Brent sat in the driver's seat of the sleigh, reins in his hands as he directed the two mules pulling it. The shaggy man frowned as he sat there silently, wrapped in a fur cloak similar to the one Link wore, and once the sleigh started up the switchback trail, he spoke. "Ashei." His tone was gentle, like he had considered berating her and thought better of it. "Tell me about the avalanche. Were you all right?"

She stared at her fur-clad hands in her lap, not answering at first. She did not want to speak about her irrational fear. He hoped she didn't view it as a weakness, just like Auren did. "Midna saved us." she said finally. "We were at the saddleback near the old Yeti dens there. That's where it happened." Her eyes raised to scan the mountainside, as if just talking about the previous avalanche would summon another one. After experiencing the first one, he couldn't blame her caution.

"She moved fast, and picked the two of us up and threw us into one of the dens. Then she blocked the entrance so snow wouldn't come in. She's able to teleport around, so she did that to go outside and started to dig us out. That's when Yeto came along, and he used his magic to create an ice tunnel through the snow so we could escape." Ashei's description was detached and gave a basic idea of what had happened. Even though her father had told her to let her emotions show, she was warrior Ashei at the moment.

Brent grunted, holding the reins in his large hands loosely. "That's not what I mean, girl. I meant were you specifically all right? I know your fears. I know you think yourself weak for having them, but there is no shame."

Link turned his head to look at her, disappointed that another friend had the idea in her head that fear equated to weakness. It didn't seem right that she would hide her fear when she was one of the braver people he had encountered in the past month. Right now she didn't look brave; in fact she looked like a child that had been caught misbehaving, fidgeting slightly while assuming an uncomfortable expression. He was about to talk to her about it, but the young woman spoke again.

"Link was there for me. He saw that I was afraid and told me about his own fears to try to distract me." Her brown eyes flickered over to meet his, and her cheeks turned slightly pink and she looked away again. "He even hugged me. I didn't...uh. It didn't bother me. He helped me feel safer." She looked embarrassed to admit that, although he wasn't sure if it was something he did, or her own personal hang-ups.

Brent laughed and leaned back to look over his shoulder at Link. "You gave my girl a squeeze, yeah? She's not much for physical contact, not much anymore at least...but you seemed to do all right. You're probably the only man that's gotten away with it without getting his head beat in." His grin widened and he turned his attention back to the road. "Why, I may have to make you marry her now!"

"Father!" Ashei scowled at him, the first time he had seen that expression on her face. It was interesting to see her flail when at the butt end of a joke.

Link had to laugh about both Brent's jest and Ashei's response. "She'll have to get in line. There's already a few other ladies after me." It was a joke, yet it wasn't. Neither one of them knew how popular he was in Gerudo lands.

The large man laughed again, driving the sled up the serpentine road faster than they could have walked. Ashei gave Link a swat on the leg in a surprisingly girlish manner. He forgot she was a woman most of the time, but every once in a while she'd do something like that to remind him. He grinned in response, and she aimed her scowl at him before staring ahead and letting it fade.

She stared at the back of her father's head, and then decided to share more about what happened in the den. "Father, he also sang to me." Her voice took on a tone of wonder. "You have no idea what it was like; it was almost like magic. It was this song in old Hylian that had to be hundreds...no, thousands of years old. He stood there with me and I couldn't just hear the song up close, but I could actually feel it in my chest." She put her mittened hands to her chest and smiled slightly, as if she could still feel the sensation she was describing. "For some reason, feeling and hearing that song made my fears go away. They suddenly didn't matter anymore. There was only my friend, and the song he was singing for me."

He had felt his face turn increasingly warm through her description of the song, and now he was certain his face was pink. Did she have to tell him that many details? It was weird enough that she was so close she could physically feel the vibrations of him singing; why did she have to tell her father, of all people? "Uh, Ashei? I really don't want you to go spreading that information around."

She turned to him, surprised at his reaction. "Are you embarrassed? Your face is red, yeah?" Ashei crossed her arms and smirked. "Why are you embarrassed about singing of all things when you wear that stupid sock hat on your head all the time?" That got a laugh from Brent.

Link sighed. "Look, it's not embarrassment over singing. It's...how do I put this? Picture the two of us stuck in that cave; I have my arms around you, and I'm singing. And there you are, listening, literally inches from my face. Doesn't that seem a bit uncomfortable to you?"

She shrugged at him, apparently not thinking so despite her usual dislike of close contact. "I could tell you were a little uncomfortable, but I thought it was just the singing at the time. Now that I think about it...I'm not Ilia, am I? Sorry. Sometimes I forget my own gender, and the two of us are simply warriors in my mind."

"That's not it…" He was having problems conveying the way he felt about it. "I mean, yeah...that was it in part, but more...uh." He rubbed at his face with a gloved hand. "It was very personal to me. I saw how frightened you were, and I knew how that specific fear felt. I felt that way at the bottom of Lake Hylia, and both Midna and Ralis weren't doing the thing I needed, which was something very human." He met her eyes again, hoping he didn't sound too stupid as he described his logic. "I thought I could distract you in a way that would appeal to your mind, but not only that. I had this desire for you to not be afraid anymore, and it felt as if I projected that onto you. And...then you weren't afraid. I don't know how I conveyed that, but you were fine. All I wanted was for the friend that's the same age I am, the friend that fights with a sword and bow just like me, the friend who has a knight father like I do...I just wanted her to be okay."

Her brown eyes softened, and he could see a warm fondness there. She had begun to feel close to him as well. "You fool. You sappy fool. Are you like this with your other friends?"

Midna laughed lightly from where she had been hiding in his shadows. "Ashei, sweetie...you have no idea. This guy is the biggest sap I've ever met, but at the same time that's what makes him such a good friend. I had no idea what happened between you two while you were stuck in that hole in the mountain, other than he was singing."

"Look, I know you meant that as a compliment-" he began, but then the Master Sword's chime of five rapid notes sounded from over his shoulder, getting his attention. It also caused Brent to sharply turn to look at him in surprise.

Master, may I be frank with you?

"What was that?" Brent asked, confused by what he had just heard.

"Oh, his sword is talking to him." Midna told the two of them. "It does that sometimes. It has a soul and a mind of it's own."

The sword resumed speaking while Midna explained. You do not understand what you have done, and I must admit if I could feel the emotion of disappointment, I would. Was the sword sassing him?Your song had power, Master Link. It appears that you have more abilities than you know. This was a surprise to me as well, and I am not caught unaware of things often. I shall continue to observe you and once I have more information on the subject, we will discuss it in the future.

Wait, I have more things I can do that I don't know about? He prodded at the presence in his mind. Sword? Can't you explain more?

I intend to once I have gained enough data. Until then I will ask for your patience in this matter, Master. I am now entering a low power state again to conserve energy. Please do not call on me unless necessary. Just like that, the Master Sword had dangled something intriguing in front of his face, then snatched it away and dismissed him.

He sighed, and saw that the two of them were still staring at him. "It's nothing. It just wanted to talk for a minute." He didn't elaborate beyond that. "I'm glad you understand what I was getting at, Ashei. It's something a lot easier to feel than it is to describe."

"You're a good man, Link." Brent was letting the mules follow the trail, taking his eyes off the road; a steep mountain road of all things. The two mules seemed to know the way, as if they had done this many times before. "I can tell that you're someone who cares for his friends quite a bit. Hold onto those relationships, lad. They'll carry you through life." He turned to face forward just as they were coming to the saddleback pass, and steered the mules into it, although the way they were moving at a confident walk made it seem like they didn't need his help. "So tell me...what was this song you sang? Old Hylian, yeah? Care to share it?"

Link blinked, put on the spot. "Uh…"

"You were supposed to teach me that song." Ashei leaned forward in her seat to look at his face intently. "It's very old, so it's worth a lot. Songs like that need to be passed on so they can be remembered."

He rubbed at his forehead with his gloved fingers. "I guess so." Damn. Of course she'd remember. And with his luck, he'd start singing and half of Mido would wind up hearing him.

"Come on, lad." pressured Brent. "It isn't like we have a hell of a lot to do on the way back, yeah? Let's hear this old song of yours."

"Please? I didn't hear it very well when Yeto was digging you out." Even Midna was against him.

"Damn you all." he grumbled, trying not to get grumpy about the whole thing. "Fine. I guess I have to get over my stage fright somehow."

He recalled the lyrics and began to sing. Once he began, he found it was easier to keep going and not overthink it. Ashei and Brent weren't judging his voice, and were only interested in the Old Hylian song itself. Midna as well, although he had gotten to the point with her that he wasn't bothered by singing in front of her anymore. Perhaps he would get that way with others. As he sang he could feel Ashei's eyes on him, directly to his left, and he quite intentionally looked past Brent at the scenery. One intimate singing moment was more than enough for him, thank you very much.

They followed the carved trail through the middle of the two peaks, past the Yeti dens where the avalanche happened, and the same song that had led Yeto to their location bounced off the rocks as they passed. Link's song came to an end as they neared the switchback trail heading down the mountain and into the tree line. He could still feel the stare of the woman next to him, so finally he turned his head her way.

She was smiling. Not a faint, controlled smile but a warm, genuine one. "You're going to teach me that one on the way back to Kakariko. Don't argue." she added when he opened his mouth to retort.

"That was quite the song, done in an old style." Brent hadn't turned around, and his normally loud voice was softer. He turned his head to look sidelong at Link. "As soon as I heard it, I felt I was hearing your father again. It isn't just your speaking voice; even your singing voice sounds an awful lot like his." His voice took on a wistful tone. "It reminded me of the times when we'd sing...the four of us. Rolf didn't have much of a singing voice, but we didn't care. We were brothers."

Brent, Gwyn, Rolf and Alden. Not brothers by blood, but by the knighthood; tightly knit together through tradition and training, and time spent together. Ashei had described them as "friends" but it went far beyond that, and he was only beginning to understand that kind of kinship with Midna. The loss of his own family was almost the same as Brent's loss. His heart went out to this shaggy bear of a man with his loud voice and broad smile, a warrior knight that had given up everything to keep his daughter and men safe, and then had lost even more in the end. The man driving the sleigh sat there in subdued silence, wrapped in his memories, and even his daughter didn't say anything.

Link wanted to ask about his father, but knew this wasn't the time. Just like Ashei had needed a distraction, so did Brent. "There's this other song that Ashei didn't know. I think it was mostly passed down by the Lons." That roused Brent out of his thoughts, and the dark-haired man turned his head to raise a brow at him. "If you already know it, go ahead and stop me." Link said, and then he launched into another song.

The mood improved after that, and the rest of the ride had them taking turns singing, although Brent sang more than anyone else. He had a pleasant baritone voice, and he sang a few of the songs he had heard Ashei sing on the way through Lanayru. Link could see where Ashei got her musical talent from. In between songs, Brent asked the three of them what happened in the Queen's Keep. They took turns telling parts of the story, of their search for the mirror and eventual fight with the cursed Yeti.

While the hike, avalanche and downhill sledding had taken them the better part of ten hours, the trip back by sleigh only took a bit over three. The mules moved much faster once they were not going uphill, even moving at a trot, something Link had not seen mules doing much before. They normally seemed content to walk and slowly pull whatever load was hitched to them, but the load they were currently hauling was only three humans in a sleigh, its runners moving smoothly over the slick melting snow. Because of that they moved at a good speed.

They pulled into Mido to find that most of the warriors were outside, shoveling soggy snow from stoops, the road, and even from the bogged-down fields surrounding the village. Some of the men hailed Brent, waving and calling out to him from where they worked. The large man responded in kind, answering in his booming voice. They pulled into the side yard of the lodge and next to the stable, and Brent brought them to a halt there.

Ashei picked up the skis and snowshoes she had stowed in the sleigh near their feet, and turned to Link. "I'm going to put these away and see what the kitchen's made. We can probably have a midday meal and then leave soon after, if you're in a hurry." She smirked. "Which I know you are."

"Just a bit." He climbed out of the sleigh. It had been nice to sit down and do nothing for a few hours, but was time for him to use his legs again. "I'd stay here to rest until tomorrow, but the dark power of the mirror shards bothers me. The sooner I get them, the better."

After she had turned and walked to the lodge, he went up to where Brent was to help him unhitch and lead the mules into the stable. As he entered the much warmer and drier building, he could hear Epona whinny, calling out to him. The horse had heard his voice when he was still outside, and now she was excited to see him. She poked her head out of her stall to look down the rows at him, her pointed ears tilted in his direction.

Brent chuckled at Epona's reaction. "That horse adores you, yeah?"

He had to smile at that. "The feeling's mutual."

The large man led his mule into a particular stall, and indicated to Link to do the same in the next one over. "I can see why you love her. She's a fine horse. Bright, too." That compliment made Link's smile grow wider.

The two of them removed the gear from the mules and wiped down their wet bellies and legs, letting them drink water as they were cared for. After he was done, Link went down the row of stalls to his impatient horse, who still had her head over the gate. She had called to him a few times, and luckily he had finished what he was doing before she became sulky. "There's my girl." He patted the horse's nose, and she leaned her head against his chest with a sigh. He laughed at her affection, and returned it by singing the first bit of the song instead of humming it:

Epona, Epona, please come here to me;

When you are here with me I am not lonely

He heard a chuckle behind him and turned to see Brent standing there, bearing both a smile and a nostalgic look in his eyes. "That's your family's song, isn't it? I remember it somewhat. Gwyn said it was used to call the horses at his ranch."

Link patted Epona's face, and the horse's large brown eyes half-closed in contentment. "Yes, it's been in the family for a really long time. It's a cradle song more than anything else. The words are pretty simple, but the melody is what the horses were trained to respond to. In fact, I think my girl here was named Epona because of the song. I know it's corny, but that's why I sing it to her often. It's like she has her own special song." He smiled fondly at her. "I guess I'm the type to serenade the girls I love."

"Brent?" said a voice, and the large man turned around to see who was addressing him. When Link looked, he could see Max standing there. Great. Did he just hear that exchange he and Brent had about Epona's song? Max probably thought he was a fool. The other young man had a double black eye; two purple smudges were above his cheeks, and there was a red mark on his upper lip where his own teeth had cut him there. Even though it was petty, Link took a little satisfaction that Max had come out of the fight looking like that, while all he had was a split lip to show for it.

"What is it, lad?" Brent asked, treating the young man as amiably as he had Link.

Max peered past the large man at Link for a split second, and in that second there was something familiar about the look in his blue eyes. Then it was gone, and he focused them on Brent again. "I was waiting for you to come back so I could talk to you. I would have been here sooner but uh...Ashei got to me."

"You don't have a broken nose to go with those black eyes, so I'm going to guess she was kind, yeah?" Brent's tone was jovial, but Link could imagine the verbal lashing that Ashei had given Max, after seeing how she was when she was angry.

The redhead actually looked ashamed, and turned his head to stare out one of the crude windows of the stable. "I couldn't apologize enough. She certainly let me have it, and then she just kind of gave up. Said that she wasn't going to see me in a while since she was leaving again soon, and didn't want the last time she saw me to be nothing but her screaming at my dumb face." He sighed. "What am I going to do? I'm such an idiot. I keep doing things that push her away from me."

The large shaggy man kindly put his arm around the younger man's slender shoulders. "She's pushing back, so it isn't just you. Now that you two are grown, she's less interested in this little town and us, and is chasing her dream. You're going to have to run hard to keep up with her, or she'll leave you behind...best friend or not."

Link stood there quietly, listening to this exchange. He was stealing away the person that Max relied on for support in a time he was suffering. That was comparable to someone taking Ilia from him again. It was something very personal to the other young man, but he still spoke about it in front of him.

Max saw him looking at him and they locked eyes for a second. Then the redhead cleared his throat, turning his attention back to Brent. "In any case, I needed to talk to you about our crops. They're in bad shape. The squash wasn't far enough along, and now the vines are dying. Our oats and wheat aren't salvageable, and most of what grows above ground has to be harvested and then canned for the time being. Still, we won't have much preserved for the winter, and we're pretty much going to be down to root vegetables. "

Brent looked grim. "I was hoping that wouldn't be the case. The ground never froze, but it never needed to, yeah?" He grunted and combed his hand through his beard. "The Yeti I spoke to earlier said that she would help us hunt for meat, but man cannot live on meat and potatoes alone."

"Neither can the children, and certainly not our livestock." He stepped back from the arm that Brent had put around his shoulder, and turned to him. "That's why I'm going to leave for a bit. I was going to travel to Lanayru to see if any of the farms there have crops to spare, or even if they'd be willing to plant something late for us. We pooled our rupees together and figure we can buy enough, if we find the right people."

The bearded man crossed his arms. "Whose idea was that? Dyson's?"

The young warrior shook his head. "No, mine. I can't sit here and do nothing. I know my mother's still in a bad place right now, but she'll be in a worse place if there isn't enough food for her in five months." He sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck. "If only Castle Town hadn't fallen...I could have hired some teamsters to help carry things, but now even if I find a supply of food, I don't know how we'll transport it."

Max seemed to be a fairly intelligent and reasonable man when he was sober, not to mention good at heart. Link wondered: if they had met under better circumstances, would they have become friends? He had to shoot down the young man's plans, knowing the state of the lands of Hyrule. "I hate to say it after hearing all of that, but there's a problem with your plan."

The redhead turned to look at him warily. "And that is?"

"Most of the Hylian population of Hyrule has been captured and turned into Shadow Beasts. I don't know if you'll even find anybody at those farms and villages. I certainly didn't see anyone as I rode through Lanayru to get here. I saw crops all through Hyrule that were either stolen to feed the Bulbin army, or left in the fields to rot. It's going to be a difficult winter for everyone." Link put a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "Although...Ordon always grows far more than it needs, and sells plenty of the excess for cheap. It may be a long trip since it's completely across Hyrule from here, but I think they'd be willing to spare some things that can survive the trip here: squash, beans, rice, apples, feed for horses."

The other young man's demeanor immediately changed, and he looked hopeful. "Do you think the Ordonians would do that for us?"

Link nodded. "They would. The people of Ordon are kind, and won't turn away those in need. Still, I think you should still go forward with your original plan and see what's in Lanayru. The Bulbins and Shadow Beasts don't patrol the region much, so you'll probably be one Hylian that they won't catch. And if you're willing to go down to Eldin and risk being near Castle Town, the Goron merchants that would be trading there are now sitting around their depot with pack dodongos and not much to do. You could try asking them for help."

Max relaxed, and the rest of the tension he was holding went out of his shoulders. He had still been guarded around Link, but now he dropped those defenses. "Thanks. I appreciate the help." He paused. "So, uh. How's your lip?"

"Healing." Link said, tapping it with a smirk. "How's your eye?"

"Not swollen anymore, although now I have this lovely double-shiner." The redhead smiled ruefully. "I deserve it after how I acted. I realized the next morning that you were trying to avoid a fight, and only fought back once I hit you. I'm sorry."

The apology was genuine; Link could clearly see that. This young man was not the drunken idiot that he had fought with in the snow the other evening. He seemed to be a good person, although the possessiveness fueled by his feelings for Ashei may have been his true self, if something he kept hidden. Link certainly understood what it was like to drunkenly do something that he meant to keep hidden.

He stepped back from Epona and extended his right hand towards the young warrior. After the fistfight, he knew that Max was right-handed. "Apology accepted."

The redhead looked down at Link's hand, and then shook it with a friendly smile. "Thanks. You're all right, Link."

"You seem to be a good guy yourself." he replied, returning the smile.

Brent watched this exchange wordlessly while combing his thick fingers through his long beard. "Well then, I'm glad you lads made up. It wouldn't do for the two of you to not get along, not when Ashei's good friends with both of you." The large man grinned. "It also would be best if two cousins got along."

The two of them gaped at Brent. Max turned towards the large man while putting his hands on his hips. "Excuse me?"

"Well, technically you two are second cousins. Alden and Gwyn were first cousins. Bannen and Lon have mixed bloodlines more than a few times, you know." He laughed at their stunned expressions. "Got you good, yeah? Didn't see that one coming!"

"You knew the entire time, didn't you?" Max frowned at Brent, looking a bit petulant about the whole thing.

"Of course I did! I was going to let the two of you know two days ago, but then you had to get drunk and punch the Hero of Hyrule in the face." He clapped Max on the back. "Well, it all worked out in the end, yeah?"

"I have family…" Link was still trying to process it. His parents were only children just like him, but there had been the chance that there was some extended family that he didn't know about. He made eye contact with Max, and then snapped his fingers when he finally recognized the man's blue eyes. "That's it! That's why your eyes are so familiar. I see eyes a lot like those in the mirror." It wasn't just their eyes; the shape of their ears was similar, and they both had slender builds, even if Max was a few inches taller than Link. He had assumed that he was built that way from the Sheikah part of his family, but it seemed to come from the Hylian side as well.

"Well I'll be damned...you're right." He looked Link up and down, and then gave a short laugh. "Of course Ashei would give you some of my clothes to wear on your trip to the keep. I doubt there's anybody else in this town that would have something that fit you."

"To be fair, that's one of Ashei's bear furs." Brent said. "I'm glad you're not blaming him for what she told him to wear."

Max sighed. "No, and I'd be angry at Ashei, but I'm sure my mother gave them to her when she asked." He gestured at the clothes that Link was wearing. "I'd like those back before you return to Hyrule, if you don't mind."

"I was going to take them off when I went into the lodge to eat. We're leaving soon." And now that it was warming up, he was finding that he was a bit too warm in the heavy wool clothing.

"Which is why I planned on leaving right now." Max raised his eyebrows at Brent. "I'm getting my horse ready, and then I'm gone. The sooner I take care of things, the better."

"Wouldn't you rather travel with us part way?" Link offered. "You could spend a little more time with Ashei."

The redheaded man's eyes grew distant, and he faintly shook his head. "No. I need time to talk to her without a third wheel, no offense. If you have headquarters in Kakariko right now, I can make my way there eventually. She and I need a bit more time away from one another before we can talk without arguing. At least I do." It was clear that his relationship with Ashei was complicated, and not in the same way Link's own relationship was with Ilia. Max gave a short sigh. "In any case, thanks...but I'm going to get going."

"I'm glad we got to meet again before we both left Mido, since the first time we met didn't end too well." He couldn't help but grin at his newly-found cousin. "Although, sometimes you need to smash your fist into another man's face a few times before you realize you like him." That made the other two men laugh, and his grin turned into a slight smile. "Good luck, Max."

"You too, Link." He looked like he was about to say something else, and gave his head a shake. Then he walked past the two of them and down the row of stalls to wherever his horse was stabled.

Link decided to leave the stable to let Max go, patting Epona on the nose one more time before he left. It was subtle, but he could tell that the man was uncomfortable with the idea of another man traveling with Ashei. If he hadn't seen the pure jealousy in Max's eyes when he was drunk the other evening, Link probably wouldn't have picked up on it. He decided he wouldn't mention that part of it to Ashei, who was already inside at one of the tables eating with a few of the other men.

After shedding the clothes belonging to Max and leaving them in Ashei's room, he joined her for a meal of wild boar and foraged mushrooms. It would likely be the last mushrooms Mido would have for the season, now that the snow had ruined everything. Even foraging for food would be difficult due to Yeta's snowstorm. He considered talking to Bo about Mido's plight even before Max had a chance to get there, knowing that he would have to return to Faron soon in order to find one of the mirror shards.

It wasn't even a half an hour later that their horses were saddled and they were ready to go. The two of them agreed that it was possible for them to make it to Eldin by dark if they were able to let the horses run, and they hoped that would be the case. Brent stood on the side of the wet road, which had been cleared of snow up to the town limits.

"Ashei." he said to his daughter. "You keep this young man safe. I know he's just as capable as you are, but as a Mabe you have an obligation to protect others. He's just as he says: a hope for Hyrule. He's probably the most important person alive right now, so let's keep him that way, yeah?"

She nodded. "Of course, father. I would have protected him even if he wasn't important, because he's my friend."

Brent grinned at that. "I wouldn't expect any less from you. Now, when you're done helping him, you go on to take care of Princess Zelda. She didn't have enough proper knights to protect her, only Sir Alden, and look what happened. Even if you aren't officially one, you are every inch a knight. Your actions in Castle Town and then the Queen's Keep showed that, and I'm proud of you." He pulled her into a rough hug, which she seemed to tolerate rather than participate in, unlike how she was next to Rolf's body in the keep. "Try to be patient with Max." the man said quietly, and then he pulled back and held her at arm's length. "He knows he was a fool. Not only that, but not everyone is able to grow up without making too many mistakes, unlike you."

"I'll speak to him, father." Her tone was more unemotional and controlled. Because of that Link had no idea how she felt on the subject. "Once I've done what I can to help Link."

There was nothing for the large man to do but nod in response, even though his brown eyes said that he did not like the detached way she had spoken. He patted her shoulder. "Go on. Bring honor and the knighthood back to our family. I know you can do it."

The tall man turned to Link. "Lad? You take care of Hyrule, yeah? I want there to be a place for my daughter to live in, and I want to see Zelda as queen. I don't know what you plan to do, but I think with that quick mind and magic sword of yours, you'll be successful." He clapped a heavy hand on Link's shoulder. "When I look at you, I see my old friend. There's so much in you that's like him; you're smart, honorable and strong. Not to mention a bit of a smartass." He chuckled, and Link could hear Midna do the same.

"At the same time, you are very much your own man, carving your mark on the world." Brent smiled warmly. "Once you've freed Hyrule, come back here. We'll talk over cups of wine and I'll tell you more about your mother and father."

He smiled back up at Brent, nodding. "I'll be sure to do that. Just give me a few years to get Hyrule back on track. I'm only one guy so it might take a while." He appreciated Brent's laugh at his joke, and he mounted up on Epona with a smile. "I'm glad we got to meet. You're a good man, Brent."

The large, shaggy bear of a man grinned up at him, a wide white smile in the middle of a long black beard and mustache. "The feeling's mutual. You're a good man, yourself. And you're a good woman, Midna...wherever you are. It was nice to meet and talk to such an intelligent young lady. I hope you get your normal body back; I'm sure you're lovely."

Midna's voice came from all around Link. "Oh trust me, I'm so beautiful I would make your heart melt."

They waved goodbye and began to travel through the slush towards Zora's Domain, hoping to make good time into Lanayru due to the downhill path. The slush gave way to a wet gravel road, and before long they were riding through a forest without snow clinging to the trees. Patches and puddles of water here and there through the woods were the only remnants of what was a snowstorm three days ago. It seemed that the Snow Peaks would recover from Yeta's corrupted magic before too long, and hopefully the people of Mido would be able to salvage and find enough food for the winter.

Link and Ashei rode in silence, both of them comfortable with not saying anything for the time being. She was lost in her own thoughts, and he was already considering what he should do next. After hearing of Mido's plight for food for the winter, he realized it wasn't only going to be Mido that had a problem; it was going to be everywhere. If he managed to kill Ganondorf and return the Hylians to their human forms, it might still be possible for them to finish harvesting food for the winter. The idea of a famine right after an invasion made his stomach twist in worry.

If he was going to hurry, he needed to decide on the next shard. He could speak to Shad about the floating island, and see what information the scholar had. It would be far easier to go to the one that went into the Sacred Realm, although Rauru had told him that he probably didn't have the magical strength to do so yet.

The Sage of Light was correct at the time, but I believe you and I now have sufficient power to enter the Sacred Realm through the Temple of Time. the Master Sword told him. If that was the case, then he planned on going to Faron next.

He looked over at Ashei, who calmly sat on Spirit, and considered the young warrior and all that the two of them had gone through while in the Snow Peaks. It had brought them closer together. "All right." he said. "A promise is a promise. Let's teach you this thing."

The dark-haired woman turned her head and assumed a confused expression, and then it suddenly dawned on her what he was talking about. She seemed both eager and surprised that he would actually teach her a song.

He smiled at her reaction. The woman certainly loved songs. "I'm going to sing each line, and I want you to repeat it. We'll go over them a few times until you get it. Not too different than how you taught me a few songs on the way here. Start with this: O dae beh lest gaal, baer feh malomen."


They were able to pass through Zora's Domain quickly and without alerting Ralis to their presence, and continued on down through the gray-stoned canyons and hills of Upper Lanayru. Once they were on more even ground, they pushed their mounts into a gallop, just as they had done coming the other way days ago. They made it to the bridge over Zora's River a few hours after the sun set, after deciding to push on past dark in order to reach the same camp site they had used before. They were able to have another meal of fish, and this time there were no revelations or uncontrollable laughing fits for Link.

The next morning it rained heavily, making their trip into Eldin miserable. Link at least had his hooded cloak, but Ashei's head was bare, and her twin tails of dark hair hung lump and dripping down her back. Even though her armor had layers of enamel on it, the water was still probably no good for it, and she would have to treat the steel to prevent it from rusting. His armor was equally wet even though he was wearing a cloak; it only did so much good since it hadn't been properly oiled to repel water, and soon he was soaked just like her.

The horses were only able to move at a trot or a walk, since the clay road going through the old volcanic range was muddy and slick beneath their hooves. They only stopped to let their horses drink, and ate their lunch while huddled beneath a small overhang that only kept the rain off of them when the wind was blowing in the right direction. Eating damp soda bread and figs in the rain was not the most miserable experience Link had, but it still felt like it ranked pretty high. They didn't linger, and continued their sodden ride.

Epona walked with her head low, not enjoying the weather either. The mare had nibbled at some wet stalks of grass when they had stopped, but didn't seem interested in grazing in the rain. Even Midna was silent, although ever since they had the conversation about how close she was to his bare skin, she hadn't spoken very much. Perhaps she was in that place right now, in the shadows next to his chest, able to feel the cold rain that soaked him down to the skin. He wondered if he even felt warm to her right now.

The rain turned into a misty drizzle by the time they came to the Bridge of Eldin. The Eldin plains south of them was lit with sunlight, with a stripe of blue near the horizon, so there was hope to escape the poor weather. Once they had crossed the bridge, they pushed their mounts into a canter. The road was still wet, but it was hard and not slippery, and it wasn't long before they had left the rain behind. Spirit led the way once they went into a gallop, doing their best to save time and get to Kakariko before nightfall.

They came up to through the canyon leading to Kakariko at twilight, and there were some noticeable changes. There were fortifications in the canyon not too far from the town, palisades made of green wood that were set wide enough to let a wagon through, but with no gates. He also spotted some movement up on the canyon wall, and when he looked up he saw the dim outline of someone in a cloak keeping watch.

The first set of palisades was not manned, but the second set had a Goron and a Hylian soldier there, both with weapons at their waists. The Goron noticed them first, having heard the horses' hooves on the hard stone of the road, and raised his lantern. He waited until the two approached, and then called when he recognized them. "Ho, Link! Ashei!" The Goron warrior passed his lantern to the Hylian standing watch with him, and rolled into a ball to speed away into the village, likely to tell people that the Hero had returned.

Link didn't want a hero's welcome. All he did was muck around in the snow for a few days, punch somebody and get half-frozen by a crazed Yeti. He hoped there wouldn't be any pomp and circumstance when they rode into town. He was looking forward to a hot meal and a hot bath, and was hoping to have some time to himself for a while.

The soldier didn't salute him, which he was thankful for. "Welcome back." the man said instead. "The usual group is at the inn."

He thanked the man and continued on to the north gates of Kakariko, which had been altered. They were now so tall even Epona wouldn't have been able to jump them, and there were thick iron spikes on top; additions made by the Gorons, no doubt. The gates had been swung open and two Gorons greeted them as they rode through. As they went through the gates, he could see that there were spears and slings with stones set on the other side. They were prepared for an attack.

The town was lit by lanterns, just as it had been the night he rode in with the refugees. However, where there had been chaos and an attempt to organize things, there was now order. Kakariko looked like an ordinary town. The windows of the houses glowed gold, and canvas tents were erected in spots between homes to give shelter to the extra people. Barnes' burnt down warehouse had been cleared away, and a small tent town stood in its place. There were the small sounds of a town at night: the clink of dishes somewhere, distant talking and laughter, a small child whining, the lowing of a cow. He had only been gone five days, but it felt like a completely different place.

The Goron who had rolled ahead hadn't alerted everyone, only Renado, who stood near Barnes' shop in a short-sleeved shirt and leggings, both an earthy brown color. The shaman smiled as they approached, and reached up to pat Epona on the nose once Link rode up to him. "I am glad you returned, my friend. Greetings to you as well, Ashei. I would ask of your success, but Eldin told me that you were able to retrieve the thing you were searching for."

That made sense. The Light Spirits had been aware of the other things he had been doing, so they were probably still watching him. He dismounted his mare and then glanced around. "The town looks so different now."

"The town is very much how it was before the Shadow Beasts came. We have different people now, but Kakariko is alive again." Renado smiled, but there was a hint of sadness in his voice, and Link was reminded of how the man had lost friends to the Shadow Beasts. "But here, why don't you two take care of your horses and then come rest? We can speak later, or even tomorrow."

They brought Spirit and Epona into the stable, and Link found that there was a sign hanging on the stall that he usually used for his horse, clearly labeling it for Epona. The other stalls had names as well: Barley, Rye, and then on the other side of Epona was Spirit. Across the way was Sam and Stephen. The remaining four stalls had no labels, but had horses moving around in them.

Ashei peered at the large runes written on wooden planks in black paint. "I guess our horses have assigned seating, yeah?"

Link smiled at the sign and the familiar way the runes were written. "That's Ilia's handwriting. I'll bet this was her idea. She always was fairly organized, even when it came to things that didn't really need to be organized." It was one of her cuter quirks.

It took them a while to clean the mud off the horses and their tack. Link's stomach complained as he worked, reminding him of how hungry he was. It was about four hours to midnight, if not later, and dinner had long passed.

"You know, you could hurry up and go inside to eat. I'm not interested in listening to your stomach growl all night." Midna complained. Of course she would complain about his stomach making noise.

"You know, you could leave and go someplace on your own." He was hungry, tired, muddy and in no mood to listen to her complaints. "You don't have to sit inside my shirt and cuddle with me while making clever remarks."

"You-!" she began, and then she stuttered, sounding like he caught her off-guard. "Y-you...that isn't… Ugh! I'm not cuddling with you, dumbass! I told you, I'm here to make sure you're safe!"

Ashei laughed nearby, causing Midna to grumble. He smiled just a bit, finding that poking fun at her over it was satisfying. She had given him grief over so many things, so he had to get back to her sometime, even if it was a sore subject for her.

"Ah, yes. My knight in shining armor." he said as he ran a brush over Epona's flank. "I'm glad someone brave can protect a poor little thing like myself."

Midna materialized next to him, her face indignant. "Shut up! You know, you're not as funny as you think you are." Why was she getting so angry?

"I don't know, Ashei was laughing." He gave her a glance, but then went back to what he was doing. If she was going to be cranky, fine. Maybe she needed to get away from him after being stuck in his wet clothing all day.

"Come on, Midna." the warrior said from where she was feeding Spirit. "He's obviously kidding. You know Link likes to joke around."

The imp crossed her arms, still angry. "Sometimes a joke is not welcome. He and I already had a discussion about me watching out for him, so his comments are rude and unnecessary."

"About as rude as unnecessary as the first thing you said in hours, which was of course bitching about something I couldn't control." He tossed the brush aside, now starting to feel a little annoyed too.

"You know what? I don't have to stay here and listen to this. I'm going to the library." She dissolved into a mass of black orbs and shot out into the night, making her way through the faint shadows cast by the lamplight and sliver of a moon.

Ashei stepped from Spirit's stall while dusting off her hands. "She seemed a little too mad about that. Did something happen between you two I don't know about?"

He sighed, not sure how much he should tell her. For all he knew, Midna could be listening. "Nothing she won't get over. It's about her being in my shirt. She says she's doing it to keep tabs on me, but it's not always necessary, and she really needs to learn something about personal space." While he had told her she could do it, he didn't mean all the time. Midna's feelings were already complicating things, now that he knew about them.

"You're worried about personal space with her when she's been hiding in your shadows for a month?" The warrior perked a brow at him. "Isn't that being picky?"

"There's hiding in the shadow of this green tunic, and then there's being right up against my skin. She probably figures that since she's not human right now, it's probably fine." He finished caring for Epona and stepped out into the aisle next to her. "Admit it, if she was doing the same thing to you, you wouldn't like it."

"Yeah, I get that particular personal space issue." She pointed over her shoulder in the direction of the Eld Inn with a thumb. "She'll get over it. Let's go eat something, yeah?"

The two of them went into the inn to find Telma there with two unexpected guests. Auru and Auren sat at the long common table, which appeared to have gotten longer while he was gone. The three were sharing a bottle of wine, one of the things from Telma's bar that made it from the Goron depot.

Auren's face lit up once he entered the room, and she stood up excitedly. "Link!"

He stopped three steps into the inn to stare at her. "...Auren? Why are you here?" It didn't make any sense. Why would Auru and Auren be here? Were Sumati or Hida here too?

The young Gerudo came around the common table with a wide smile and put her arms around him in a hug. "What a strange way to say 'hello'. Aren't you happy to see us?" She stepped back and held him at arm's length. "Ugh. You smell like horse and mud, and you're damp. Did you get caught in the rain? What happened to your face?"

Link held up his hands. "Auren, slow down. I just got here. I'll be more than happy to talk to you after I've eaten something and had a bath."

"You'll have to wait" Telma said, swirling the dark red wine around in her glass. It was almost the color of Auren's dark red hair. "Ilia and Shelly are up there. Why don't you grab some grub and sit down with us, honey? I'm itching to know how your trip to the mountains went." She looked over at the female warrior. "You two went to your hometown, right?"

"Yeah, but I'm going to get clean while I have the opportunity. I have to do something about this wet armor, too." She walked up to the stairs and stopped with her hand on the railing to look over her shoulder at him. "You fill them in, Link. You like to talk anyway." Then she climbed the stairs without another word.

He looked up at Auren, who had stepped even farther back after commenting on his smell. "Do I really talk that much?"

"Just a bit." She said with a smile. She looked the young hero up and down. "Hello, Midna. I know you're in there somewhere."

"No, she isn't. She wanted to go to the town library, probably to return some more books." And because he pissed her off from joking about the wrong subject. He had no idea she would react that way. "Is there anything left to eat, or do I have to fix myself something?" He looked over to the kitchen. He really did not feel like cooking, even if he wanted a hot meal.

Telma set down her glass of wine and stood, waving him over as she began to walk to the kitchen. "I did the cooking tonight, since the Gorons got us some good things from Central Hyrule. They found some stray sheep, so we have mutton." She led him into the kitchen and lifted the lid of a pan to show him cuts of lean meat still sitting in their own juices. "They brought a lot of flour and more yeast, so I made bread rolls. And this pot here has peas and onions." She tapped it with a finger. Telma examined him carefully now that she could see him up close, and smirked. "You have a split lip. Who hit you?"

He had to smile. Telma noticed everything. "A man who came out of the fight a lot worse than me. I'll tell you everything in a minute."

Within moments he had a plate of food, a cup of wine, and a long story to tell his friends. He didn't tell everything; some of what happened was far too personal for either him or Ashei. He left out his epiphany that he could recover from his anger, and of Ashei's fear when they were trapped by the avalanche, as well as the song he had sung for her while there. He decided to leave out everything about Rolf and the rest of the people transformed by the queen. Saying that she was doing experiments with alchemy and dark magic was plenty of information.

He also didn't mention how he was tempted by the mirror. That was a point of shame for him, and he didn't want any one knowing about it.

Auru was quite interested in the Yeti, their polite culture, and their use of ice magic. Telma liked the story of how he had no choice but to fight Max, and how he had defended his friend even though she didn't need his help. He added that Max was a reasonable man when sober and was trying to search for food for the people of Mido. And of course, he mentioned that Max was his second cousin, that their fathers were first cousins, and now he had family members that were alive. That made the three of them smile at him, all of them happy that he had found family.

Ilia came downstairs with damp hair most of the way through the story, coming in when he talked about Brent bringing a sleigh to cart them back to Mido quickly. She sat down right next to him, and he found the smell of soap distracting. He finished his story mentioning that Brent and Ashei had gotten him to sing a song he knew in Old Hylian, and that he had taught Ashei and Midna the song on the way back.

"You sing things other than that little song for your horse?" Ilia asked. Her hair had curled up from being wet, making a pale blonde halo around her head. It was absolutely adorable.

Link shrugged. "Well, yeah. A lot of people know songs, not just me. I'll bet everybody else here knows a bunch that they can sing."

"Not me" Auren said, pausing with her wine glass halfway to her painted lips. The Gerudo had done up her makeup, most likely to keep hiding the bruise on her face. "My singing voice sounds like a Lizalfos with a sore throat. My father isn't too much better."

Auru cleared his throat awkwardly. "I can at least hit the notes...most of the time. I still know many songs, even if I can't sing all of them. I've taught a few to Shad, who has a far better singing voice than my own." He leaned forward to look at Link with interest. "Since you taught that song to Ashei, would you mind teaching it to me? Not right now, mind you. I can see that you're quite tired. Sometime in the future."

He nodded, not surprised that Auru would be interested in an ancient song. "Sure. Ashei and Midna can always sing it for you, if I'm not around. Ashei has a good memory for that kind of thing, and Midna has a good memory for...well, everything." He wrapped his hands around his cup of wine, using an ordinary clay cup instead of one of the fancy long-stemmed wine glasses from the bar. "My tale's done. Now it's your turn. Why did you two come here?"

Auru leaned back and crossed his arms. "You know that the bridge at the border has been repaired. The day you left and all through the next morning, refugees from Castle Town started crossing over that bridge. They said that they were getting away from the Shadow Beast army, and would take their chances in Gerudo lands since Lakeside was getting crowded and having other problems. They were frightened enough that they offered themselves up as prisoners." He frowned. "Of course, the Gerudo weren't interested in prisoners. They escorted the refugees to the first main fortress before the desert and helped them set up there. The Hylians were quite surprised at the kindness, and I believe some old prejudices may have been altered."

"I was about to leave East Oasis when a rider came in from the fortress with word that the Hylians were fleeing Castle Town." Auren picked up the story, continuing. "We went to the southern fortress since my parents and Sumati were still there, and told them what was happening. We all agreed that you had to be involved in some way, if the monster army had gotten so terrible that people were fleeing."

"The four of us discussed it, and decided we should come and offer you help." Auru said. "After what you told us of at least half of the Hylian population being transformed into Shadow Beasts, we knew that you would have problems with an army." The scholar smiled. "You helped them, so the Gerudo wanted to help you. The only problem was we had no idea where you went, since those mirror pieces were in three different places. I knew that you were going to Faron and were from Ordon, and you had mentioned spending time in Kakariko when you could, so we decided to split up."

The Gerudo delicately held her wine glass with her long fingers. "We're spread thin, but I'd say about three hundred of us are in Hyrule now. Mother took one group of warriors to Lakeside. Apparently the Zoras were having problems driving off Bulbin attacks, so she wanted to make sure the people there were safe. Sumati went south to Faron with another group, with plans to help any Hylians they find on the way. Father and I came here with my archers and a few other warriors, knowing that it was a canyon and we could help defend it if necessary." She took a sip of her wine. "Which we had to do."

"Oh, yes. Bulbin raiding parties attacked here." Ilia told him. "Not long after the Gerudo arrived. We would have been overwhelmed if it wasn't for the Gerudo and Gorons."

Link stared into his wine glumly. "I had hoped that wouldn't happen again. I brought you and the kids here to be safe."

She lightly put a hand on his arm. "We were safe, don't worry. There are Hylian, Goron and Gerudo warriors defending this place."

He couldn't voice his concerns out loud, not wanting to alarm the others. After watching the Shadow Beasts swarm Castle Town, he knew that nothing would stop them from swarming Kakariko, or Lakeside, or any of the other places where Hylian refugees went to hide. Even though he knew he would find a way to defeat Ganondorf, he still held fears about the man and what he would do to the people of Hyrule.

While he couldn't talk about that directly, he could talk about something related. He raised his eyes to look at Auren and her father again. "Then you know that Castle Town has fallen? That now almost all the Hylians have been turned into Shadow Beasts?"

The older gentleman nodded. "Yes, Telma and Shad told us about it, and how you tried to get the people out with very little time. Even so, the people here are grateful to you. I've heard them speak about the hero, and they think very highly of you."

Link took a drink of wine. Of course the people were still talking about the hero, even though he had taken pains to be seen as a person. He was still an idol, a thing to look up to, and while he knew that was part of his role, he still didn't like it. He felt a tap on his shoulder, and he turned to see Ashei standing there. She was wearing clothing very similar to what Ilia was wearing at the moment, a sleeveless, shapeless shirt and shorts. That meant that she had made it for Ashei. "All the ladies are out. Your turn." She smiled down at Ilia. "You didn't have to make me these clothes, but I really appreciate it. I didn't exactly have many changes of clothes."

"Neither did Link, which is why I thought I would make some for you and Shad. I had to guess your measurements, but since they're only to sleep in, I figured it would be all right if they wound up being a bit on the big side." She thoughtfully looked at the other woman. "I really should get your measurements to make you something else. I can see you have some muscle, but you have a nice figure. I know you'll still look good in red."

Ashei laughed her breathy laugh. "If you think you're getting me into a little dress like that blue one you wore the other day, you're sorely mistaken. I dress and act like a man so they won't hit on me, you know."

Ilia put a hand to her mouth. "Oh. I didn't realize. I had wondered, but…" She shook her head, dismissing whatever train of thought she had. "Do you really think I'm going to let any man harass one of Link's friends? I'll give a fat lip to anyone who gives you trouble."

That made the other woman laugh louder, and far harder than he had ever heard her laugh, even when she was drunk. "Oh, I like you, Ilia. I think we have more in common than I originally thought."

He did his best to not smile too much about the situation. Ilia had not liked Ashei before they had left, but now it seemed as if that could change. He finished his wine and stood. "Ilia, are you going to bed soon? I want to talk to you about something." There had been something bothering him ever since Renado had taken out his stitches days ago, a niggling thought that he should have remembered an important detail, but for some reason forgot. During the soggy ride back to Kakariko, he had finally remembered.

"Of course. I want to talk to you too, since I only heard part of your story." She wrinkled her nose. "Now go bathe. You smell dirty."

His face flushed a little at that. He didn't want to seem dirty or unattractive around her. Link went up the stairs and into his room at the end of the hall to drop off his gear and take off his damp clothes. The clothing Ilia had made him was folded on the dresser where he had left it. He took the clothing, only wearing his leggings and boots, and made his way to the bath on the roof.

No one was there, not even the young Goron with an attitude. He went about his business in the bath, able to be alone for once. It was strange to not feel Midna's presence after being with her constantly for days. Even though she chose to go out and do things by herself while in Kakariko, he still was accustomed to her constant commentary. Without her it felt overly quiet. This is how it will be when she goes home, he thought.

Then he was struck by that thought: Midna had to go home eventually. His ally and good friend would return to the Twilight Realm, where she belonged. The thought upset him, even though he knew that one day they would have to part ways. Once the business with Zant and Ganondorf was resolved, he would speak to her about it. Perhaps he would be able to visit her via the Mirror of Twilight. It might be possible for him to become some kind of envoy between the Twili and the Hylians.

But what about her feelings, you idiot, he thought to himself, sitting in the hot water of the large tiled tub after cleaning himself. Would visiting her in the Twilight Realm make things awkward? He had to admit that he still didn't know all that much about Midna, and even though he had gotten to know her personality very well, after tonight he had no idea how she'd react to being separated from the person she fell in love with. Even after all this time, things about the woman were a mystery to him, and she took pains to keep it that way. He had to wonder what her secrets were, and why she wanted to keep them from him.

Worrying about it would do him no good, and he'd cross that bridge when he came to it. Sooner or later, he would learn Midna's story. He thought of what he needed to do tomorrow, and sat in the hot water until he realized he was half-drowsing. It was time to get out.

Feeling much better in clean clothes, he made his way back to his room, dirty gambeson and leggings in his hand. He could smell what the others had complained about in the common room of the inn, so as he walked into his room he decided that yes, perhaps laundry day had come again.

Ilia was there in his room, laid out on the bed with her eyes closed. He froze with his hand on the doorknob, surprised to see her there. Instead of waiting downstairs, she had come into his room for some reason. The loud laughter coming from Telma and the others was probably why; they sounded like they had more than just one glass of wine. If that was the case, he couldn't blame her for coming here without permission.

She had lit the oil lamp in the room, and probably stretched out while waiting for him. Was he gone that long? If the others downstairs were drunk, perhaps he had been. He had the urge to lay next to her, to put an arm around her and fall asleep himself. No, he couldn't do that...could he? She had been fine with his head on her lap, but at the same time it didn't seem right to boldly touch her while she was asleep. It did seem a tad on the creepy side, when he thought about it. He closed the door behind him, and the sound made her startle awake.

"Sleeping in my bed, are you? Does that mean I have to go sleep in your room?" At least he could kid around with her like always, even if he couldn't pull her close to sleep next to her.

Ilia sat up, putting a hand to her face. "Oh. I'm sorry, I'm a bit tired. I was helping the Gerudo with their camp up on the east cliff today, and then I helped the Goron merchants unload all these bags of flour and dried peas."

Link put his dirty clothes with the rest of the green outfit in a pile, not relishing the idea of washing them in the morning. He took the chair from the writing desk and brought it a bit closer to the bed, straddling it as he sat down. "You've been keeping busy, just like a good girl from Ordon would. You don't need to do that, though. I understand you want to do your part here, but I think you do plenty enough as it is."

"I know, but when I see others working hard, it feels wrong for me to sit and watch." She huffed a short sigh and folded her hands in her lap, staring at them. "I'm sorry, but no good news. I did remember when Talo was born and how happy Jaggle and Pergie were...but I don't remember you yet."

He hadn't kept his hopes up, so the disappointment wasn't as strong this time. "It's all right. We're still friends, which is what's important."

Ilia balled her hands into fists and thumped one on the bed. "But it's so frustrating! Everything else I've remembered has had a specific trigger, a thing that I saw or heard that opened up a whole batch of memories...but nothing with you." She raised her green eyes to look at him. "I'm looking at you right now, talking to you right now, and you would think just those things would make me remember...but they don't. Your voice doesn't, your face doesn't, even your horse doesn't."

"I understand your frustration, but if you think about it, it hasn't been all that long since you woke up under that cart in Lanayru. You've come pretty far in that time. Renado told us to be patient, so that's what we'll do."

"I'm running out of patience. I still don't know how I left Ordon. Malo told me that I...I saved them from...something." She put a hand to her head. "No, I can't think of that. I can tell what will happen. As it is, looking into your eyes just now made me feel anxious. I still don't get that, because I like your eyes." She fidgeted a little at that admission, and quickly changed the subject. "In any case, I don't feel like I'm being a very good friend to you if I can't remember you. Even if I don't mean to be, I'm being unfair to you."

He felt elated at that small admission of her attraction to him. Not that he hadn't known, but to hear her actually say it brought the familiar butterflies back to his stomach. Link rested his chin on his folded arms that were set on the back of the chair, and tilted his head a bit while looking at her. "Do you know what I think? I think you're overthinking it. You're not being unfair, or a bad friend. I'm not upset...and you certainly would know if I was."

She gave him a quick glance, and then looked away again. If looking him in the eye was causing her anxiety, he could understand why she acted that way. It was unfortunate that it was happening when he had the time to talk to her, but maybe it would pass. "I think I remembered something else that might have involved you. I remember going to my mother's grave often after she died, but there was another grave...I don't know who it belonged to, and I don't know why I went there often."

There was a loud laugh coming from downstairs, and it made Ilia jump. She was nervous now, talking about things that related to her blocked memories of him. "Is it your parents' grave?" she asked after she recovered from being startled.

"It is." Specifically, it was his mother's grave. "You would go there with me." He lifted his head off his arms. "Does that information make you feel worse?"

She furrowed her brow, considering it. "No. Just looking into your eyes right now, for some reason. Which is stupid, because I missed you and want to talk to you. Talking without eye contact is weird."

He stood up, ready to broach the subject he had thought of on the way back to Kakariko. He came to stand in front of the dresser. "If you're all right learning that, then let me see something else. This request is going to sound weird, but I'd like you to come stand in front of me and show me your back."

Ilia blinked. "Okay, yeah. That's pretty weird." She stood up anyway and turned around. "I trust you, so no funny business." He almost laughed at that line, because it was almost exactly what Brent had said to him days ago.

"If I was up to funny business, I wouldn't be sneaky about it." There he went again, running his mouth. It was a joke, but it was also the honest truth. He wasn't going to cop a feel on her, but he certainly wouldn't object to doing so if she was interested. "But seriously, I need to poke and prod your shoulder a bit, okay? I know that's strange, but honest to all the gods, I'm not being a weirdo here."

"Aren't you?" She glanced over her shoulder at him with a smile. He had missed her smile, even it had only been days since he saw her.

"Okay, I'm not being a certain kind of weirdo." He focused on what he needed to do: find out if she really had been shot by an arrow. He had a clear memory of her scream, of the blood, but perhaps his own imagination exaggerated it, and his own memories had been altered. He had gotten whacked hard enough on the head that he had nearly died, after all. He touched her left shoulder and patted around. Was there something there he would be able to feel?

"Um, as interesting as this is, do you mind telling me what you're looking for?" It was a reasonable question.

"I'll let you know when I find it." It wasn't visible on the part of her shoulder left bare by her loose cotton shirt, which meant that it was probably closer to the center of her back. He couldn't take her shirt off, even though she said she had trusted him. That would be way out of line. He gave up pressing on her back and shoulder, and decided to ask about it instead. "Have you felt or noticed anything on your upper back or left shoulder at all?"

Ilia looked over her shoulder at him again, and sounded a bit surprised that he knew about that. "Actually...yes. I was sore there for a while, but it got better. When I reach there to touch that area, there's...something. I can't tell what it is." Her face went red, and she looked away. "Um. Okay. I'll show you. But I'm not doing this to get overly friendly, okay? Don't get the wrong idea."

She gripped the bottom of her white sleeveless shirt with both hands and lifted. Link felt his heart pound. Was she really going to take her shirt off in front of him?! He caught a glimpse of her bare back, but then saw she had a chemise on underneath, which she tugged down after taking off the white shirt. Oh. Of course she would have worn undergarments beneath her clothes. His heart was still racing from what he had been able to see, though.

It was there. Just to the right of her left shoulder blade was a small row of white stitches. He reached out to touch them, and they felt like they were made of the same fine thread he had in his own stitched injury. Silk? The wound underneath was closed, a month having passed since she was shot. There was a faint white line, but no signs of infection or trouble. He pressed on it gently. "Does that hurt?"

She was still a bit pink in the face and wouldn't look at him, but she shook her head. He knew that she was getting flustered because he was touching her; she had gotten goosebumps when he had prodded at the stitches once he found them, and wrapped her arms around herself. While he could give her a real reason to be flustered, he did promise no funny business. "What's there?" she asked.

"There's stitches back here. They're clean and made of white silk. Whoever patched you up did a nice job, since you're completely healed." He stepped to the side. "Here, you can probably see them in the mirror if you look over your shoulder." He picked up the lamp and set it on the dresser so she could see herself better.

After she twisted to see her back in the mirror, she turned to him, still hugging her arms around herself. "Take them out. You can take them out, right?"

He understood her wanting them gone, but he didn't think he could remove them without hurting her. All he had is a dagger, and that wasn't really a tool for finesse. "I don't have the right kind of equipment to remove those. Renado does, so you can ask him tomorrow."

She looked disappointed and let her arms drop at her sides with a sigh. "I don't know why, but I really want them gone." When she did that he saw how thin her linen chemise was, and he quickly looked elsewhere.

"You uh...you can put your shirt back on now." He almost could have laughed at the situation and how uncomfortable they were...if he wasn't busy trying to not seem flustered himself. As she pulled the shirt on over her head, he sat down on the bed to give himself some space. He felt quite warm all of a sudden.

"What is it?" Ilia asked as she got her shirt back in order. "I was hurt, wasn't I?" She paused, considering it, and then continued. "Is that what you're trying to get me to remember? Because I don't understand what that has to do with you."

Link shook his head, hoping that the discussion didn't cause her to panic or faint. "It's not just your injury I want you to remember, I want you to remember the person who helped you too. You were in northern Lanayru when your memories in Hyrule start. Are you sure you don't remember anything before that?"

"I wish I could. If somebody helped me, I want to thank them." She sat next to him on the bed. So much for a bit of space. "Do you know how I was hurt?"

"Yes, but…" He sighed and scooted closer to her. "I'm going to take some precautions, in case you pass out again, okay?" He put an arm around her shoulders to support her. "If I'm wrong, you can yell at me for touching you when both of us are red-faced over the stitches thing." Why were the two of them behaving like that? She had been on his lap last time.

She laughed weakly. "You're certainly not helping the situation...but I can understand being cautious. Go ahead and tell me."

He took a deep breath to steady himself. "You were shot with an arrow. I saw it with my own eyes."

Her eyes glazed over and stared blankly, and her breathing became more rapid. She shook her head in denial, but didn't say anything. Then her chest heaved a few times as she took ragged breaths, and she slumped over in a faint. He was prepared this time and caught her, and propped her up in his arms. It may not have been the best thing to tell her, but he had to try. There had to be a way to approach her about the spring to get her to remember it without having an episode, but so far he had no ideas.

He eased her back so she lay on the bed, with her feet still resting on the floor. After that, all he could do was wait. These fainting spells felt like they took forever, although it could have seemed that way since he hated them. In the silence, he could hear loud laughter and voices coming from downstairs, and felt a twinge of annoyance. If Telma woke the children, they would have words about it.

Link felt uncomfortable in the silence, so he began to talk to Ilia after a few minutes. "We had to try." he told her, brushing a few of her curls back from her beautiful face. There were tears caught between her dusty-colored eyelashes. "I really don't like doing this to you. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing."

"...you talking, Link?" Ilia said muzzily. "You there?"

"Yeah, I'm here." He patted her cheek. "See, that's me. Are you awake now?"

She opened her eyes and looked around the room, frowning. "I'm not on your lap."

He laughed, glad that she could joke about the situation. "No, you're not. I didn't panic this time. Are you okay?"

Ilia sat up and put a hand to her head. "Oooh, this one made me dizzy. I'm okay. I heard your voice...you said you don't know what you're supposed to be doing?"

"Yeah, that's right. I tried talking to you again to see if it did anything, and it seemed to help." He pointed at his face. "And check it out, I'm not being a big baby about it this time. Totally calm. Well, almost calm...I still don't like it when you faint."

"I can only imagine how I'd feel if this was you." She sighed, wiping at her eyes. "I lost a few minutes there, so I don't know what we were talking about. The last thing I remember this time was you showing me the white stitches in my shoulder. I fainted because of whatever happened right after that. Something about my injury, right?"

"Something related, yes. We're not talking about it, now that we know what will happen." He stretched and flopped back on the bed. "Tell me what else you've been up to. I already told a long story today and I'd rather sit here and listen somebody else talk."

Ilia pulled her one foot up onto the bed and hugged her knee to her chest. "All right...other than making those clothes for Ashei, I took Shad's measurements and I'm working on making him a set like yours. I helped the Gerudo warriors set up their camp, and they were very interested in me for some reason. It's probably my hair, since their hair is red or orange. Some of them thought I was cute because I'm not very tall, and Auren told them to knock it off." When he laughed, she nudged his knee with her own. "Come on, don't laugh at that too. It isn't like you're terribly tall either."

"No, that's why I'm laughing. Go ahead, keep talking." He wanted to listen to her voice and sit next to her, even though a moment ago his mind had gone to other places. It felt like he flip-flopped between his physical attraction to her and his love for her. Not that the two weren't tied together.

"I've been helping with the cooking as usual, although Telma's doing a lot of it now. It's nice to spend time with her since she's funny and she makes me laugh. Let's see...oh. I've been hanging out with Shad some. He found some old cave paintings from a lost civilization or something beneath the Sanctuary. He's very excited about it, but some of the things he says go right over my head. I'm no scholar."

"You're no dummy, either." He looked at her back, and thought of how he had seen it bare. It would be nice to see that again. Stupid Link. Get your mind out of the gutter.

She smiled at that comment, and continued. "I talked to Hayes too. He's that city guard from Castle Town. He told me about how he tried to arrest you when you tried to enter Castle Town, and how you somehow beat him in a fight without using a weapon." She laughed. "I would have liked to see that."

"I found out that he was hung over, so he was pretty grumpy. I don't know why the guy was showing up to work like that or why he looked terrible, other than he's got a drinking problem. If he has a drinking problem, then there has to be a reason for it." He folded his hands on his abdomen. "Maybe I'll be able to talk to him about it. He seems to trust me now."

"Everyone trusts you, Link. You're the hero."

"I already told you how I feel about that." he said quietly.

She turned her head to look at him. "I know. At least your friends don't see you as anything you're not. We're still here for you." She reached over to pat him on the knee, and then froze. "Oh, is this the one that's hurt?"

"No. Left one."

Ilia smiled and patted his knee. "The people you need are here for you. I told you that I'm not going back to Ordon until I remember you. I'm also not going back to Ordon, because I know you need me to be here in Kakariko."

"Thank you." There was really nothing else that he could say to that without becoming sappy, and he was really trying to avoid that. The letter he had written to her was bad enough.

"Link?" She twisted so she could look at him better. "Who is Midna?"

He had meant to introduce the two of them to one another, but hadn't gotten the chance. It was strange that out of everyone, Ilia was one of the few that hadn't met the Twili yet. "She's my partner and companion for everything I've been doing. We're rarely apart." He looked at her face to gauge her reaction, but she was listening. Unlike Max with Ashei, Ilia wasn't going to be jealous about another woman being near him. "She's a Twili, a race of people that come from a different world full of shadow magic. There's a man who killed their king and stole the crown, and when she tried to stand up to him he cursed her. Midna's stuck as a little gray and black creature right now, and she can melt into shadows whenever she wants. In fact, she rides in my shadow most of the time so she stays hidden." And she hides in the shadows so she can hear my heart. He probably shouldn't have teased her about that.

"She's how I've come and gone here quickly without Epona, since she has magic that can send me to certain places in an instant. I've kept her hidden most of the time while we're in Kakariko because I'm afraid she'll frighten the children. Luda's the only one who met her."

"So that's why Renado sounded surprised when Midna came out the other night...and she was coming out of your shadow then, wasn't she?" She had heard that exchange outside her room that night. He had assumed that she did.

"Yeah, that's right. She's friends with Renado...and Telma, Shad, Ashei, Auren, Auru...even Rusl and Ralis know her. I'm sorry I can't introduce her to you tonight." He sighed unhappily and rested the back of his arm on his forehead. "We had an argument earlier, and she ran off all mad. It was a stupid argument too. I made a joke about something she was taking too seriously, she yelled at me and left."

"Arguments are rarely about things that aren't stupid." She rested her chin on her knee. "Can I meet her sometime soon?"

"Sure. She's already seen you quite a bit, having been hiding in my shadow most of the time. I'm sure she'd like to talk to you properly." Link chuckled. "Just a warning: her sense of humor is a little like Ashei's. She's usually polite to the people she's met, but since you're an old friend of mine she might try to be more familiar with you. Expect to get teased." He sat back up. "I hate to cut this short, but I should get to sleep. I need to wash my muddy clothes in the morning, and then go to Faron later on."

Ilia lowered her leg to put her foot back on the floor. "Oh. I wanted to talk a little more." She seemed quite disappointed.

"Me too, but I'm on a tight schedule right now. After seeing how dangerous those mirror shards can be, I want to get them before they fall into the wrong hands." He smiled, hoping that she would cheer up a little. "Once things slow down, I'll sit with you and we'll talk for hours. I'll tell you about everything I've been doing, and I mean everything. I've been keeping a lot from you because I didn't want you to worry."

Ilia turned towards him, angling her legs on the edge of the bed so she could face him. "It's in my nature to worry. I know you're going to get hurt. Speaking of which, before I go I wanted to ask you…" She reached out and lightly touched his lower lip, where it had been split. "Where did you get this?" Her touch lingered longer than necessary, and he knew it wasn't his imagination. It was quite intentional on her part.

He got a sudden thrill from the contact, and his eyes met hers. She wasn't looking away anymore, the anxiety she had gotten from eye contact now gone. Link suddenly had the impulse to take her hand in his, and reached up to do so, pulling her hand from his face. Without thinking of what he was doing, he turned his head and gently pressed his lips to the inside of her wrist. He heard her breath catch a little, and then suddenly Telma's loud laughter came from downstairs, causing them both to jump.

The moment was broken, and he realized that he had acted impulsively instead of carefully. He let her hand go and she immediately drew it back, averting her eyes. They sat in an awkward silence, neither one looking at the other. The two of them were being ridiculous, and he had no idea why. He knew she was just as flustered as he was, and his own actions didn't need any explaining; they were quite obvious.

"I shouldn't have done that." he said, putting his hands on his knees and staring at them. "I'm…" Sorry? No, he wasn't sorry at all. A little of that side of him had bled through when he was caught in the moment. She would have questions, questions he wasn't sure how he could dodge...or even if he should dodge them or not. He was still on the fence about how he should behave around her.

Fool. You damn fool. She was supposed to remember him as he was, and he wasn't supposed to influence her before then. He groaned and put his face in his hands. "I'm an idiot."

"It's all right." Ilia said, her voice quiet. There was no way for him to tell what she was thinking without looking at her, and he wasn't sure he could do so at the moment. "Tell me what happened to your face. Your cheek got hurt too." She was giving him a way out of what had just happened, thank Hylia.

"Well…" he said, trying to keep his tone conversational. "The one on my cheek is from fighting the possessed Yeti. She sent a lot of ice my way, and even though I was able to get behind my shield, a few pieces flew up and hit me in the face. This," He touched the scab on his lip. "is from a fistfight with a very drunk and unreasonable man." He gave her a sidelong glance, only moving his eyes, still feeling foolish but trying not to show it. "He hit me first. That's the only reason I fought him. He was jealous of the time I had spent with Ashei. The idiot assumed that I had slept with her, which was offensive enough, but he also called her 'mine', like she was some thing to own instead of a person." He scowled a bit. "I hate men like that."

"Me too." From her tone, he could tell that she really did. For some reason, it was never a subject that they talked about before. "Did you break his nose? I would have."

He had to laugh a little at her response. Link could picture her swinging a punch at a drunken, angry man, her green eyes full of rage. "I stopped myself before I got to that point. I was getting too angry, and I'm trying to work on that." He smiled. "I did give him two black eyes, though."

Now it was her turn to laugh, and he found himself laughing with her. The tense moment where he had let a bit of affection slip had passed, and it seemed like things were all right...at least for now.

Ilia stood and turned to look at him. She still had a bit of color in her cheeks. "Are you leaving in the afternoon tomorrow?"

"Yeah, early afternoon. I'll spend the morning cleaning my clothes, and I wanted to see the kids for a bit." He saw the disappointment in her face. "Hey, it's all right. You know I always come back here. I don't think this trip will take as long as the last one and I should be able to come back sometime later in the day, or evening."

"I know. I miss talking to you when you're gone." Oh, was that all? He knew it wasn't, especially after seeing her behavior tonight. "But I guess I'll have to be patient until we can sit down and have that long chat you mentioned." She smiled at him warmly. "Try not to get into any fistfights this time, all right?"

"No promises. I might try fighting a bear." That made her laugh, and the sound brought a warmth to his chest.

She turned to walk to the door, and put her hand on the handle. "I'll let you rest now. Good night."

"Good night. I'll see you in the morning." He watched as she gave him one last smile and exited the room, shutting the door behind her. After she left, he sat there thinking about what had happened. Something always happened between them now, and this time it was more than just his head on her lap. He was both annoyed with himself for being such a fool, but also elated at how he had gotten a reaction out of her. Her skin had been soft in his hand and beneath his lips, just like he had hoped it would be. He probably could have used that moment to press for something more, and he felt a small pang of regret.

Midna would have called him an idiot if she knew; a good boy, pathetic, something insulting yet quite on the mark. He looked around the room, even though he couldn't feel the little imp's presence. "Midna?" There was no answer. He lay back on the bed and stared at the plaster of the ceiling. "You were right, Midna. I am a dumbass."