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Link moaned. "Months?"

Elia sat worriedly next to him. "That's what the doctor said. You do want to get well, don't you?"

He could do little more than look at her from his position, for it hurt terribly to simply raise his arm or the like. His head was propped up on some extra pillows and around his body were draped the finest quilts Elia had.

"When did I move into the inn?" he asked.

"What?"

"I can't stay here for all that time. I've worn out my welcome already."

"No you haven't! You can stay here as long as you like," she added, a bit less excitedly. "Besides, you aren't to move much farther than that bed."

He sighed, and it hurt. "Ach!"

"Does it hurt?" she asked, standing up with a cool cloth in her hand. She rubbed it gently on his warm brow. "And you've been quite feverish today. I hope you didn't get an infection as well."

"I don't think so. I'm just…agitated, I guess."

"Let's see," Elia said, thinking aloud. "I can cut back my hours at the tavern…bring in at least a hundred rupees a week--that's enough to live on. And do you think you can sleep when I'm at work? We can adjust our sleep cycles, if you don't mind too much."

"You're not thinking of changing your whole life just for me, are you?"

She smiled warmly at him. "Link, it is not too much trouble. I need to change your bandages very often for the next two or three weeks, you know, and even after you begin to heal a bit more, I wouldn't want you to be lonesome."

"I'm always lonesome," he said quietly.

Elia flashed him another warm smile. She stood and said, "Link, I'm going to go make dinner now. How about you just take a nap now, mmkay?" She didn't give him a chance to answer, leaving the room and shutting the door before she could.

The girl gave out a sigh as she pushed against the closed door and slid down to sit on the floor. She hadn't slept since Link had first fallen. She'd watched over him while he was unconscious, day and night, until he woke up just a few minutes ago. So that would make it…five days.

"Goddesses," she prayed quietly, staggering to her feet. "Give me strength for just a few more hours--even one."

The Goddesses had granted what Elia had asked for, but nothing more.

Link looked down at the girl from the confines of the bandages and blankets. Elia was sleeping peacefully, having just fallen over, face first, onto the edge of the bed. Link wanted to reach out and at least make her a bit more comfortable, but she couldn't. He sighed.

He winced in pain.

Goddesses! Why had he let his guard down like that? How foolish had he been? He should have just continued fending the dog off until the guards came!

Of course, part of him reminded Link, the guards were nowhere in sight. And he had to save the girl, didn't he?

"Mama," Elia mumbled from her dreams, as if on cue.

Though it pained him to move, Link reached out and stroked her hair gently. "Just a girl," he said very quietly, although nothing but many hours sleep would permit her to wake. "Just a girl," Link repeated, pitying her.

"Can't you be a bit more gentle?" Link demanded, yelping in pain as Elia peeled the bandage off of his left arm.

"I'm sorry," she said, frustrated, dropping the used bandage onto the pile next to her. She took out the soaking warm cloth and lightly cleaned his arm again, which was still weeping puss and had a lot of tissue exposed. She might have cried out in disgust and concern, had it not been her twentieth time that week doing the task.

Link gritted his teeth. "I know I'm a hero," he complained, "but it still stings!"

"You'd think that you'd get used to it, too." Elia sighed. "But it's only made you crankier."

"Excuse me," he said, living up to her comment, "but if you'd been in a bed for two weeks you'd be saying the same thing!"

"I suppose." Elia gathered up the soiled bandages and cloths. "The doctor is coming after lunch. What would you like to eat?"

"Anything is fine."

"Are you saying it all tastes the same?"

"No! Where did you get that idea?"

"I don't know."

"Well don't think that way."

"Whatever."

The weeks had put them both in bad spirits. Elia tried to push it out of her mind as she began chopping vegetables for the salad. Distracted, she cut her finger.

"Is everything okay?" Link called, hearing her scream.

"Yes, just an accident!" she called back. The strain in his voice was painful to hear, she thought sadly, sucking on her bloody finger absentmindedly. When the cut had sufficiently clotted, she returned to her work.

"Why did you scream?" Link wondered when she came into the room.

Elia set the tray down on his lap. "Just a clumsy accident," she explained, pouring him a glass of water from the jug she'd carried in.

"I think I can manage to feed myself today," Link insisted, laboring to pick up the fork in front of him.

Yesterday she had insisted on feeding him herself, bringing the food to his mouth as though he were a baby. But he was many years her senior, and she figured that he'd been humiliated enough. Of course, if he knew she pitied him for that, he'd feel even greater shame. Elia let the topic rest before even coming to life.

The two of them talked more each day, but yet more remained unspoken. Each day they learned more of each other through the silences they passed, silent conversations spoken with great fervor. Being mostly solitary people, they liked it that way.

"I have to go help Dain during the lunch hour," Elia explained, seeing that it was a quarter to noon. "The doctor should let himself in. But I will be back before he leaves, I think."

"Yes, Mother," he mocked.

"You do act like a child sometimes," Elia groaned, shaking her head at him. Still, her cheeks had flushed when she heard him call her that, in both anger and embarrassment.

"Honestly! Sometimes I do not understand that man," Elia said, scrubbing especially hard at the plate she was washing.

"Careful, dearie, or you'll break it," warned Dain, concealing her grin by turning around. She reached for another dish and handed it to the brunette girl. "I think you're done with that one."

"Oh…yes." Elia smiled at herself, placing the clean dish onto the stack and taking the dirty one.

"So, speaking of Mr. Hero," Dain said, "how is he doing?"

"The doctor said he was doing better than expected." Elia lowered her voice to a whisper, leaning over, "And he also agreed that Link is a real grouch."

Dain chuckled, taking another wet bowl and drying it quickly in her firm hands. "Maybe he just needs something to cheer him up?"

Elia shrugged, dipping her hands once again into the tub of soapy water. "I don't know."

"What has it been now?" Dain asked, opening up her big cupboard doors. "How long?"

"Three weeks? And a half, maybe?" Elia lifted up the tub and carried it over clumsily to the drain in the floor. With much effort, she leaned over and let the dirty water splash down onto the floor and, eventually, seep back into the ground that lay beneath.

"And he hasn't touched you yet?"

Elia rolled her eyes at Dain. "Of course not!" she protested. "We're just friends--if that."

"Then why are you blushing?" teased the woman, picking up two large beer mugs and placing them on the shelf. She reached for two more.

"Dain, he's almost thirty by now--"

"Twenty-seven, if my math is correct…"

"Whatever! And I'm fifteen--"

"Already a lady…"

"We fight all the time--"

"Like a married couple…"

"Dain!"

"What?"

"Dain!" Elia said again, glaring at her. "Look, I never thought about Link that way. And I never will. I'm sure the feeling is mutual, as well." She crossed her arms.

"I'm only teasing you," Dain assured the girl, patting the soft brown waves that sat upon Elia's head. "You are a good person to take care of him."

"Wouldn't you do the same? Wouldn't anybody?"

"Maybe you are a girl after all…"

"You're quiet tonight," Link commented, looking up from his soup.

Elia shrugged, not looking up from hers. "I'm always quiet."

"Not around me."

This got her to look up.

Link laughed, digging into his dinner heartily. "You should enjoy the food. It's good."

"Thank you," she murmured, caught off guard.

"Are you going to the winter festival tonight?"

"It's not about winter, it's about the end of the warm seasons," she corrected.

"Same difference."

"How do you know about that anyway?"

"Most people do."

"Well, I mean, you don't live here," she tried to explain.

"I did. For eight years." He saw the look in her eyes. "What, surprised?"

"No. Well… Yes, maybe. But only because I didn't know."

He nodded. "And why should you know, eh?"

"Where did you live?"

"Far up, mostly towards Death Mountain."

"I never saw you!"

"You were looking?"

She blushed. Then, stammering, Elia explained about sitting in the windmill.

"I used to do that too. Ten years ago. Don't know why I stopped."

"Are you trying to show off?"

"Show off what?"

"Your age!"

Link gave her a confused frown.

"I mean…um…"

"Elia." He put his hand on hers. "We can still be friends, even though I am twelve years older than you." Link grinned.

"Sure. Friends." Elia smiled.

He could have melted. Her smile was so sweet and innocent.

"Is something the matter?"

He blinked. "No, nothing."

"I'm a bit too tired to go to the festival." Elia yawned. "Do you need anything more? A book, perhaps?"

"Nah. I think I'll just go to sleep too."

Elia gathered up the trays and bid him goodnight, blowing out the candles as she crossed the room.

"Friends," he murmured, settling back into the sheets.

"Friends," she murmured, shutting the door and going towards the kitchen.

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