CHAPTER 5

Aria did not know how long they had traveled, but she knew this was not going to be like the visits into town. They passed right through town without a word or even stopping to speak with passersby, down the forest path leading out of the village, and then out to a great hill. When Aria and her father neared the top of the hill, he hastened his pace somewhat, finding a boulder and resting his foot on it as he gazed out into the distance. Curious as to what lay ahead, Aria hurried to meet him.

What she saw caused her eyes to go wide with pure, unrestrained amazement. She could not help but go "Wow" at what she saw.

A vast, green field lay before her, with a winding, earthen path etched into the ground and lush-looking patches of trees dotting the landscape. There was hardly a cloud in the sky and, far off on the horizon was a vast mountain with a ringlet of clouds circling around it. Out in the middle of this vast field stood a walled city with a magnificent castle towering from within.

Aria had never ventured far from the woods in her life, and any time she and her father had relocated, it had always been from one wooded area to another, and always on the outskirts, away from these very fields. Seeing this landscape was almost too much to comprehend. The best she could compare it to was an excerpt of her old book-of when the Hero first came upon a vast, open field.

"This, Aria," her father said, as though introducing an old and beloved friend to her, "Is Hyrule."

Aria took in the scope of the land, then turned to her father. "Where are we going?"

"North." he told her, "Towards the center of Hyrule. I know someone there who might be able to help us."

Aria's curiosity about the identity of this 'someone' in question slowly turned into a light smile and she stifled a laugh. Not soon enough, she learned, for her father turned and gave her a puzzled look.

"Sorry." she said, "It's just hard to imagine you outside our home, or the village."

She half-expected him to scold her for making a slight joke, or to turn away with a huff at least. To her surprise, though, he just shrugged as he returned his sight to the grassy field. "After our way of life, I can't really blame you. Now," he said, turning to descend down the hillside, "We'd best make use of daylight while we still can."

Aria trailed him as close as she could without being intrusive, her eyes trained on his back as they found and walked the winding road. Her eyes also fixated on the shield slung across it, and the sword that hid beneath it.

"Where did you get those? The shield and sword, I mean." she asked, "I've never seen swords at the local market. I don't think the smiths make them."

Her father continued down the path, but slowed his pace to glance over his shoulder. Inwardly, Aria started to regret asking, but before she could apologize and take it back, he sighed, turned back to the path, and picked up his pace once more. He took a breath, as though steeling his nerves, then spoke.

"I got them not long after you were born. I needed something to defend myself-and you-because the world got steadily harsher."

"And you know how to use them?" Aria inquired. She figured anyone could take up a sword and shield, having seen passersby in the old local village possessing them. These travelers always looked about as battered as their own gear. It was one thing to own something, it was another entirely to actually know how to use them properly.

"Yes." her father answered, "I was in the Hylian army. Long before you were born and before I met your mother."

This piqued Aria's interest, but the answer only brought more questions. Cautiously trying not to pry, Aria asked, "So, why is a soldier living as a farmer on the outskirts?"

Her father seemed to be searching himself for the best way to answer without digging too deep, then shook his head. Not to ignore or dismiss her question, as she soon found out. "A full-scale attack," he said, "Unlike anything that Hyrule has ever seen.

"Not long after you were born, a whole army of creatures attacked the land-vicious, inhuman monsters. We were thrown completely off-guard. It was a miracle that anyone survived."

Aria stopped. Her lack of footsteps caught her father's ears, for he paused and turned. His expression softened slightly at the sight of her face. "Is that how..." Aria's voice trailed slightly-remaining cautious yet soft, "How mother died?"

Her father nodded solemnly. "I barely escaped the battle and ran straight home to make sure both of you were safe." He shook his head as his vision fell to the ground. "I was too late to save her." He looked back up at her, letting his sincerity show in his eyes. "But not you. I took you from our ruined home and settled into the southern borders. There, I waited for the battles to die down."

"And have they?" Aria asked.

"To an extent." he answered, "The fighting died down, but such creatures persist to this day. I hear they still walk this land in scattered troops. We'd best keep our guards up."

Her father definitely cleared up many of the questions she had. It explained a lot and much of it added up, from explaining his stoic demeanor to his hardened approach to basic hunting training. She could even believe that he would resort to using more common blades and shields-if his story was anything to go by, he had no time to retrieve military-grade weapons and armor.

The problem she had was that he used broad strokes to answer her questions-he filled many a space, but did not go into details. As much as she wanted to press him for such details, Aria likely knew what it would lead to-silence or a change of subject.

Patience, she reminded herself. They would have time on their journey to find clarity with each other. Hopefully.

An hour or two on the road finally brought them to a small settlement: a high, wooden fence spanning a hundred yards at least. Her father's gaze fell upon it and Aria could have sworn she heard her father say, "Right where I remember it." under his breath.

They circled around the place until they found the gate and passed through it. What Aria saw inside widened her eyes once again. It was a broad expanse of grass with a metal fence encircling it, outlined by what appeared to be an earthy pathway. Within that enclosure were at least half a dozen horses, all of varying colors and breeds, casually strolling along and grazing on whatever fresh grass they could find.

Her father, however, was not going towards the enclosure, but a two-floor house roughly a stone's throw away from it. He took a deep breath, then raised a hand and knocked on the door. A few seconds of silence, then he knocked again, more fervently this time. This time, a muffled voice called from inside.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" A woman's voice answered, obviously annoyed at what appeared to be a sudden intrusion.

A few seconds later and the door swung open. A woman, not much older than her father, peered out to see what the commotion was about. She wore a simple, white blouse, a deep-purple skirt, and a yellow kerchief around her neck. Adorning her head was deep-red hair with faint streaks of white that betrayed her age.

"Okay, I'm here!" she said, her voice tinted with a soft, sweet-sounding country twang, "Now how can I help-"

By this point, the woman had laid eyes on her father and she went wide-eyed in what could only be shock. She and her father's eyes stayed locked as he offered a small, nostalgic smile. The woman reached out with a trembling hand, as though afraid her father was some phantom that would disappear the moment she touched him. The woman's hand touched his cheek and she lightly jolted, surprised that she actually touched him.

"I-It can't be…" she said, incredulously, "Link? Is it...Is it really you?"

"Yes." her father said, softly, "I know it seems unreal...but I'm here."

Her eyes welled with tears, despite the broad smile that swiftly spread across her face. Without another word, she threw her arms around "Link" and embraced him tightly. "Oh, goddesses! Bless them!" she said, trying and failing to choke back her own sobs as she buried her face in his shoulder, "When I heard word of the attack, I-I...I thought you were...you were…but you're alive!"

"Shhh…" he said, wrapping his arms around her middle and gently stroking her back, "It's going to be okay. I'm home now."

The lady pulled back, face stained with fresh tears but sporting a broad smile. She quickly wiped away the tear stains and shakily tried to rebuild her composure. Her eyes then fell on Aria and her mouth fell open.

"And you must be Aria!" she said, her sorrow slowly transitioning to pure awe, "Goddesses, you're so big now!"

"I, er…" Aria said, feeling the blood rushing to her cheeks, "I don't believe we've met."

"Oh! Sorry!" the woman said pleasantly. Aria was starting to find it hard to believe she was in tears mere seconds ago, "Last time I saw you, you were just a baby. Let me introduce myself. My name is Malon."

Aria looked to her father, wanting some kind of explanation from him. Putting a hand on the woman's shoulder, Link introduced her. "She's my sister-your aunt."

"And this," Malon said, gesturing with her arm to signify the entire place, "Is Lon Lon Ranch, where we both grew up."

"You lived here? I thought you were a soldier?" Aria asked.

"I wasn't always a soldier." her father said, shaking his head, then turned to his sister. "Malon, pardon the intrusion, but we need to stay here a while. Just a day or two."

"Nonsense! You stay as long as you need." Malon said to him with a dismissive wave, "Have either of you eaten today?"

"Not since we left, actually." Aria answered, cutting across her father before he could interject, "That was hours ago."

"By the goddesses, how have you not collapsed?" she said with mock surprise, then stepped back inside and called, "Leon! Get down here! We've got guests!"

Hurried thumps heralded someone quickly descending a set of stairs. Turning the corner, to both Aria's and Link's surprise, was a young man-a little older than Aria, taller than every person in the room, well-built and broad-shouldered, and had a head of hair virtually identical to Malon's in coloration.

"I'm here!" he said, with the same country twang as Malon, then saw the two at the door, "And who're these strangers?"

"This is my son Leon." Malon introduced, "Leon, you may not remember, but these are your uncle and cousin-Link and Aria."

Leon looked between them, then focused solely on Link. He squinted his eyes as he approached, only for them to go wide as realization suddenly dawned upon him.

"Uncle Link!" he exclaimed, then bear-hugged Aria's father and hoisted him clean off the ground, "I haven't seen you in years! Ma told me you were dead!"

"Leon...You're...you're crushing me…" Link said, struggling to keep a modicum of air in his lungs. Once the boy had released him, he struggled to regain his balance and he looked him up and down. "I don't believe it," Link said, as though he could not believe his eyes, "You're little Leon?" He let himself laugh-something Aria had rarely seen him do. "I remember when you didn't even come up to my middle. Now, you're taller than me."

Leon laughed nervously. "Yeah. Ma tells me that farm life does that to a growing boy." He turned to Aria and looked almost as awestruck as Link had with him. "And this is my little baby cousin? People say I sprouted, but," He lifted his hand and rested it on top of her head, "They clearly haven't met you, I'd say."

Both smiling and blushing in embarrassment, Aria did not shy away from his kind, lightly-humorous gesture. Malon, at that time, caught their attention by clearing her throat.

"Well," the redheaded woman said, "This has been quite the reunion, but I think we'd best get indoors. I don't know how long you've been traveling, but you look like you could use a meal."

"Oh, no, Malon." Link piped up, "You don't have to, especially on such short notice-"

"Hush, brother." Malon cut him off, "We've all been through a lot. This is the least I can do."

As Malon turned to go back into the house, Leon gave Aria and Link a look that seemed to tell them that arguing was a fruitless endeavor. Simultaneously smiling and sighing in defeat, Link turned to follow his sister with Aria trailing behind him.

When Aria saw the interior of the house, she saw so much improvement in living, even in the knowledge that this was just a slight step up from how she was living. There was a small stairwell leading to four different rooms, a fireside complete with cooking utensils, and a bowl of fresh fruit on a dining table.

"It's not much, but it should suit you just fine." Malon said as she shuffled through dishes and pans.

Link looked around and seemed lost in thought. This, Aria reminded herself, used to be his home. He breathed a nostalgic sigh, then went over to Malon, whispering something in her ear that Aria could not hear. Malon nodded, seemingly uneasily, then went back to cooking.

A thought occurred to Aria and she turned to Leon. "Where's your father?" she asked. Immediately, she wished that she had not asked. Leon's face fell and he looked away in shame.

"Gone." he said, "I was only a boy, but… Ma said that he left for a delivery one morning and never came back. Turned out he died when Hyrule was attacked."

"Oh." Aria said, doing her best to let her empathy show in her voice, "I'm so sorry. Father told me that's how I lost my mother, too."

"Whole thing robbed everyone of something, it seems." he said, managing a small, ironic laugh, then shook his head and went to his mother to see if he could help with the cooking.

Malon took time away from the kitchen to point Aria upstairs. "We have rooms for weary travelers. You can have one of your choosing. Get cozy while I get supper ready."

Aria went upstairs, eager to familiarize herself with her new surroundings, then opened the second door down. It wasn't a huge room-just a soft-looking bed, a window, and a bedside table adorned with a lantern. She sat down on the edge of the bed before falling straight back onto it. The softness of the mattress surprised her and, for a brief moment, she thought she'd fall straight through it. The next second, however, she found herself enjoying it. The bed in her old homes had always been little more than a wicker spread with minimal actual bedding and a makeshift blanket. Here, it was soft, cozy and warm. She legitimately could have fallen asleep in that very moment and she would have been very content.

It was not much of a step up from her past state of living, but already Aria was wishing she had lived here.