighed with a grimace. "I swear to…" She closed her eyes, appearing to summon the last vestiges of patience she had left. "If you get hurt, you're going to have to take care of it yourself. And don't you dare die."

Link nodded.

"I see now why Impa always said you were such a handful." Purah chuckled ruefully. "See you in the morning."

The squire watched as the two scientists stalked out of the lab, muttering angrily amongst themselves as they left.

Turning back toward the tank, Link felt his feet grow heavier with every step, but he still made it to the water's edge. Taking a moment to eye the chains, he noticed that they were far, far too still. Seeing them hang against the wall lifelessly did nothing to help feel more at ease. By now, they should have been rife with activity.

He knelt, looking into the depths for any signs of the amphibian. At first, all he saw were a few, small, energetic fish darting around about halfway down; however, as his eyes adjusted, he noticed the barest hint of red at the bottom. Squinting, he watched the little patch of red he could for a few seconds. To his dismay, the amphibian remained stationary.

Ordinarily, he would have assumed she was asleep, but Robbie and Purah's behavior made him wonder.

He watched for a few seconds more before digging out a green rupee. Moving so he could drop it as close to her as possible, he released the gem.

Link stared as it sank to the bottom of the tank. Thankfully, the amphibian's temporary tank mates didn't attempt to ingest the rupee. Considering what all he had seen them attempt to eat in the past, it was a pleasant surprise.

Unfortunately, his relief was short-lived as she remained motionless at the bottom of the tank. And, even as he continued to watch, she remained where she was.

The only thing that kept him from diving down to check that she was still alive was that he caught the barest hint of movement.

Link's heart sank a little as he concluded that she didn't want anything to do with him. He couldn't blame her for it, seeing as whatever had happened was due to his mentor's actions. Even if she didn't know the relationship between him and Roderick, she probably didn't care much for his kind right then. And, of course, she needed time to herself. To recover from whatever physical and emotional harm had been done.

He would just have to wait.

Slowly, he climbed to his feet and wandered toward the closet where the lab's cleaning supplies were kept. Grabbing a broom, he saw to cleaning up the lab. As always, the monotony of the work helped to steady his nerves. Of course, even being as meticulous as ever, he couldn't entirely set aside his concerns. As a result, he caught himself casting glances toward the tank at regular intervals, hoping to at least catch a glimpse of the amphibian.

She didn't appear.

Knowing that it would only do more harm than good to get caught up in his worries, the squire continued with his nightly tasks. So, he carried on, continuing to glance at the tank at regular intervals. And his heart grew heavier and heavier as she still failed to come to the surface.

In short order, he finished his tasks, leaving him with more free time than he had planned for. It was funny, he had almost forgotten how much free time he actually had during his shifts. Of course, it was only darkly humorous.

Still, he had thought that bringing one of his books, along with the list of possible names, would help inspire his efforts. It was far from how he had imagined it going; however, he figured that being able to introduce herself might help improve her mood.

Of course, she would actually have to speak with him to learn it…

Assuming he found a suitable one, of course.

Considering that, Link wasted no more time. Setting the book on the floor, he began taking notes in earnest. He was so enthralled with his current goal that he almost didn't notice the quiet gurgling. But, of the many things he had been taught, one of the most important was keeping his senses attuned.

Looking up, he cast his gaze around with a confused frown. It wasn't until he heard the sound again that he realized where it was coming from. Turning toward the tank, he found the amphibian floating on the surface.

Lurching to his feet, the Hylian ambled toward her. Even in his relief, he noticed that she wouldn't look at him. As he drew near, he noticed that she shrank back.

So he stopped. Taking a moment to think, he decided to not look directly at her. Perhaps it would help set her at ease.

After an awkward silence that left Link itching to do something other than stand there staring at the wall, she gurgled again. Taking that as his cue, he started his approach once again, this time with greater care.

He couldn't tell if she shrank back from him anymore as he knelt at the water's edge.

Again, there was a long pause before she finally swam to him. He could only just see her hand reach out, and heard the clink of something being set on the floor. Looking down as her hand withdrew, he saw the rupee he had dropped.

The amphibian made to sink below the surface silently; however, Link held out a hand, silently asking her to wait.

To his surprise, she stopped. Finally looking at her, or what he could see of her, Link could see the pain in her eyes.

He felt a flash of anger, which he very quickly stamped out. What followed after was a deep well of compassion for someone with whom he shared something in common. There was little, if anything he could do to help ease her pain, but there was one idea that occurred to him.

Moving carefully and deliberately, he reached out to her.

She shied away.

But he didn't relent.

Motioning for her to come closer, he remained patient as the wary amphibian looked below the surface.

The squire was sure she would simply dive back down and return to her spot at the bottom of the tank. But she surprised him by drawing closer.

With a deep breath and comforting gesture, Link brushed aside his nerves and reached out again. He was sure to not make any sudden movements as he did so.

Reaching into the water, he took hold of her arm. He could feel her fighting the urge to shy away again just as he saw it in her eyes and fidgeting.

And still, he persevered.

Gently, he pulled her up so her upper torso was above the water. Then, leaning over to meet her halfway, he wrapped his arms around her.

She remained stiff as a plank of wood. And then he began rubbing her back, being sure not to brush her scales the wrong way as he did.

Slowly, she conformed to him, wrapping her arms around him. Though he wore a decently thick tunic, he could feel the tips of her claws almost poking through the fabric. As her grip on him tightened, he held her tighter.

She buried her face in his chest, a shuddering breath wracking her body.

Link continued to hold her, listening to and feeling what he could only assume were quiet sobs. Even as his back complained about his load and orientation, he made no attempt to rush her. Whatever had happened had clearly shaken her, and he had no doubts that she hadn't had anyone to comfort her. Hadn't had anyone who she could safely release all that pent-up emotion to.

So he held her.

Eventually, she quieted down, and her grip on him relaxed. Link allowed her to separate at her own pace, doing his best to match her.

It took another few minutes but, eventually, they released each other. To his relief, she was finally looking at him again. And though a heavy shadow still hung over her eyes, it had dissipated just a bit.

He gazed at her, thinking of all the things he wished to say or ask. Unfortunately, she wouldn't be able to understand a word of it.

So he asked the only question he could.

"Salmon?"

She shook her head, pointing down then making a wiggling gesture with her hand.

Link gave her a small smile and a nod. Grabbing his green rupee, he pocketed the gem as he got to his feet. With a few quick gestures, he motioned for her to go eat.

She nodded slowly, staring at him in a curious manner. Link was certain that just like himself, there was quite a bit that she wanted to say, but didn't quite know how.

As she slipped below the surface, Link returned to his book and his notes; however, he was too distracted to make much headway. Rather, he was focused on how he could teach her how to sign. She had proven to be very receptive to it and a quick learner to boot.

The only problem was, how was he supposed to get started? Now that he was considering the process of learning language, he was beginning to realize that he had taken the ease with which he understood Hyrulean for granted. Maybe Impa or Rusl would have some insight. Telma might even have a word or two of wisdom, though he had a feeling she would try to get as much information out of him as she could. Though he couldn't be sure, something told him the woman had a strong intuition and was good at getting her way. But, he still trusted her, especially since Rusl spoke highly of her.

He shook his head, refocusing his thoughts on what was more important. Obviously, he would need physical objects as a point of reference, but how was he supposed to sneak them in? Maybe he could get a few small things in, but that would still risk unwanted attention and lead to questions he didn't care to answer.

And that was when a thought occurred to him. Perhaps there was a way to get the visual aids he would need into the lab without drawing unwanted attention.

"Will Impa be joinin' us?"

Link shook his head, indicating that she would be eating at Telma's.

"Shame," Rusl murmured as he donned his apron and gloves. "Uli rather likes her." The man paused for a moment to size him up. "Rough night?"

Link nodded.

"Ah, that makes sense then. Telma mentioned the guards were rowdier than usual. Apparently, they even let a few things slip," he grunted, shaking his head in disdain. "I guess they managed to drive most of Telma's business away before they started talkin' about what goes on in the lab. And it sounds like most of the other patrons had the good sense to leave."

Link frowned, troubled by the news. Surely, once Roderick found out about the knights' indiscretion, there would be trouble. Even if none of the patrons had stayed, the guards would have to acknowledge new potential security threats.

Which of course meant that overnight security would likely encompass more than Impa and himself. That would of course make things more difficult than they already were. Even if his friendship with amphibian hadn't been impacted by his mentor's behavior, there was still the communication barrier that was becoming more and more troubling to him. Trying to teach someone who had no concept of Hyrulean the language was a difficult prospect in itself. Trying to sneak in those lessons around other guards would be next to impossible unless he was the only one in the lab.

Hopefully, Robbie would be able to intervene in some way.

With a sigh, Link donned his own apron and gloves.

As usual, working in a forge helped to improve his mood considerably. Even the normally miserable heat ironically helped to lift his spirits, and the physical demands made it difficult to focus on anything other than the tools he held.

As much as he wanted to ask Rusl's opinions on his plans, he was grateful for the lack of conversation. Even as he directed his energy to the metal he worked, he was passively aware of his mind continuing to mull the issue over in the background. It was an exceedingly good thing, as it allowed him to better formulate the question he wanted to ask.

"What's on yer mind today?" Rusl had a knowing smile on his face as he hung his apron on its hook. He reclined on a stool, eyeing Link expectantly as the squire finished replacing his equipment.

"How did you teach Colin to speak?"

Rusl blinked. After a pregnant pause, he reached up and scratched his thin beard. "Talk? I think he just picked it up as we talked to him." He fell silent, a wistful smile on his face. "I think the books we read him may have helped." His smile faded, and he stared at Link with a raised brow. "Are you and Impa…"

Link shook his head emphatically, crossing his arms out in front of his body. He could feel heat creeping up his face. He really should have thought this through more.

"You and…"

He shook his head again, face growing redder by the second. "I'm-no- that's not-"

"Slow down," Rusl chided. "I'm having trouble followin'."

Link took a deep breath, calming his overly excited hands and tried again. "I'm not having a kid."

"Good. I'm sure you'd make a fine father, but I hope you wait a few years."

Link nodded his agreement. In truth, he didn't want kids. It wasn't that he didn't like them, in fact, their honesty and innocence was often refreshing. He didn't have to wonder what they were really thinking as they said it. And their questions born out of pure desire to understand sometimes helped him to feel a tad more connected to the world. They most certainly had their moments of cruelty just like any other human, but that didn't change what he appreciated about them on the whole.

And, of course, they knew how to have fun.

No, his issue was not a dislike of children. It was that the thought that whatever affliction caused his muteness could be passed on to them. It was a saddening thought, but he considered it better to quietly give up a small dream like that to prevent more needless suffering.

"So, it's somethin' I'm better off not knowin' too much about?"

Link nodded.

Rusl scratched at his beard again as he stared at the table thoughtfully. "Well… I think yer best bet would be picture books. I'd offer you some of Colin's old ones, but Uli's due soon."

"That's okay," Link replied. "Could get confiscated."

The blacksmith stared at him warily for a long moment. "Ya've got a good heart, kid. Just make sure it doesn't outpace yer head too much."

Link frowned inquisitively.

"I'm sayin' do what you have to. Just make sure yer smart about it." He leaned forward, setting a hand on Link's shoulder. "If things get bad, let Telma know."

Link's frown deepened, but he offered no words of explanation.

"Just trust me kid." Climbing to his feet, the man gestured toward the door. "Let's head inside. Food should be ready soon."

Link yawned as he finished preparing his and Impa's breakfast.

"Stay up too late?"

Link smirked as Impa was forced to speak around a yawn of her own. "A little," he admitted. Even after taking time to pick up a few picture books, he had decided to stay up for another couple hours to continue his search for a suitable name for the amphibian. When he couldn't remember whether or not he had found any names worth recording after getting home, he made a mental note to check his list later. He had either been dissatisfied with everything he had seen or had let his standards drop considerably.

"You sure you're not pushing yourself too hard?"

Link shook his head. Sure, he was struggling to keep his eyes open, but that was par for the course when it came to waking up. The squire could count on one hand the number of times he had woken up gracefully, and those had involved drills run during training. By this point, he would have thought that was how one was supposed to wake up, had it not been for the people around him constantly commenting on it.

Hylia knew Impa loved to tease him about it every once in a while. Or to try and pressure him into taking better care of himself.

But, unfortunately for her, she was just as bad as he was. In fact, she often went to bed earlier and rose later, and she still struggled to wake up. And that was something he had no problems with reminding her of.

"You?"

"I'm fine," she grunted. "Not a fan of these overnight shifts though…"

"Yeah. Doesn't seem to be helping your beauty sleep." He laughed as she tried to glare at him but could only manage a pout instead.

"You're the worst."

"I know."

She huffed as he smirked at her. Turning her attention to the plate of warm eggs and bread before her, she pointedly ignored him as she began to eat in earnest. Enjoying his small victory, Link helped himself to his plate just as voraciously as his friend. It seemed that despite how he had piled food onto their dishes, it was gone in a matter of seconds. Almost in sync, the two let out sad sighs as they stacked their dirty dishes on the counter, finished preparing for their shifts, and left their home behind.

"What was that package you grabbed?" Impa asked as they let the tavern's door swing shut behind them.

"A book."

"And you felt the need to hide a book in your tunic?"

Link said nothing as they walked along in the twilight.

Without warning, Impa started snickering quietly. "You're planning on reading to her, aren't you?"

Link nodded.

"I'm surprised it took you this long," Impa said, voice still unsteady from barely suppressed laughter.

He frowned at her.

"What? I'm pretty sure you would read to a spider if you thought it would help."

His frown deepened. Catching the eight-legged horrors and taking them outside was bad enough. The idea of trying to read to one made his skin crawl to the extent that he had to fight the urge to pat himself down.

Impa must have sensed his internal response. "Well, maybe not a spider. But you get my point," she said.

Link reluctantly nodded, knowing she had a point. While he understood that, rationally, the lengths he was willing to go to in order to help animals or insects made no sense, he still felt the need to do the best he could by them. It rarely benefited him in any practical sense but it was a quality of which he took some pride in.

"You'll have to tell me how it goes later," she muttered as they approached the entrance to the lab.

"Will do."

With one last glance toward his friend, the two split off.

To Link's surprise, there didn't appear to be any increase in guards. He had assumed that Roderick would want to take extra steps to ensure the lab's security after hearing about his men's escapades. Did that mean he had no idea?

He preferred to keep it that way for as long as possible.

Thankfully, Robbie and Purah were both in better moods today. They had little to say to him other than a basic greeting; however, he caught them both studying him as they wrapped up their day's work. What did begin to grate on his nerves though was the fact that they seemed to be tarrying. As pleasant and fascinating as they could be, he just wanted them to leave. He had a feeling that whatever had happened the day before made the amphibian as skittish around them as she had been around him.

And she usually wouldn't appear until just after they left.

Somehow, Link managed to keep his annoyance in check as the two scientists dragged their feet.

After what seemed to be hours, the two made unnecessarily loud goodbyes and saw themselves out.

Rubbing the back of his head in relief, the squire barely had time to set his broom down when a low trill drew his attention. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the amphibian's head poking out of the water. Once she had his attention, she motioned for him to come closer.

With a smile and a wave, he did so. He knelt by the side of the tank as she swam to meet him. Staring up at him for a moment, she sunk back into the water, before lunging up at him. Link flinched, nearly falling back as her arms wrapped around him. He remained frozen as she held him, a low trill emanating from her.

Recovering from his shock, Link returned the embrace. He was surprised to be greeted so enthusiastically, but it was most certainly pleasant, even if it did involve getting splashed.

As his arms encircled her, he was surprised to hear her soft trilling morph into a quiet whistle. He smiled, certain that the new sound she was making meant she was happy.

A/N: Do you ever just look back and not have any idea what you wrote or what you were thinking when you wrote it?

100% this story. Now to go even further beyond and keep writing it cause... reasons?