Chapter 3
A Moonlit Walk
[Now Playing: The Comet Observatory, Super Mario Galaxy]
"So, are you a knight? People have been trying to figure it out all day."
"I used to be. I'm just a traveler now."
It hadn't been long since they had left the docks together, boots and heels clicking against the cobblestone streets of Enbarr. By now, the sun had set, and the moon hung high in the sky, bathing the empty streets in pale white light.
"Quite the story there, I'm sure." Link shrugged his shoulders.
"Not much of one, really. I was a knight, then I wasn't." He hadn't said much, but Dorothea was quite adept at reading people. It helped with her acting, of course, but with her past, and especially the eyes she drew now, she had needed to very quickly learn to read someone's intentions at a glance.
Link, while at first seemed friendly, was incredibly guarded. His face was almost always schooled into a stoic neutrality that made it near impossible to determine what he was thinking. Sometimes, there'd be a crack and he'd blush or smile or laugh, but it would fade as suddenly as it'd appear. At most, he'd fidget slightly, likely old habits from when he was a knight; he'd adjust the belt holding his sword, moving its weight higher, or reach down and mess with a rectangular stone at his waist. While his voice was quiet and powerful, there was an undercurrent of emotion there he couldn't quite hide away, and she couldn't quite identify.
It was an interesting experience, in all honesty. Dorothea found herself hanging onto his every word, analyzing the shift in his voice as he spoke, trying to figure out his tells, all in an effort to decode what he was thinking.
Link, for his part, kept his gaze stubbornly forward, eyes occasionally flicking to the side to observe alleyways, and ears twitching as a faint sound only he could hear was picked up. It was pretty obvious he had done this before, keeping up a conversation and carefully observing his surroundings. Frankly, she wasn't sure how he did it.
She only realized she had been staring when Link's gaze flicked to hers, then back away. "You okay?"
"Oh! Yes, just… thinking."
"Mm." Link hummed, nodding briefly. "What about?"
"Nothing important."
Link hummed quietly, his eyes snapping to an alleyway. A small rat scampered out of the opening, looked at Link, then, as quickly as it had appeared, ran back into the alleyway. Dorothea looked up at Link, who's focus had remained on the alleyway. "Guess those ears aren't just for show, huh?"
"What?"
"The rat? I couldn't hear it at all."
[Music stops]
"What rat?" Link's stare hadn't left the alleyway. He adjusted his belt again, eventually slowing to a stop as they came level with the entrance, staring into the shadowed alley. Dorothea looked at it, then back to him.
"Is… is something wrong?"
"Maybe."
[Now Playing: Phoenix Wright OST: Suspense]
Link turned towards the alleyway, hand drifting towards the stone at his side. "Dorothea. How well do you know these streets?"
Dorothea looked over at Link, subconsciously shifting to stand behind him. "Fairly well. Why?"
"Is it safe to assume there's no guards around right now?" Dorothea scoffed.
"If there's ever any guards out at night, they're not going to enter some dingy alleyway." Link gave her the barest glance over his shoulder and nodded.
"Stay close to me. I'll keep you safe."
"Link… surely you're not planning on—"
"I can hear someone crying. From the alleyway."
"Wh-what?" Dorothea hesitated for only a moment, before steeling her nerves and nodding. "Let's go, then."
Link gave her another nod and walked towards the alley, Dorothea close behind, her mind spinning with thoughts. Can he really hear someone crying from so far away? She glanced at him, noticing his ears just barely twitching as he focused, his eyes flicking to the side in time with his ears, as if trying to visualize the sound. His hand seemed locked around the handle of the stone, as if it were some kind of weapon. If this were any other man, I'd figure he's trying to lure me into the alley. Wouldn't be the first time. But… She looked at him again, staring into his eyes before they entered the alley. He glanced down at her, and gave her a determined nod.
I've never seen an expression like that before. Even on him, his face has always looked like a mask, hiding the thoughts underneath. It looks… much more open now. And, if there really is a crying kid through here, of course he would want to help. She took a deep breath, coming to a decision and stepping into the shadowed alleyway with Link.
As they stepped inside, Dorothea strained her ears and listened. After a few minutes, she could just barely hear what sounded like a child crying, though how Link had heard it down the street and over the sound of their conversation she had no idea.
They kept walking through the alley, one of Link's ears twitching ever so slightly before he'd walk a little faster.
It didn't take long for them to find the child, hunkered down and curled up next to a few discarded barrels.
Link made to walk up to the child right away, having put his sword away (when did he even draw it?) as soon as he was in sight, but Dorothea held out a hand to halt his progress. Link looked at her and raised an eyebrow.
"You don't speak Imperical very well yet. Let me talk to him." Link blinked twice then shrugged, conceding the point. As she kept walking forward, she made sure her heels clicked against the cobblestone road a few times, getting the kids' attention without startling him. She slowly knelt in front of him, Link dropping to a knee next to her.
"Hello. What seems to be the matter? We heard you crying from the road."
The kid sniffed loudly and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "I-I was playing with my friends, and the-the sun was getting real low, so I h-had to go home. But I wanted to take a shortcut, but these alleys are so twisty, I got l-lost…" Dorothea nodded and gave him a warm smile.
"Oh, I know, they can be very confusing. It took me a long time to learn where they all go. But, why don't you tell me your name?"
"I-Oscar…"
"Well, Oscar, it's very nice to meet you. I'm Dorothea, and this is my friend, Link." Link nodded at the acknowledgement, and gave Oscar a little wave and smile. Dorothea thought it was adorable. "If you'd like, we can help you get home. Is that alright with you?" Oscar smiled and nodded rapidly. Dorothea held out a hand, helping him to his feet, and Link offered him a hand as well. Confused, Oscar took it, and with a quick movement Link lifted him up and dropped him on his shoulders, letting him hold onto his hat.
Dorothea grinned while Link fixed her with a stone-like stoic expression, but she could see the little tick at the corner of his mouth. As they started walking, Oscar quickly recovered his childlike energy, eventually asking Link dozens of questions.
"Are you an elf? Are you a knight? Why's your sword so fancy, even knights don't have swords with gold hilts! Where are you from? Where's she from?" Link, for his credit, seemed to follow along well enough. Maybe he knows Imperical better than he lets on.
"No. No. It's a sword for special knights. Hyrule. Enbarr, I think." Oscar leaned down, whispering conspiratorially to Link but staring at Dorothea.
"She's really pretty."
"Why, thank you, Oscar. I'm flattered-"
"You're really pretty too, Link! Are your eyes made of crystals?"
"Thank you. No, they're made of eyes."
"Gross!" Dorothea stifled a giggle as they kept walking.
It hadn't taken long for them to exit the alleyway. Oscar, recognizing the street, began directing them home, continuing to ask Link questions. Link was still giving short, curt answers to Oscar's questions, though it seemed his defenses were getting lower. He had tried to keep the stone face on, but after a few moments with Oscar's persistent excitability his mouth had finally given in to a small smile. Dorothea had to admit, he looked much nicer with a smile, rather than the business-like stoicism he bore before.
He had absolutely cut the image of a knight, don't get her wrong. Lean, strong, with a scarred face and broad shoulders and a well-cared-for blade strapped to his back, she could tell on sight that he was a knight. But, now that he was smiling, his features had… softened, in a way.
His jawline was still fairly sharp, his eyes still that piercing blue color, his body strong with taut muscles, but now? His eyes reminded her more of a blue sky rather than frigid ice, his shoulders seemed to be not quite as broad with Oscar astride them, his hair, which had been carefully pulled back into a ponytail behind his head was now hanging loose (thanks to Oscar curiously pulling on it).
She had to admit, she liked this look a lot more than Mr. Scary Knight, with his hand on a weapon and head on a swivel at all times.
Unfortunately, it wasn't long before they had arrived at Oscar's home, marked both by the lantern and frantic mother calling his name waiting outside. Oscar was quick to call out to his mother and wave from atop Link's shoulders, and she nearly rushed him down to get to her son.
Link, with as much grace as it seemed he did everything with, set Oscar down on the ground just in time to get scooped up by his mother, who started tearfully thanking Link for bringing her boy home. Link just nodded, still smiling as he reached out and ruffled Oscar's hair. After a few more thank you's, Link and Dorothea both turned around to leave, before Oscar called out one more thing.
"Thank you, Mr. Hero!"
[Now Playing: Ralsei' as Lullaby, by maybemochas]
For just a moment, a single second, Link froze in place. It looked as if the smile had been smacked off his face, his eyes boring into the ground. It was gone as quick as it had come, and had it not been so intense, Dorothea would swear she had made it up. But, all the same, Link turned around and waved as they turned the corner.
There were a few moments of silence before she spoke up. "Guess that name really doesn't agree with you, hm? First me, then Oscar."
"What… gives you that idea?" His voice was noticeably quieter now, gloved hand rubbing the handle of the stone at his waist.
"Every time someone calls you a hero, you get this look on your face like you've been insulted. Guess it was especially bad when Oscar said it. Bad memories?"
"I…" He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked away from her. "I'm… not a fan of the title."
"The title of… hero?" Dorothea tilted her head. "Who wouldn't want to be a hero?" She clasped her hands together and swooned dramatically, leaning on Link (who, of course, didn't budge from the impact). "Saving damsels in distress, slaying dragons and great evils, traveling the country and becoming known as a beacon of hope for all-"
"Until the great evil wakes up and kills nearly everyone you've ever known." Link spits it out with such venom that Dorothea's steps falter for a moment.
"Link?" But the small smile he had was gone, replaced by the stoic mask.
A mask that he seemed to fall into far too easily to be a recent development.
Dorothea caught back up to Link, leaning forward a bit and looking up at him while he continued to stare straight ahead. "Is that what happened to you, Link?" But he ignored her, and she sighed.
"...If I tell you something that I lost, will you tell me something you lost?"
Link hesitated. "Why?" His voice was a cold monotone.
"Because it sounds like you lost a great deal, and you're not the only one to suffer through that."
"If you want to talk about it, I won't ignore you." Link's voice had calmed down, shifting into a softer tone. I guess he still wants to help if he can. He's a sweetheart, no matter how upset he gets. I like it.
"Well that's awfully kind of you."
"It's what any friend would do."
"Oh? Are we friends, then?"
"…I suppose so." She reached up and gently poked his chest.
"You're not just saying that because I'm the only person our age that you can talk to, right?" She pouted. "Because if this is a pity friendship I'm gonna be mad."
Link's mouth twitched. "Maybe I am. It has been quite lonely."
"Ah!" Dorothea feigned fainting. "Struck down by my friend! The greatest of betrayals!" Link's mouth twitched again, and a quick breath left his nose. Progress. She smiled and stared at Link. "Well maybe I'm just friends with you because you're a handsome, mysterious, kind stranger."
"I can't believe my own friend would speak of me in such a way. Why, it wounds my very soul to even entertain the thought." His voice was still calm, but now he was smiling, his hands finally idling at his sides. "I don't know how I can continue on after such a betrayal."
"Sounds like we're even, then." Dorothea nudged his arm and smiled.
"I suppose."
They walked together in silence for a few more moments, comfortable and enjoying the night air. Link was no longer constantly surveying the surrounding area, and Dorothea had ceased her questions. Instead, they just enjoyed the chilly night air, with the moon shining above. After a moment, Link spoke. "Dorothea."
"Hm?"
"Aren't you cold in that dress?" She looked down at the simple red dress she was wearing. She shrugged, doing a spin as they walked so her dress flared out and hiding a shiver at the draft.
"Yes, but one must suffer for style."
"It's just a red dress."
"A stylish red dress." Link sighed and slipped off his black jacket, draping it across her shoulders to leave him in a somewhat plain white shirt. Dorothea blinked twice, then looked up at Link, who hadn't stopped looking ahead.
"There. Should keep you warm." She grabbed the sides of the coat and held it closed around her, sighing as it quickly warmed her back up.
"It's not very stylish, though."
"I don't know, I think the red and black make for a nice combination." He muttered something under his breath, but she didn't quite make it out. Something about a Yiga doing one thing right, whatever that meant. She did notice his ear twitch slightly, and she wondered if he had heard something else, but no matter how much she strained she couldn't hear anything. If he had heard something, he never said.
She eventually threaded her arms into the sleeves, finding it fit nicely on her (barring her chest, which, to be fair, the jacket wasn't exactly designed with her in mind). Link took a small, light-blue bottle from… somewhere, and drank it back in a single gulp, before putting the empty bottle away and walking like nothing happened.
Deciding it wasn't the weirdest thing she had seen her new friend do, she didn't ask, and just led him around the different corners and over the various canals, back towards the Middlefrank Opera Company. They had returned to their comfortable silence, Dorothea basking in the warmth of his jacket and Link looking up at the stars as if reading them.
[Now Playing: Ha ha, yes! It will take some getting used to! - Fire Emblem Awakening]
Before too long, they were standing outside the Company, and Dorothea turned to face him. "Link, I must thank you for accompanying me home. And for the jacket."
"It was my pleasure, but I never said you could keep my jacket."
She smirked and held it tight. "But you said it looked good on me."
"Well, yeah, but it also looks good with the rest of the outfit."
"Hm. I suppose I'll just have to steal the rest of it, then." She winked, and Link rolled his eyes, smiling goodnaturedly. "Until then, if I need another escort home, may I come to you?"
"You don't have to come to me just when you need to walk home, Dorothea. I enjoy your company regardless."
"Are you sure you don't just enjoy speaking your own language?" Now it was Link's turn to smirk.
"I can neither confirm nor deny—"
"Oh, shut it." Dorothea playfully pushed him, before turning and walking up the stairs. "But… I think I'll have to find you sometime tomorrow. Someone has to teach you Imperical, after all."
"Well, as long as it's you, I'm sure I'll learn quickly." They both smiled at the thought of seeing each other again.
"It's a date, then. Goodnight, Link." Dorothea winked again as she turned to walk inside.
"Whatever you say, Dorothea." Link, despite the fact that her back was turned, waved goodbye before turning to walk back to the inn.
As he walked, thoughts raced through his head. He felt he had done a good job hiding them from Dorothea; he hadn't wanted to trouble her with his burdens, after all, especially when she had her own to bear. Faces flashed through his mind; Mipha, Daruk, Urbosa, Revali. Aryll, his father and mother… Zelda.
He closed his eyes and clenched his fists.
No. Don't think of them, Link. They're gone now. The sooner you can accept that… But, no, you can't forget them either. Link sighed, once again rubbing the handle of the Slate, one of the few things that knew his friends' names anymore, beyond some of the Sheikah and the Zora. He was definitely going to have nightmares tonight.
As Link collapsed onto his bed, only just barely remembering to change out of his clothes, he could already feel sleep pushing down his eyelids. He tried fighting it for a moment, but quickly claimed him, light breaths turning deeper as he began to dream.
It started wonderfully, with Link seated at the dinner table with his family. His mother was setting down plates of pork chops covered with brown gravy, and mashed potatoes were piled up on the side, also practically drenched in the gravy.
Link grinned as his mother, father, and sister sat down, all of them eagerly digging in to the meal. It tasted divine, the slight bitter of the gravy flowing well with the meaty presence of the pork chops.
He was just finishing one of them when he felt something burning his ankles and feet.
He looked down to see a dark cloud surrounding them, slowly working its way upwards. He tried to scream and stand, but felt his wrists burn just the same, his body rooted to the chair as dark clouds sprouted from his hands.
He desperately looked towards his family, the three of them eating in peace, when he heard a familiar sound to his right. A terrifying sound.
A rapid set of metallic footsteps, coming right for them.
He tried to scream out a warning, tried to warn his family that you need to hide, they're coming, they're going to kill you! But his voice was silent, tears flowing from his eyes as his mouth flapped uselessly. He tried to fight the clouds as the clanking grew louder, but it felt like the more he fought, the faster they grew.
He strained against his bonds, strained against the malice keeping him in place, but it was useless; it held fast, and he didn't even move the chair.
It was with a horrified, silent scream that the Guardian tore through the roof of the house, revealing a burning Castle Town behind it.
Link screamed as the metal foot of the guardian immediately crushed his mother, and watched helplessly as the metal foot of the guardian lashed out to pulverize his fathers head, the blood and brain matter spraying everywhere. A mist of it settled over the table and his sister, who continued to eat, blissfully unaware of the murder.
ARYLL! RUN! But nothing came forth from his mouth, and Link wordlessly screamed as the Guardian fired its laser, incinerating a perfect hole through his little sisters chest. She was engulfed with flame as the laser passed, and her body quickly burned into a husk, falling off of her chair and dispersing into a cloud upon the ground. Then, the Guardian turned its eyes towards a sobbing Link, and just as the clouds rose above his eyes, the Guardian fired.
Next Chapter May 31st.
AN: And another chapter is released. Real quick, I wanna thank TheUnHolySmirk for beta'ing the chapter on real short notice. He's given me some great ideas that I'm gonna start implementing later on in the story, and I'm mad thankful. Okay I have to be honest, this chapter specifically gave me a lot of trouble. It's gone through at least three to five different variations, each of which I wasn't fully satisfied with. Originally, I had them going on a dinner date together, which Dorothea's request being "have dinner with me" rather than "walk me home". It ended up being incredibly awkward and one-sided, so I ended up cutting it and just having a short paragraph saying it was awkward and one-sided, since while "show don't tell" is important, "I don't want to write an awkward and one-sided date" is even more important, imo.
But, the more I sat on the chapter, the less I liked the idea of Dorothea just up and asking Link out immediately. Maybe later on in the story, but not within literally five sentences of meeting each other. So, I had the idea of her just asking him for an escort home from the docks, and honestly it came out a lot smoother. Definitely helped that I was able to keep a lot of the chapter intact, just changing a few scenes; like them taking the picture at a balcony instead of at the docks, so them parting ways there made more sense.
But then, of course, things changed again.
I decided to write a little prequel about Link and Zelda (mostly to get my Zelink fix) where Link opens up to Zelda much earlier than in canon, allowing them to forge a much stronger relationship by the time the Calamity hits. It's not enough to unlock her powers any earlier (I've got a whole explanation for why it didn't work, but I'll get there eventually).
So, I figured, "Link wouldn't want to make that mistake twice. Dorothea already sought him out once, if he doesn't open up he'll push her away, and it worked out so well with Zelda. Maybe it'll work again? She'll find him anyways, right?"
That's basically Link's thought process as well, but I wanted to show Link from her perspective, keeping the trend from Chapter 2.
Also, I will admit, if Dorothea seemed a little OOC in Chapter 2, that was because I hadn't actually seen any of the support conversations in a long time, only read fanfics with her in it, where she tends to be a little more shallow at first blush. But, after re-reading a few, she's incredibly insightful and kind, with a bit of a teasing streak (and flirts like crazy, but for a reason). I tried to capture the 'insightful' part of her character here, but I'll be honest, I have no idea how well I managed it.
(I also forgot she was an orphan until rereading the supports so… remind me to do more research before I release Chapter 4, which will, of course, have more Dorothea, and if you're good kids, maybe some more Caspar and Linhardt).
As for the nightmare towards the end, that was mostly added to extend the length of the chapter. I felt it was really quite short, honestly just being a single conversation, but chapter 2 felt right ending with their introduction, and I wasn't going to skip out on their first conversation, but extending that into a full chapter is a lot of work.
The nightmare itself is heavily based off of one of Frank Castle's nightmares in The Punisher on Netflix, as that's my favorite of the Marvel Netflix shows and that scene in particular practically lives in my head rent-free. If you haven't seen the scene yourself, you can find it on YouTube.
Anyways, let me know what you liked and what I can improve on in the reviews! I love getting support for the story, but getting criticism is just as valuable, as it helps me improve my writing and truly tell the story I wish to tell with as much quality as I possible can.
Oh, and expect a prequel to get posted as its own standalone story in the coming months. So far, the working title is The Hero and the Princess, but I want to come up with something a bit more original, so who knows what it'll eventually be called. Maybe "Zelda Alone" or something, idk. I'll figure it out.
Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and I hope you all are looking forward to Chapter 4! I know I am. It'll be a bit of a mix of 2 and 3, but in what capacity is a secret :) (Course it ain't school time yet, that's when the fun is really going to begin. Until wartime anyways).
Happy reading, remember to rest your eyes, and have a good one :)