There were no more attacks, no more surprises for the caravan of refugees and the young hero that led them east. The group managed to get to the place he had planned to stop before sunset, which gave the Gorons and soldiers time to build fires from the wood that they had brought specifically for that reason. It also gave time for the refugees to wander over to the small lake and wash the dust of the road from their faces. Even though Midna had complained about Hylians being a smelly race, Link was able to hear several complaints from the people about wanting baths.
He sat on the shore, watching them splash around and saw a few of them even smile and laugh. It was difficult for them, he knew that; yet they seemed to be recovering quickly. He didn't know if that was part of their natural personalities, or if his presence had something to do with it, but it didn't matter in the end. This small group of people from Castle Town were adjusting to what had happened. Not all had yet; he had still seen people blankly staring as if they didn't understand what was happening, but for the most part they were recovering.
Sergeant Kip was a thin, rawboned man with dark hair, dark eyes, dark skin, and a light voice. The man was quiet and soft-spoken, but he was also capable and took charge easily. He organized things well and sent the soldiers and Gorons about, designating sleeping spots beneath the pine trees near the lake, refilling water casks, replenishing pieces of firewood from the small amount of forest nearby. He also smiled a lot more than Commander Petyr, so the Gorons responded to him much better.
Hayes also stepped up to do what he could. Link hadn't seen very much of the man since outside the gates of Castle Town, but he had spotted him here and there. The watchman had helped the teamsters move around their heavy loads, and also helped distribute food. He even stood in the middle of the line of refugees, just slightly off to the side, walking with his spear rested on his shoulder. Even though he had lost his daughter in Castle Town, Hayes was still doing his best, knowing that as the lone watchman he should.
It didn't take long for people to get fed and settled, and even though some clustered around the waning fires for a while, most went to sleep on the soft pine needles beneath the trees. They were exhausted, none of the citizens of Castle Town accustomed to walking so much, and the emotional toll had to be taxing on them as well. Link was tired too, although he did his best not to show it. He hadn't lost anyone in Castle Town, he hadn't been walking all day, yet he felt fatigued.
He lay wrapped in his cloak beneath the trees, unsure if the reason for his exhaustion was emotional to all that had happened, or physical due to being in the saddle all day...or even magical. Even though Courage hadn't lit up on his hand, he knew it was trying to help him heal. That and the Master Sword had told him that it also needed to siphon some of his power in order to slowly recharge itself. The sword didn't say anything, and had been silent since he lost himself to his grief the night before, but he could sense that it agreed with him. Knowing that the small amount of rest he'd get would only be partially sufficient to help him recover, he shut his eyes, surrounded by the few hundred people he had managed to save.
The next day was uneventful: wake, eat, march, eat, march. The people stumbled along dully, tired from walking for days, and tired from not being able to eat or sleep properly. That's why they were unable to make it to Kakariko like he had hoped by the time the sun was sinking low, and he needed to make a decision. The low rise ahead that marked the start of Kakariko's canyon came into view, and he knew there was no way they could make it there before dark, or even before midnight. While he knew that the people needed to rest, they were so close, and when they were on the cusp of entering the shallow canyon walls he decided what was the best course of action.
He raised his arm to draw the column to a halt. While he could make the decision, he felt it wasn't entirely his to make. He was riding Epona, and even though riding all day was tiring in its own way, as was constantly draining his magic reserves as soon as they replenished, it wasn't as exhausting as walking all day. No, it was better to let the people decide.
"Telma." he said, pulling out one of the sealed glass vials of oil that Coro had sold him.
"We stopping for the night here, honey? There's not a tree in sight this close to Death Mountain, you know." The red-headed woman was not currently driving her wagon and was taking a break, having handed Shad the reins. The scholar hadn't seemed like the kind of man who knew how to drive a wagon, but then again the scholar hadn't seemed like the kind of man to sleep with Auren either.
"Not necessarily, and we'd manage if we did stop, but I'm going to give the people a choice. We can make it to Kakariko in about three hours, but people are tired and hungry." He pulled out his lantern and began to refill it. "I think it's best to let them decide what they want to do."
"If that's what you think is best. You're the one in charge." she said. "So far you've been telling people what to do and they've been more than willing to go along with it."
"True, but they know what's best for themselves right now, even if they would follow whatever order I gave. I need to give them a choice in the matter. They can't follow me forever." He lit the lantern with one of the matches that Ilia had filched for him, and then turned Epona towards the column, which was shuffling to a halt. Since there were only a bit under four hundred people, it started and stopped much quicker as it had done with the full group. He moved his horse over to the left side of the road so more people could see him.
Link stood in the stirrups and waved the lantern so they'd notice him in the waning light. "Attention! Everybody listen up!" He waited a few seconds until noise and movement stopped among the refugees and Gorons, and then raised his voice again. "We are a little over three hours from Kakariko! I am giving you a choice: rest here for the night, or continue on! If we rest here, we eat here! If we continue on, we eat once we get there!"
He waved the lantern in front of him. "If you need to stop, come line up behind me on the left side of the road!" Then he waved the lantern towards Telma and Shad. "If you want to keep going, stay behind the wagons! Pass it along to anyone who can't hear me!"
"We can hear you!" a shout came from the rear of the column. Okay, then that was something at least. Every time Link had to shout at the refugees, they still managed to hear him just fine. He was looking forward to not having to shout so often once they arrived at Kakariko.
He continued to stand in the stirrups, holding the lantern at his side instead of waving it around, and watched as the people shuffled around in order to get to one side of the road or the other. Most of the people remained in the line behind the wagons, a few of them moving a bit more right just to make their decision clear. Only sixteen people moved to the left side of the road. The consensus was that they would rather walk if it meant getting to safety faster. With the prospect of having a roof over their heads only three hours away, he couldn't blame them.
The group that gathered in front of him were mostly older people, not elderly but still past middle age. There was a woman who looked to be in her forties but had no shoes, so walking must have been uncomfortable for her. A family with two children around ten years old stood together, and a pregnant woman stood off by herself, wearing a cloak that looked too big for her. Dammit, Hagar had been wrong. He looked them over, and then turned to Telma and Shad. "Do you think there's still room on the wagons for these people?"
"I can give up my seat and let Telma drive again." Shad offered. "That pregnant woman can sit here. Other than that, I think it might be a tight squeeze, but we can fit fifteen people on top of some boxes. It's only for a few hours."
"I wouldn't put a pregnant woman on a bumpy wagon ride, even for only a few hours. The fact she's had to walk so far without us noticing her is terrible enough." Telma said.
"I agree. Hagar told me he hadn't seen anyone who was pregnant, but then again she's wearing a cloak and he probably didn't notice. We only noticed because she came to stand right in front of us without hiding her body in that cloak." He looked down at the woman, who appeared to be in her mid-twenties, and her face was pale and fatigued in the depths of her hood. Her belly was currently hidden within her gray cloak, but when he had seen her walk up with her stomach exposed, she hadn't looked as heavily pregnant as Uli.
Link dismounted and set his lantern down next to Epona on the dusty Eldin road, and then walked over to the woman. "What's your name?"
Her mouth opened in surprise, like she wasn't expecting him to walk directly up to her. She lowered her eyes shyly, and he could see fringes of brown hair peeking out of her hood and around her face. "Shelly." The hood of the overly-large cloak had the rune for A embroidered in red on it, so it was probably her husband's. That would explain why it didn't fit her well.
He held his hand out to her and forced a smile. As tired as he was, he needed to continue to support these poor people. "Come on, Shelly. You're going to ride my horse the rest of the way."
The woman raised her brown eyes to his, looking conflicted and confused. That was strange, but then again she probably didn't want to be at the center of attention. She hesitated, and then slipped her hand into his. Shelly opened her mouth as if she was going to say something, and then lowered her eyes again.
"It's all right." he told her, and then he turned to the rest standing around him. "Lady without shoes? You take Shad's spot on the lead wagon. Everyone else go to the teamsters and find a spot. Try not to sit on any potatoes." He could have taken the time to know all of their names, but daylight was waning and he wanted to take advantage of what light was left.
He helped Shelly up into the saddle, which was somewhat difficult due to how high up Epona's back was. If she had been a smaller horse, he would have simply lifted the woman up and into the saddle, but he had to help her use the stirrup. Once she was situated side-saddle on the mare's back, he picked up his lantern and handed it up to her. "You'll need to hold this for me. Be sure to hold it so the people behind us can see it, all right?"
Shelly gave a faint nod, her face still a mixture of emotions. She looked tired but also frightened, and perhaps a bit overwhelmed. The past few days had been hard on her, and not everyone was resilient enough to recover from what happened in Castle Town by now. This woman looked like she was still in shock. Shelly also seemed to be the kind of person who wilted when at the center of attention.
"I'm sorry." he told her, gathering Epona's reins and pulling them over the mare's head so he could lead the horse behind him. "I even asked one of the head Gorons at the depot if he had seen anyone who was pregnant, and he said no. If I had known you were with us, I would have gotten you on a horse sooner."
"It's all right." she said softly, her voice sounding drained and distant. "Thank you."
He nodded, and once the rest were settled on the wagons he continued on to Kakariko, this time walking with the rest of them.
They arrived at the northern gate of Kakariko in just over three hours, as he had predicted. There were a pair of Goron guards in steel armor on either side of the gate, wearing the same gear as he had seen on the guards in Goron City. As soon as they came into view, one of the Gorons gave a shout and ran through the open gate, rolling into a ball and hurrying into the town. Since Laron had gone ahead, the town would have had time to prepare, and there would be less to worry about. As it was the gate was open even though it was guarded, so they were expected.
"You made it!" said the remaining guard as he approached. "A little later than we thought, but we estimated you'd get here today. Things were gonna be prepared even before Laron came in with the news. We've been getting humans trickling in from Castle Town for days now."
He should have expected that, especially after seeing a few carts and wagons parked at the Goron depot that weren't with his group. There could have been refugees fleeing Castle Town long before he saw them on the road in Lanayru. "There's still room for about four hundred people, right?"
"Yeah, no worries." The guard grinned at him as Link walked past, leading Epona. "It's all planned out."
Once he came around the bend into the town proper, he could see that things were indeed organized. There were a few empty wagons and carts parked next to Barnes' shop, and one of the previously unoccupied houses nearby had its windows open, lantern light glowing from within. People stood around in groups in front of houses on the cliffside, chattering excitedly now that the large group had arrived. Stacks of belongings were piled in front of houses, and others were having their windows and doors thrown open by Hylians who had already made it here days ago, preparing them for the new arrivals. All around was lantern light, the lights on the front of the buildings lit, and it was the first time he saw Kakariko actually look like a living, breathing town.
Gor Coron and Renado waited for him at the center of town in front of the Eld Inn. The shaman was wearing his long leather robe and had put beads in his hair again, looking as he did when Link first met him. He raised a hand in greeting as the young man led his horse over. "Hello again, my friend. We have been expecting you. It was wise to send Gorons ahead to warn us of these refugees."
"Hello, Renado. Hello, Coron. I'd like to take credit for that, but it was entirely Laron's idea." He sighed and rubbed at his forehead wearily. "I'm sorry, but I'm coming here late at night with more people that need help. I guess I can't break the habit."
Coron laughed, but Renado only smiled. He seemed distracted. No, not distracted…he was upset. It was slight, and he doubted that anyone else would notice, but having spent time with Renado he knew that the shaman was bothered by something. "Who is this on Epona?" the man asked.
"This is Shelly, and she isn't in any condition to walk much. Somehow she slipped through Hagar's checks, and I didn't notice her until tonight." He reached up to take his lantern from the woman, and set it down on the ground next to him. "I guess it's my fault. He even said he didn't know what a pregnant human looked like, but other Gorons did so I thought it was fine."
"You can't accept responsibility for everything." Coron said. "Considering what happened, I know that you've done the best that you can."
"I guess." He still had his doubts about himself, but didn't want to talk about them. He helped Shelly climb off Epona, and brought her over to the man and the Goron. The woman stood next to Link with her face lowered, meekly holding his hand. "Are there still rooms in the inn? I want to get her someplace comfortable as soon as I can."
"There are all the extra rooms in the inn. I would not put strangers in with the children and Ilia." The shaman raised an eyebrow. "Besides, I assumed that you would prefer to keep all the members of Telma's group together. Rusl spoke of them, and how he was going to Castle Town after stopping here."
"Great." said Shad from behind Link. The man had come up behind him at some point without him noticing. "Hi. I'm Shad. I'm also tired. The inn is this building here, correct?"
"We can do proper introductions another time." Renado said. "The doors that are shut are taken, as is the one at the far end of the hall. Take care to be quiet when you enter, since there are children sleeping." He stepped up to Shelly and offered her his arm. "We shall find a place for you to rest, and I will make sure that you are well. I am a shaman and a healer."
Shelly linked her arm in the tall shaman's, and then turned her head to Link. "Thank you for your kindness, Link." Her voice was strained, as if she was still overwhelmed by everything that was happening. Yet she called him by his name, not "hero" like so many others had. Perhaps the hero worship had faded. He certainly hoped so.
"You're welcome. Go with Renado, he's a friend of mine." He watched as the two of them went into the Eld Inn, and Shad turned around to go back to Telma's wagon to help her with her horses. Once they were alone, he turned to Gor Coron. "What's wrong with Renado?"
"You can tell, can't you? Ilia could as well." Coron frowned seriously and crossed his arms. "His wife was in Castle Town. They had their reasons for living apart, but the woman was still his wife and the mother of his daughter. Luda hasn't been taking it well either, and has been hiding in their house since last night, when the first refugees got here. We've had to tell the other children the lie that she has a fever, since we don't want them to worry." The Goron sighed. "I wish there was something I could do, but all I can do is watch my friend grieve."
"I guess being his friends is all we can do for him right now." He picked up the lantern again. "I need to take care of Epona and then make sure that things are organized right."
"No need. Laron's here, I'm here, and word has been sent up to Darbus so he can get here in the morning. Either way, we Gorons will make sure everything is taken care of." The old Goron gave a patronly smile and lay a hand on his shoulder. "Go rest, Link. You've done plenty. We were prepared for these people, so you can focus on the things you need to do...like take care of yourself." Coron said pointedly.
"Oh, come on. I'm not going to walk into town half-dead all the time, okay? I'm not doing as bad as these people, either. At least I'm used to sleeping wherever I can by now." He also hadn't walked the entire way here. That didn't mean he wasn't exhausted, both mentally and physically. "Don't worry, I'll take care of myself, as you suggest."
"Take care of Ilia, too. She was worried sick about you, although I suspect she'll act as if she wasn't. One of the people that came in yesterday saw you riding through Castle Town the day the city fell, and told her about it." The Goron patted Link's shoulder kindly. "But in the morning. I'm sure she's in bed. Excuse me, I'm going to go help." Coron walked past him towards the gathering Gorons that were beginning to tell people where to go.
Ilia knew about him being in Castle Town? While he had planned on telling her what had happened, the fact that she had known about him being there right before the town was overrun was upsetting. Renado and Barnes knew that he was unable to be transformed, but he had never told Ilia. She very well could have cried about it, a thought that stung. He fretted about it as he led Epona into the stable, lantern in hand.
The horses within the stable were awake, and as he brought his mare in, Barley whickered at her in greeting. Epona responded, and he had to smile even thought his thoughts were gloomy. "Your boyfriends missed you."
"Is she a popular girl here in Kakariko?" Ashei asked from where she was caring for Spirit. As luck would have it, she was in the stall next to the one he typically used for Epona.
"A pretty girl like her is popular anywhere." he said, leading his horse into her stall, patting her neck. "Aren't you, sweetheart?"
Ashei's soft laughter drifted over to him. "If Telma hadn't mentioned that you kind of have a girl, I'd guess that you'd marry your horse."
"Oh, Telma said that?" While he did understand that Telma, Shad and Ashei were close friends, it still was annoying that the woman had told them about Ilia, or at least that detail about her. "What did she say?"
"Her name is Ilia, she's lost her memory, she's your best friend, and you're half-killing yourself trying to act like you're nothing more than that." When he didn't answer, she leaned forward to peer at him from around the divider. "I'm spot on, yeah?"
He attempted to not be grumpy, but that was like attempting to not breathe. "I don't know who more I'm disappointed in, Telma or you." he grumbled, glaring at her before focusing on removing Epona's tack.
Ashei chuckled at his response. "My, you have eyes that could cut granite. I said you were scary when you're mad, but I guess it's a lot less scary when I know you're only cranky, yeah?"
"Please don't pick on me. The last few days haven't exactly been a picnic."
"I know, Link. I was there." She quietly watched him work for a moment, not returning to her horse yet. "So when are you going to sing to Epona?"
"When you buzz off. Go into the Eld Inn and find a room. That's where I want to have our group's new headquarters for now." He saw her slip back behind the divider again and relaxed a little. As kind as she had been to him when he cried like a little boy the other night, he was becoming frustrated with the way she was picking on him. Maybe he was just over-tired and all the woman was trying to do was joke around with him. "Just be quiet, since there are kids sleeping there."
"Will do, after I see if Telma needs any help." There was the jingle of tack from where she stood on the other side of the wooden wall. "But you should go rest. Seriously. You've been worrying about hundreds of people for days straight."
"If he didn't worry about others, he wouldn't be Link." Midna said, amused. "I'll make sure he's a good boy and takes care of himself. I've pretty much become his big sister at this point."
"I'd argue with you, but that sounds pretty accurate." She really had been looking out for him like a sister, since he admitted he was too much of a bonehead to take care of himself. While he had been referring to his need for Ilia to take care of him at the time, it could have applied to other friends. "I plan on getting food and then going to sleep, so don't worry."
"Right. I'll see you in a bit...or maybe tomorrow." Ashei said, stepping out of the stall. She walked down the stable's aisle and out without another word, and without giving him the opportunity to respond. The woman was as blunt as the day he met her.
It only took him a few more minutes to feed Epona, wrap her in a blanket, and extinguish his lantern, and then he made his way out and over to the Eld Inn. There was a lot of commotion, a large group of people having gathered around two Gorons standing in the middle of the road. One was Laron, the other was Darbus of all people. Coron said that his son was going to come in the morning, but the Patriarch had decided to come immediately. The two of them waved at him and called his name, and he normally would have gone to speak to them, but he had no desire to push his way through the crowd. He smiled and returned their wave, knowing he could speak to them tomorrow, and walked into the inn.
It wasn't dark in the inn even though the hour was late. There were lamps lit on the tables and on the walls, and the fireplace glowed with the light of a half-burnt log. Shelly was seated at the long common table at the center of the room, and Renado stood next to her, placing a bowl of soup in front of the woman. The shaman raised his eyes to glance at Link as he entered, but Shelly only stared at her food and eventually picked up her spoon to begin eating. She had removed her cloak, and he could now see that she had straight shoulder-length brown hair and a beautiful heart-shaped face.
"Is she all right?" he asked Renado.
"Yes, she is fine. Like everyone else, she only needs rest and food." the taller man said in his soft voice. "Her baby seems fine, too. She is only six months pregnant, otherwise the trip would have been much harder on her."
Shelly didn't respond to the two men talking about her and ate the soup in front of her slowly, her movements delayed. Renado said she was fine and only needed rest, but that was only her body. Something about the woman's mind seemed wrong, and after seeing how others had reacted to the fall of Castle Town, he knew that she still was having problems adjusting.
"Is there any more of that soup?" he asked instead of discussing it with Renado. He ought to talk about the poor woman's mind when she wasn't here, since he suspected she had lost family. The over-sized cloak was most likely her husband's, and she had come alone. She also looked old enough to have had at least one child already, so Shelly could have lost her entire family in Castle Town.
"Yes, of course. Barnes had made two kettles earlier to help feed the refugees that had come here last night, so there is plenty. It is only vegetable soup, but it has butter and cream in it to make it more filling." The shaman made eye contact with him, and once again he could see that even though he was as calm as always on the outside, inside Renado was hurting. "Will you remain here with her? I wish to go to my house to retrieve my bag."
"Yeah, of course. I plan on sitting here to eat anyway." He made a dismissive gesture. "Go ahead. I doubt she's going to run away."
Renado smiled ever so slightly and quietly left, and Shelly did not respond at all. Instead of his usual small smile, Link frowned at their reactions to his jest and walked into the kitchen. The large pot of soup sat on the stove, which was only warm and not hot at this point. After finding a ladle and a bowl, he got himself a helping of the cream and root vegetable soup and grabbed the heel of a loaf of bread left on a cutting board. Then he returned to the common room and sat down at the long table, near Shelly but not too close. She had called him by his name before, but even then he doubted he could be familiar enough to sit directly next to her.
She didn't respond at all and quietly ate her food, so he started to do the same. It was strange to have someone sit nearby and not say anything, especially since the two of them were technically sharing a meal together. He ate much faster than the woman, and retrieved a second bowl of soup from the kitchen, eyeing her as he sat back down. She still wouldn't look at him or say a single word, so he had to break the silence. "You're not afraid of me, are you?"
Shelly jumped slightly and turned her head to look at him, surprised that he had spoke, but did not answer. She looked like a skittish deer cornered by a predator, which was how she had looked ever since he singled her out and placed her on Epona's back.
"I promise I don't bite." Link said with a smile. Normally talking to people set them at ease, and he wanted the poor woman to be more comfortable. She was safe, and she needed to feel that way.
The young woman shook her head. "It's not that." she said softly in a mousy voice. "I know who you are, but…" She stared into her soup, spoon in her hand, and ate another mouthful. He waited patiently, and was rewarded when she spoke again. "When we left Castle Town in a hurry, I was so overwhelmed by everything that happened. It felt surreal." She scraped the bottom of her bowl with the spoon, obviously hungry but still acting subdued, and ate the last bits of her very late dinner slowly. "We walked away from the castle where the royal family used to protect us, and we followed the hero with the Master Sword into the darkness. Even though I was so tired, it seemed all right as long as there was that hero in green leading us. The miles and miles that went by didn't matter, or how sick I felt from only eating potatoes, or how we walked past empty villages on the plains that were made that way by the magic law. Nothing felt real. It was like walking through a dream. We were no longer part of this world, and for a while...my mind could forget."
Shelly paused and carefully set down her spoon next to her empty bowl. Even though her face was still numb and blank, her eyes welled with tears, and one rolled down her cheek. "But then...you came to me and asked my name, and I saw your face up close for the first time. You were younger than me, and you looked tired and unhappy, just like everyone else, even though you did your best to smile. You called me by name, and took my hand…" Her eyes crinkled in pain and her voice broke. "...and your hand was warm. You were human, just like me. Not a legend, but a person."
She sobbed and rubbed at her eyes with her hands in a futile attempt to stop the tears. "I couldn't stay in the dream anymore. I was alone, my husband was gone, my home was gone, and all I had left was this tired young man letting me ride his horse. It's too real now…" The young woman sobbed again, lowering her face into her hands.
Link was alarmed, realizing that his attempt to be kind to her had only made her feel worse. He rose from his seat and came to sit next to her on the bench, his back to the table so he could face her better. "It wasn't my intention to make you feel that way." He reached out and put his hands on her arms, shaking his head. "I'm sorry. I was concerned after seeing you, so that's why I did what I did."
Shelly didn't say anything but continued to cry, leaning into him to rest her face on his shoulder, hands clinging on to his worn brown cloak, turning to the only person she had now. The only person that had reached out to after she had lost everything, and yet to her he was still a total stranger. Unsure of what else he could do, he put his arms around the sobbing woman, clueless as to how he could comfort her. She was so completely alone in a time of grief, and he didn't know what he could possibly say.
It was something he was familiar with, when his mother died a bit over five years ago. He was alone in a strange new town in a different country, only a boy, his family and his home gone. Even though he could relate, he wasn't sure he should say anything about it. How would his own experiences fix what she was going through right now? She knew nothing of his life, nor should she.
Link looked over his shoulder, trying to see out the dusty front windows of the Eld Inn to see if Renado was returning, but even though he saw movement outside he did not see anyone walk up the stairs to the building. Hoping that someone else was nearby, someone else that may be better suited to comfort this poor woman, he glanced around the room, looking at the back door first, and then up the stairs to the second floor.
Ilia stood there, hands rested on the railing, staring down at him from above. Her green eyes met his, and the two of them stayed locked that way for a moment. In her eyes he saw something he hadn't seen in a while: recognition. It was the same look she had gotten when she had remembered things before, but this time she was looking right at him as she did it. Did she remember him? He felt his heart skip a beat as hope took hold of him.
The door to the inn opened and he could hear the familiar footsteps of Renado's shoes, and Link tore his eyes away from Ilia to turn his head towards the shaman as he approached. The man carried his black medicine bag, and he frowned in concern as he came to stand next to the two people seated at the table. "I thought it would be fine to leave her here with you."
Link shook his head. "This was inevitable. It's a delayed reaction. Other people have been like this over the past few days." Me included, he thought to himself. "Many people went into shock and haven't been able to feel anything yet since their minds are overwhelmed." He looked down at Shelly, whose sobs had become softer, and she sagged to rest her weight into his arms. "I was the trigger, but if it wasn't me then it would have been something else. And…" he added softly. "I can relate to what she's going through, at a personal level."
Renado nodded, understanding exactly what Link was referring to. He opened his black bag and peered into it. "I have something that I can give her to help her rest. I believe that is what she needs now. We can take her upstairs-"
"No!" she cried, raising her face briefly. "Please, no. I don't want to be alone." She lowered her head to rest it against the brown wool on his chest again, her voice muffled. "Please don't leave me alone."
He was struck by her words. They were almost exactly what Midna had said when she had thought he died, the only other person that she had in this world. "It's all right." he told the woman gently. "I won't leave you alone."
"Thank you…" she said quietly, so quietly he could barely hear it.
He knew that he couldn't hold her forever, but he could at least do so while he spoke with Renado. "Are the refugees outside eating yet? Coron said that you were prepared."
"The Gorons and a few of the soldiers have taken over the cafe next door and are getting the kitchen going. It has the means to cook far more food at once than this place." The shaman smiled faintly. "I hope they like squash and turnips, because that is mostly what the Gorons managed to salvage from farms in Lower Eldin."
"Squash? I hope it's not pumpkin, since we were feeding them nothing but pumpkin and potatoes for the past three days." It would be unfortunate if most of what they had to feed the refugees was more of the same thing.
"No, we have summer squash. We do not have the meat to feed them at this time, but even then I am sure different vegetables will be a welcome change." Renado said.
"How's the food supply for the three of you and the kids?" The kitchen had seemed like it was stocked well enough when he had left for the Gerudo desert over a week ago, but when he had been in there to get his soup, some of the supplies appeared to have dwindled.
"We are doing fine, since we have taken food from the various homes. Now people are moving into those homes, and there is very little food in them." Renado sighed. "I feel a bit guilty, since you cannot put the food back once it has been eaten, but we had no way of knowing that this would happen."
"Maybe I shouldn't have stayed here as much. I know that I eat a lot, and that's food that could have gone towards the kids." He did have the rupees to buy food if needed, but at the same time having warm meals and a soft bed in Kakariko was far too appealing, and he had been taking advantage of that.
"Link, you are always welcome here." This time Renado's smile was broader and more genuine. "Do not feel as if you are taking anything from us that you do not deserve. We have enough food, do not worry."
The door to the inn opened again, and Shad walked in with Ashei a few steps behind him. The scholar looked over at where Link sat holding the woman, and raised an eyebrow. "Are you giving out free hugs?"
"Not for you." Link shot back, smirking a bit. Shad's sense of humor reminded him a bit of Auren's, and he felt that he could use a bit of levity after the past few days. "Ask Ashei for one."
"Hey, don't look at me." Ashei said, holding her hands up in front of her defensively. "I'm not a hugger." She came to stand near the table. "Is that the woman who was on your horse?"
He looked down at Shelly, who had grown quiet while resting her face against him, no longer weeping. She still was slack in his arms, resting her weight on him. "Yeah."
The female warrior changed the subject, not wanting to bother Shelly. "Telma's still busy, but she'll be in later. Until then...I heard something about soup? I'm so hungry I could eat one of those dodongos outside."
"Here, let me show you to the kitchen." Renado offered kindly, extending a hand towards the doorway of the room.
"Oh, yeah. This is Renado, the shaman here. Renado, you met Shad outside, and this is Ashei." he said, introducing them to one another.
The three politely greeted one another, and then Renado led them into the kitchen, leaving Link alone with Shelly again. He lowered his face to try to look at her, but was unable to see anything but the top of her head. "Are you all right now?"
The woman did not respond, her breathing even and slow. She had fallen asleep on him, fantastic. He looked back up to the railing above to see if Ilia was still there, but she was gone. Now what did he do? Did he wake Shelly, or take her to one of the rooms to sleep? He still had most of his second bowl of soup to eat.
Renado returned, carrying a round barmaid's tray that held mugs and a teapot that Link had somehow missed in his mission for food. He had been so hungry, it hadn't occurred to him to look for tea. The shaman began to set out the mugs and fill them with tea. "I thought you could use a hot drink." he said.
Tea did sound good, but he couldn't drink it if he was holding Shelly. "Renado, she fell asleep."
The dark-haired man stopped in the act of pouring tea and set down the teapot, tilting his head to the side a bit in an attempt to see the woman's face, the beads in his his hair gently clacking. He moved closer and then nodded his head. "Yes, she has. She was exhausted."
Ashei came back with a bowl of soup in hand in the middle of this exchange, and peered at the woman in Links arms, but didn't say anything. Once she had gone to sit and eat, Link looked back up at Renado. "Do you have a place for us to put her upstairs? She should be in a bed."
"Of course. I have one in mind. Did you want me to carry her?" the shaman offered. "You must be quite tired."
"No, I've got it." He shifted slightly so he could slide his right arm underneath Shelly's legs and stood, lifting her. She was not light but her weight was manageable, even as he climbed the stairs with Renado leading the way. It was strange carrying an adult this way; he had carried the children many times, and had carried Ralis in the same fashion, but none of them were taller or heavier than he was.
Renado opened the door on the far right of the row, two rooms down from the room he knew was Ilia's. The young woman's door was shut, so she probably had gone to bed. He felt disappointed, but knew he could speak to her tomorrow. He had to turn sideways to get Shelly's legs in the room, and just barely fit through the doorway without his shield scraping on it. The shaman pulled down the blanket of the bed, and Link gently set her on the sheets.
She didn't open her eyes, at least not until he went to remove her shoes. Shelly opened her brown eyes and looked at Renado, then at the young man setting her shoes on the floor. "I fell asleep?"
"Yeah, but that's okay. You're really tired." He pulled up the blanket to cover her. "You should rest. There are other people in this inn, so you won't be alone. My best friend is two doors down, and I'll be all the way at the other end of the hall. You can come to me if you need to."
Shelly nodded, and shut her eyes with a soft sigh. Satisfied that she appeared settled, Link quietly made his way out of the room with Renado following behind, and the other man shut the door behind them. Once the two of them were out in the hall near the top of the stairs, Link let out a sigh of relief and pulled his hat off to run a hand through his messy hair.
"Not everyone would have done that for her." Renado told him softly, lowering his voice now that they were near the sleeping children.
"You would have." he responded in the same quiet tone of voice, smiling.
"You're both big sweethearts, you know." Midna's voice softly came from somewhere on Link's torso, and she materialized between him and Renado. "You two put so much of yourselves into taking care of others."
The long-haired man frowned at the Twili. "Midna? You normally do not show yourself here in the inn. Is something wrong?"
"With me? No. But there's something wrong with you." She floated down to take one of the shaman's large tan-skinned hands in her small black ones, and patted it kindly. "I've been able to talk to you about anything. I want you to know that you can do the same."
Renado opened his mouth to say something but only a faint sound came out, and then he turned his head slightly, moving his eyes to avoid looking at either of them. The pain that he had masked with his usual calm expression was clear on his face, the man no longer hiding it. "I had thought I hid it well."
"I think most people didn't notice...but I did. So did Link and Ilia, and of course Gor Coron." She let go of his hand and put hers to the side of his face. After seeing the Twili do that to Auren and now Renado, he realized that it was just the way she was, and he had been reading into it too much. Her touch made the shaman raise his dark eyes to look at her. "I don't want to talk to you here, but someplace quiet. I know you by now; you nagged Link for putting all of his energy into helping others while not worrying about himself, but you do the exact same thing, don't you?"
Renado was quiet at he looked at Midna's face, his lips parted slightly as if he wanted to say something but couldn't formulate a proper response. The man had always been strong and confident, but now he looked unsure and helpless. It hurt Link to see his friend this way.
"It's all right. Come to the Sanctuary in a bit, okay? I'll wait for you there." She gently patted Renado's cheek, and floated back a bit to turn towards Link. "I probably won't be back tonight. I'm going to keep an eye on the refugees while you sleep, maybe talk to Darbus if I get the chance. We can talk about how they're doing in the morning."
"Thanks, Midna. Be careful, okay?" He smiled at her, and watched as she zipped away in a dark blur, merging with the shadows in the inn and making her way outside.
"I normally am able to handle things. I am Eldin's shaman, and I am meant to advise and help others. I attempted to fool everyone, including myself." Renado stared at the floor, looking miserable.
Link reached up to touch the other man's arm comfortingly. "That sounds a bit familiar to me, for some reason. Go talk to her, okay? Don't be a bonehead like me and have a nervous breakdown."
The shaman stopped staring at the floor to look at Link. "It happened?"
"Don't worry about me, worry about yourself right now. If you really want to know, ask Midna about it. We can talk about it tomorrow, and I promise I'll be completely fine with it." He patted Renado's arm. "Go on. I'll see you in the morning."
Renado let out a slow sigh, nodding. Then he turned and made his way down the stairs, leaving Link alone in the hallway. He was glad that Midna decided to take care of Renado, since even though he wanted to, he really did not have the time or the energy at the moment. Midna was a far better listener than he was, anyway.
Now that he was upstairs, he was starting to feel overly tired. While he did leave some soup downstairs, he had enough in his belly to sleep, which he fully intended to do. With a single glance at Ilia's closed door, he walked down to his usual room and stepped inside. He lit the single lamp in the room and shut the door, finally alone for the first time in a long time. Even then he wasn't fully alone; he could feel the Master Sword's presence in his mind. It was subdued, but still there. How are you doing, Sword? You haven't said much over the past few days.
I am still weak, Master Link. While I have siphoned a fraction of your power every night, I cannot do it constantly. Courage has activated its own self in order to hasten your healing, and I believe it prudent to allow it to do so. You must recover from your injuries.
I'll do my best to rest up tomorrow, now that I have a chance. He removed his gear, setting it aside. When he finally removed the Master Sword, he ran his fingers across the large yellow gem, feeling like he had mistreated the legendary weapon somehow. I've abused your power, and I'm sorry about that.
I do not resent it, if that is what you fear. You did what you must, and now we will do what we must in order to restore my power. There is time for that, since you now have new tasks you must complete. It paused, and when it spoke again, its emotionless female voice sounded weak. Forgive me, Master Link. I would prefer to communicate only when necessary, and conserve my energy. I am still processing an important task as we speak, and I must allocate enough power to do so.
It's all right. You should rest. He set the sword down with its baldric and stood, feeling stiff in his back. Nadi had said that bones could bruise as well as flesh, and he suspected he had done just that. The ribs on his back were still sore, especially where the lich had whacked him on the right side. As he began to remove his tunic and chain, he noticed something sitting on the dresser that he had missed before. There were two neatly-folded articles of clothing there; one was white, the other navy blue.
Link carefully rolled up and set aside his chain shirt and stepped up to the dresser, and picked up the white shirt that lay on top. It was sleeveless and buttoned up in the front in the Kakariko style, and he realized who had made it. Ilia had taken his measurements, and since he had been gone for a week and a half, she had the time to make him some clothes. A lump formed in his throat as he ran his fingers over the neatly-stitched button hole at the collar. Small things like this, everyday, ordinary things were why he loved her so much. It was almost as if things hadn't changed. He smiled, and decided he would at least try on the clothing before he went to sleep.
The leggings fit well, and she had made them in his favorite color. He hadn't remembered telling her that it was blue, but perhaps she had remembered it all on her own. Perhaps she actually did remember him now. He had finished unbuttoning the shirt and was about to put it on when there was a quiet knock at the door.
"Yeah?" he said, pulling the shirt on.
He hadn't said "come in", but the door opened anyway. Ilia stepped into the room, carrying one of the mugs that Renado had filled before they had to take Shelly upstairs. She was dressed in simple white shirt and shorts, like she had come from bed. "You never went to get tea, so I figured I could at least bring you some before you went to sleep." She carefully set the mug on the dresser near where he stood, and turned to him with a smile. "It's still warm, so you- Oh gods, what happened to your chest?!"
He hadn't managed to button up the shirt, not expecting her to simply enter like that, and not expecting her to come to him at all tonight. He had thought she was asleep. Link gripped at the front of the shirt to hold it shut and cover his bare chest. "It's fine. It looks worse than it is."
"It is not fine." She grabbed at his wrist and fixed her eyes on him with an intense stare. "Don't try to hide it, I could see how black and blue you are. You're hurt."
He stared back, not saying anything, the two of them caught in a stalemate as he wanted to dismiss it, but she wanted to know about it. Then he sighed and let go of the fabric clutched in his hand, turning his head away to break eye contact. He didn't want her to examine him too closely, but she was going to insist on getting her way. There also was no point in keeping it from her, either.
Ilia let go of his wrist and moved the fabric aside with one hand to look at him better, and frowned worriedly at the patterned bruises on his torso. "Are those marks from your chain mail? What in the world…" She stared at him as he wordlessly removed the shirt and turned around to let her see his back. She actually gasped in response, and he hoped that she wouldn't start crying. Thankfully she didn't, and he felt her touch at the pattern the scabbard of the Master Sword had left diagonally across his back. It was exactly what Auren had done when she had seen it. "Did this happen in Castle Town?"
The fact that she was touching him was distracting, but he didn't let on. At least he hoped he didn't. "No. It happened in the desert well over a week ago."
"How? I don't understand what could do this to you." She sounded worried, but also sounded a bit stunned at how terrible he looked. He hadn't seen it in days, so he had no idea how it looked now. "This mark that goes across your back here...that's your scabbard. Down here…that has to be your quiver." He could feel her touch him again, and strangely enough, he wished she wouldn't. He was feeling moody now that she was making a big deal out of it, and he was finding that being turned on by the woman that was annoying him was frustrating.
"I fell and landed on my back. It was about thirty feet, but nothing was broken."
"Then how did you get the bruises on your front? You said you landed on your back." Her voice moved to the right as she moved to look at him better. "And here, there's more marks on your shoulder."
"Something tried to eat me. It had big teeth and quite a bit of bite force." And it almost killed him. Even days later, he was bothered by that fact.
"And you were going to hide all of this and not tell me?" It was almost exactly the same words and tone of voice that Rusl had when he had learned about the Lanmola. When he turned his head to look over his shoulder at her, she had her hands on her hips.
If he wasn't so tired, he would have argued with her. He would have gotten angry at her berating him over being injured and trying not to make a huge deal out of it, and she'd treat him like a child and scold him about it. Instead, he gave another sigh and shook his head. "For the time being. We haven't seen each other in a while, and I didn't want you to worry about me."
She moved around to his right side, hands still on her hips. "That's what friends are supposed to do, dummy. I was already worried sick, learning that you were in Castle Town right before it was swarmed by Shadow Beasts. I've seen you fight and I know how strong you are, but that place was invaded by thousands of monsters. I thought you might have been transformed too." When he had seen her last, she would have made that last statement with her eyes on the ground while looking sad. He could tell that she genuinely was worried about him, but her saying so was done in a firm way, her eyes on his. She was no longer meek.
"I can't be transformed by them. That's why I'm able to fight them, even though I'd rather not kill them." He rubbed at his face wearily. "I swear we've had this conversation before. Anyway a lot of things have happened, and I'm banged up, but I'll live." He saw her expression, and she wasn't buying it. Crap. She was so much like her old self, now that he hadn't seen her in over a week. Was it going to be harder to keep things from her now?
"I think it's worse than you say. Don't downplay it." Ilia's expression softened. "Come on, Link. Talk to me. I'm here for you, remember? I told you that I need my friend with me, but I'm pretty sure he needs me too." She looked up at him, and smiled. "I know I'm right. I can tell by looking at you."
"Yeah." he admitted. "Ever since I found you, I found one of those pieces I need. Something familiar that makes me feel normal. But I haven't been able to tell you anything like that until now. Wouldn't that have been weird if I did? You meet some guy, watch him kill some Bulbins, and then he comes up to you and says 'hey, I really need to be near you because I'm too much of an idiot to function without my friends'."
Ilia laughed, and then shook her head. "It's different now, okay? I admit, I still don't remember you, but I've remembered almost everything else."
Link was crestfallen. "I had hoped that after a week...that after you looked down at me earlier and you looked like you recognized something from a memory…" He tossed the white shirt on the nearby chair. "I should have known better than to get my hopes up." he said bitterly.
She picked up the shirt and began to carefully fold it, not offended that he had just carelessly tossed it aside. "How would it be different, if I remembered you? Is there something from our past that prevents you from talking to me about it?"
He stared at her. How could he tell her? He sorely needed to let her know who he really was, where he came from, and why he had to rely on her in the first place. "There are some things about me that you didn't know about, even when you did remember me. I want to share them with somebody I trust- ...no, the person I trust the most, so she can know the truth about me."
"It's about your family, isn't it?" Dammit, Ilia. He didn't want to tell her now! She set the folded shirt back on top of the dresser. "Let me tell you something about my memories. I can remember pretty much everything now, except for only a few things." She picked up the mug and pushed it into his hands. "Drink this. You're upset, and it will help you feel better."
Link stared at the tea in his hands, and had to admit that yes, he was upset. Still feeling moody, he sat on the bed and took a drink. It was mint tea with honey, and she was right; it was soothing. Even though she didn't remember him, she still knew how to take care of him.
Satisfied that he took a drink, Ilia came and sat next to him. "I know it's your family, because I don't remember any other Hylians in Ordon. I absolutely believe you when you say you lived there, and we were best friends, but if you grew up in Ordon and there were no other people with pointed ears, that means something happened to your family."
He morosely looked into the mug. This was not going how he had planned.
"You don't have to tell me anything." she said kindly. "I can tell that I'm right. And it's okay if you don't say anything about it right now. I understand how hard it is to lose family. I now know the reason I was upset at the memory of my yellow dress. It was because my mother made it for me, and died a little while later."
"I know. I couldn't tell you about that at the time." He raised the mug to his mouth and took another drink. "All I could do was give you a halfsies hug."
That comment made her smile. "Which I would be giving you right now, sitting next to you as I am, if you weren't covered in bruises. Poor guy." She reached out and patted his knee, right on his stitches, not knowing that he was wounded there. He'd have to tell her about that too. "Which brings me to the thing I actually wanted to talk about. I think I did remember something about you, just a little bit ago. It was when I saw you comforting that poor woman." Ilia wrapped her arms around body, giving her own self a hug. "Someone did that to me, after my mother died. My father was so upset...I didn't realize it at the time, since I was young and I was angry. I felt like he didn't understand me. I ran from my house, out into the rain. I didn't know where I was going just...away."
She dropped her hands into her lap. "I wound up in one of the orchards and finally started crying, after being so angry about what happened. And somebody came there…" she frowned. "I...I know I talked to them, but can't say about what. I can't say what they looked like, either. But what I do remember is that person that came to try to cheer me up sat beneath that tree and hugged me until I stopped crying."
He didn't dare say anything, his heart in his throat.
"I know it was you. I know what it feels like, since you've hugged me twice in Kakariko now, both times when I was upset." She lowered her eyes and smiled shyly. It wasn't the shyness of the girl that had been overwhelmed by the hero that had protected her. This time it was the same coy behavior she sometimes had around him back in Ordon. "You're very warm. It makes me feel safe." Ilia shook her head and quickly continued, a slight bit color in her cheeks. "Um. But that's how I know it was you. Seeing you do that, the memory made sense, and now so do others. I have memories of skipping stones on the river, but I can't see who I was doing that with. I remember laughing with somebody when Fado did something funny on accident, and I can almost hear their laughter, but not quite. There was a house on the stump of an old tree on top of a hill, but I have no idea who lives there, even though I have memories of visiting that place. I don't remember Epona, but I remember that song you hummed to her somehow. It's like my memories are pictographs, and somebody took a pair of scissors and cut someone out of them, someone important."
Ilia's smile faded. "I also know it's you, because when I try to chase those memories, when I try to find that missing piece of the pictograph, I start to panic. I feel afraid, like something terrible will happen, or maybe that something terrible did happen. A few times I cried about it."
He stood and placed the empty mug on the dresser, and looked up at himself in the mirror. His bruises only looked marginally better; the purple was starting to turn greenish in spots, and he was scruffy again; messy hair, whiskers, and an expression that...yes, sad eyes. Midna was right about that. Then again, it was hard not to make that face after hearing everything Ilia said.
"It's frustrating, too." she continued. "I feel like I'm making progress, but every time I reach for it, I'm not strong enough to grab hold. What I'm reaching for hurts me, even though I understand it's the thing I need." Ilia stood up and came behind him, looking at him in the mirror from over his shoulder. "I'm really trying. I know it will come eventually, and one day it won't hurt to try to remember you anymore. But for now...I'm sorry. I had hoped to give you better news when you finally came back here."
Link shook his head, and then turned to face her. "No." He gave in to his stupid side, his moodiness, the way he was over-dramatic without meaning to be, and pulled her into a tight hug. "No, listen. Don't apologize, okay? You're close. You're so close, and it isn't just your memory. You're still Ilia. You're the same girl I grew up with. Even if you can't remember it all, you're the same person to me."
She seemed surprised at his reaction. "I'm fine...it's okay. I'm certainly frustrated, but I'm not crying about it right now." Her hand gently patted him on the back, in an attempt to not hurt his injuries. "Really, you don't need to-"
"Shut up, this isn't for you. I need this. Let me be a selfish idiot for a minute, okay? I'm a moody, stupid, helpless dumbass that really can't function without the people close to me. I admitted I need to have you around. I need you with me, and Colin, and Rusl and Uli...you don't know why, but it doesn't matter. I need the people that I care about." He was speaking rapidly, not checking his words, not really caring about anything else other than he was exactly where he wanted to be at the moment. "I don't care about about my bruises, and I don't care how inappropriate this is considering I'm not wearing a shirt. To hell with it all."
He sighed and rested his face against her hair, and didn't care how it seemed to her. It didn't matter. "I need to see my little brother tomorrow, even though we're not related by blood. I need to see my stepfather and tell him that I love him, since I've never said so. And I need to reveal all these terrifying thoughts in my head to my best friend while holding onto her like she's the only thing preventing me from losing myself. Renado was right. He was right, dammit...and now I can't talk to him because he has his own problems to deal with. I completely lost it and had a nervous breakdown, because I was trying to be stoic and strong and carry on, because I thought that's what I was supposed to do. But it's not. And I'm an idiot for thinking it was."
She was quiet for a few seconds as she processed everything he had just said. "You're an amazing mess, aren't you?"
He had to laugh at that. "I'm an amazing, fantastic, wonderful mess, but that's okay. I'm learning how to handle it. Or more like I'm not handling it well, and then I learn from my mistakes."
"You just unloaded that on me, but at least you're not crying like the children do. You're not crying, right?" Her tone sounded amused. It was a joke, but she had no idea how close to the mark it was.
"No, and I'm surprised I'm not. I've been such a crybaby, I don't know why. Stress? Fear? Who knows. That nervous breakdown? I lay face-down in a field and admitted to my friends how afraid of dying I was. Dying, and then failing everyone because of it. And then I cried for probably ten minutes straight. I'm really and truly a mess, Ilia. I'm not joking here, not like I normally do. I've barely been keeping it together."
He shut his eyes, feeling worn out from the deluge of words coming from his mouth, and he relaxed his hold on her a bit so he could rest his forehead on her shoulder wearily. "I don't know how I have the energy to say all of this. I'm exhausted, mentally and physically. Yet...here we are. I was practically squeezing the air out of your lungs because...because I need you, dammit. I need you to be what you were, memories or not. Then I can feel like myself again."
It was as close as he dared to telling her how he truly felt. Everything he had said wasn't a lie, and he was being just as honest with himself as he was being with her. It was how it was before, where she gave him the support he needed by simply being there and being herself. Only now, he wasn't afraid to admit it to her.
Her hand came up to rest on the back of his head, and she softly sighed. "There's so much there...so much you said, I don't even know where to start."
"It's okay. All you needed to do was let me say it. I needed to tell myself all of that too." He felt her fingers comb through his hair and he gave a tired-sounding groan. "Gods, now you're even doing the hair thing. I might fall asleep on you just like how Shelly fell asleep on me."
Ilia laughed. "Standing up?"
"Standing up. I'm a very strange man." He reluctantly stepped back from her. "Sorry for being a bit on the dramatic side. I'm not- No, I can't say I'm not myself. I don't even know what I am anymore."
"What you are is fine, and you don't need to be sorry. I told you that I've been taking care of the children when they're upset. Why not take care of the biggest kid while I'm at it?" She smiled, and it was beautiful and warm. "You get some rest, and maybe tomorrow we can have more of a conversation and less, um. …less Link losing his marbles and rambling about how much he needs me?"
"I can't lose marbles I never had." He ran a hand through his hair, a little disappointed that he had to stop her from touching it. "Thank you."
She smiled and picked up the empty mug. "You've been there supporting me, so it's about time I do the same for you. Listen, instead of having lunch here tomorrow, why don't we get away from all these people and eat in the apple orchard that's a bit past the town at the top of the cliff? By then you'll be less of a mess...not to mention no longer have a face full of bristles or smell like horse." Oh. He really disliked being unattractive around her like that.
"I fully intend to bathe, I promise. I also promise I'll be here, for at least tomorrow." He smiled warmly at her, feeling as if he finally had her back. There was no way that he could tell her how he felt yet, and no way he could pursue a relationship with her at the moment, but she was still here. He had Ilia back. "Good night."
"Good night, Link." She reached up to pat his shoulder as she continued to smile in a way that made his heart melt. "My friend, the wonderful mess." Ilia took the mug and slipped out of the room, quietly shutting the door behind her. He watched her go, not feeling the usual butterflies, but a warmth in his chest instead. Once he lay in bed, he fell asleep while still smiling.
Author's note: Link's so dramatic at times. Some of the things he says makes me cringe, and I'm the one writing them. By the way, if you've been binging, please take a break. Go rest your eyes. The book will be here when you get back.
