Chapter 56: Pilgrimage

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Zelda held her notebook in one hand when she let him in the next night, her eyes practically aflame with determination. "I want to see exactly how much progress we make," she explained, returning to her bed and sitting down with her legs tucked beneath her. "And - there are so many different variables, but it seems to test them all… I suppose we should take it easy to begin with, see how long I can last when you aren't in any danger, assuming, of course, that whether or not you're safe affects how long I can hold out…"

She marked down the time in her notes and closed her eyes, absently tucking a strand of hair behind her ears and sitting straight, her shoulders squared.

Link drifted silently across her room from one corner or another, helping her test whether or not she could determine his position relative to her. She didn't say anything, but whenever he moved to a new spot he noticed her head tilting just slightly in his direction. He took care to avoid anything that might even remotely pose a threat, from a sewing needle to the fireplace, always keeping a wary eye trained on Zelda, watching for the slightest indication of fatigue.

But as the minutes ticked by and she maintained her focus on their connection, she seemed perfectly fine.

"I… I think this is about as long as we went last night," she said, keeping her eyes closed as a small, hopeful smile slowly stretched across her lips. "And… I don't really feel tired at all… I really do think it must have something to your safety."

"Mmmh," Link grunted lazily, nodding, sitting cozily in a plushy chair a fair distance from the hearth, feeling as though he'd just discovered the very definition of comfort. He grinned teasingly. "Well, if we can keep that consistent, without you losing consciousness or anything, I really don't mind so much."

Zelda giggled. "Is that so? Well, I'm certainly glad to hear it, because I really couldn't do it without you, regardless of how cliche that sounds."

"Just as long as you don't get hurt," Link murmured, sitting straighter. "So… does my actual position seem to impact anything?"

Zelda inclined her head. "Erm… it hasn't, so far… I can sort of get a sense for… environmental… surroundings. Just not…" She turned from side to side, her brows pinched together in contemplation. "It's just barely - like a glimpse of a dream; I can't exactly… But I think it's only because you've been speaking that I -"

She cut off suddenly and went still, her back ramrod straight. Link leaned forward, shifting to the edge of the chair, squinting at her through the darkness. "Is… is something wrong?" he asked anxiously.

Zelda frowned, twisting her hands in her lap. "You're… there's… there's some form of… of danger," she managed at last, sounding entirely bewildered. She opened her eyes and looked directly at him, taking in his distance from the fire and the plush chair he perched within. "That can't be right."

"A spider?" Link guessed, feeling consternated. "A really venomous one, maybe? That just got too close?"

Zelda shuddered. "Come closer; if it's some sort of creature, getting away from it should lessen the danger."

Link hauled himself free of the chair's comfortable depths and crossed the room over to her bed and she gasped, lunging to her feet.

"It just got worse," she explained, shivering. "So… so somehow, all of a sudden… I'm dangerous?"

Link felt a chill drop down his spine. "Or the fact that I'm in your room with you is dangerous," he realized, wincing.

Zelda's eyes went wider than the moon outside as she caught on. "Someone must be coming in to check on me," she breathed. "Quick - you need to hide! Down there!" She grabbed his shoulders and pushed him down, pointing to the small space beneath her bed mostly hidden by a frilly lining. "Go on - get in there!"

"Hold on – Zelda –" Link stood back up, fingering the pouch at his belt. "I'll be fine; Impa taught me how to conceal myself, so there's no need for –"

"Then do it! Quickly!" she hissed, fear pitching her voice higher.

Link nodded obediently, hurrying to a corner of her room and pressing himself against the wall. "Don't look," he told her, and she nodded, turning away and settling herself by the fire in one of the cozy chairs. Link dusted Deku powder on the ground and embraced the shadows.

"Just… just stay quiet," Zelda whispered. "And don't move, and hopefully everything will be fine."

Link felt his gut squeeze as he remembered the King's threat. Hopefully, he agreed. Because if Rhoam found out about any of this, I doubt he'd wait for any sort of proof that anything else happened besides us chatting. He'd just go ahead and… and…

He shivered again, and not because the stone at his back was cold. And I'd run. Hide out in the woods and use magic to keep visiting Zelda until the Calamity returns. Din take the King and the kingdom.

Silence dragged on for what seemed to be an eternity. The fire crackled; the pages in Zelda's notebook fluttered as she turned slowly through them. Any moment, whoever it is will come in… any minute… any second now…

But as time crawled on, Link felt his anticipation fading. Maybe they changed their mind, he thought. Maybe they aren't coming up after all. Maybe we're all clear. Maybe -

And a heavy knock sounded at the door, followed by a weary voice muffled by the thick wood. "Zelda? Are you awake?"

Link's heart jolted up to his throat. It's the King - Din curse our luck! Of anyone it could possibly have been -!

"Yes, Father," Zelda called, and Link couldn't help but admire how calm she sounded. Not suspicious at all. This is good. Everything will be fine. He almost believed it. "Did you… need something?"

For a moment Link hoped Rhoam would just go on speaking through the door and leave the two of them well enough alone, but the door clicked open and the King walked inside on heavy feet. No such luck, evidently.

"You're still studying? At this hour?" Rhoam sounded incredulous as he tromped past Zelda's bed, joining her by the fire. "It's still the sickness season - you need to get to bed earlier than this."

"I was actually about to when you knocked," Zelda said testily.

Rhoam sighed. "It's not worth it, daughter. The best minds in the kingdom are already working hard on the study of ancient technology, as you well know - there's no need for you to join them."

Link curled his hands into fists, biting hard on his lips. How dare you! The King's voice had been gentle, but he could imagine exactly how such words would make Zelda feel, especially considering her sincere, burning desire to help in any way, especially considering how little she already thought of her usefulness.

"Besides, if you're endangering your health staying up to study, you should be studying your mother's journals, if anything," Rhoam continued, a hint of frustration tinging his voice. "And… that brings me to the purpose of my… that's why I'm here. I should have told you earlier, but it… it was difficult."

"What do you mean?" Zelda asked warily.

Rhoam let out another heavy sigh. "I don't like the idea of you off galivanting with your knight, alright? Can you understand that much?"

Link went rigid, feeling suddenly incapable of breathing. Oh, merciful Goddesses above… he knows? He can't know - but then why…?

"And," Rhoam continued, "what I'm about to tell you… well, it gives you the opportunity for… that. It wasn't my idea, and I… I don't like parts of it, specifically this part, with your knight, but… we all feel that… that it'll help."

We? Help? Link eased a silent breath out from between his lips. It can't be our secret meetings, then. It couldn't be.

"You're going to Kakariko," Rhoam said, sounding as if he was forcing a great weight from his shoulders. "You will leave tomorrow morning. And naturally your knight will accompany, which is the part that I don't like. Lady Impa, my advisor, is waiting for you with Elder Imraz of the Sheikah in Kakariko Village; they'll be able to provide more… details. But, essentially, our plan is for you to travel to each of the sacred springs in the kingdom - the Springs of Power, Courage, and Wisdom - and offer your prayers there, spending a day at each one. If we've timed this right, after a brief stay here at the castle, you'll reach the last spring on your birthday, and then return home for our celebrations."

"More like an excuse for everyone else to butter me up like a slice of toast," Zelda muttered dourly.

Rhoam went on as if he hadn't heard. "Our hope is that we'll have more than just your birthday to celebrate. We think that dedicating yourself to the Goddesses in this way, completing a holy pilgrimage, will unlock your sealing powers, and thus we can be confident in a defeat over the Calamity when it returns."

Zelda huffed in frustration. "If prayer was truly the answer, I would think that I'd have those powers by now!" she protested.

"Prayer at the various cathedrals here and in town is not the same as prayer at the springs!" Rhoam countered. "They're sacred places, Zelda. And… granted, our cathedrals are as well, but they aren't as old, as… as holy. You'll feel it - there's something far more spiritual about these springs."

"And I suppose you've made this journey yourself, and you're telling me about your own experiences?" Zelda shot back angrily. "Or are you spouting off more of the nonsense your priests are filling you with? Nothing they've ever suggested has done anything to help me with this! And neither has anything you've done, either! Why should I expect this to be any different?"

"I am your father and your King!" Rhoam exclaimed. "Your feelings change none of that - regardless of what you think about or expect from the matter, you're going to Kakariko and you'll do as Impa says, and you'll do it with a humble, willing heart or it will be in vain! The Goddesses don't listen to petulant, stubborn little girls!"

Rhoam at last went silent, but he was breathing heavily. Link's hands were fists again, as he struggled with himself to remain still and not jump to Zelda's defense, in spite of every instinct in his body screaming at him to do something.

"It's for your own good," Rhoam murmured, his voice breaking, once more sounding the worn old man Link had last seen him as. "You'll… you'll see that, in the end. We all will." He sighed heavily, and Link heard his footsteps clomping back towards the door. "We will not speak of this again until you return."

The King returned to the door, his head bowed, and walked outside. Link waited a moment longer, listening as Rhoam's footsteps faded. Complete silence fell; concern wrapped icy fingers around his heart and squeezed as he walked forward, dispelling the shadows, and hurried across the room to join Zelda standing by the fireplace. He slowed as he neared, squinting at her face silhouetted by the flames, incapable of making out her expression.

"Are you… How do you… feel?" he asked quietly, reaching hesitantly for her arm. She trembled at his touch, her shoulders seeming to droop.

"I don't know," she whispered in a choked voice. "I… I just… it's just so infuriating, that no one - no one - really believes that I'm doing everything I can. 'Just work harder and you'll find those powers! How about you go off of sleep and food altogether to spend every waking moment praying instead of just most of them?" Her voice had escalated in volume and bitterness with each word she spoke; when she finished she raised a hand to wipe angrily at her cheek and Link realized that she was crying.

"They don't understand," she went on brokenly, slumping forward into Link's embrace. "How could they? My father's priests don't know what it feels like - with their posh, safe, simple lives… they've never had anyone depending on them for survival, let alone an entire kingdom, and… and everyone they love." Her arms tightened around his ribs. "But my father trusts them anyway." She released a quivering breath, burying her face in his shoulder as he gently stroked her hair, listening patiently. "And… maybe he has a point. I… I have spent more time on my studies of the Ancient Sheikah, historically speaking, even though now… even though things are different now. I shouldn't keep having lunch with Purah; it's… it's just a distraction, and anyway it only served to spread more worries the other day. Maybe… no, there's no 'maybe' involved here. I need to work harder - they're… they're right."

Link closed his eyes, biting his lip hard as he held her firmly in his arms, letting his hand on her hair fall still. "You have a point, too, you know," he murmured, with his lips hovering just above her head. "They don't know what they're doing; they're just… guessing, based on what worked in similar situations." He paused thoughtfully for a moment, remembering Impa's words about how the ancient Sheikah attempted to learn Zonai magic, and how she was trying to implement similar strategies in Zelda's training. "Ultimately it's all just guessing. No one knows what you're going through, how it feels to endure the pressure you're facing, better than you do, so you're right about that, too - they don't, and couldn't, understand."

"But you do," Zelda said, her voice muffled by his tunic; she chuckled weakly. "So of course it makes sense that of everyone else you're the only one that's actually managed to help in any way." She raised her head but didn't meet his gaze; from what he could make out behind the fire's glow she looked just as distraught and beaten down as she'd first sounded. "And of course we couldn't tell anyone about that, so it looks like we'll be leaving tomorrow on an utterly pointless journey."

Link chewed at his lip, remembering with a slight pang of guilt what Impa had told him about the pilgrimage. "I don't know about this… Elder Imraz, but Impa's… not like the others," he said quietly. "I worked with her for a month, remember? She's a warrior, so she at least knows what it means to have others depending on her for survival. And she's the reason I'm here right now, at night, against your father's wishes." He swallowed thickly, taking Zelda's hands. "After everything that's happened, I don't give trust lightly," he murmured. "So… so I hope that, knowing this, it means something to you when I say that I do trust Impa. She's on our side. Not your father's - at least, not when it comes down to our… our roles, and our relationship."

Zelda studied him with skepticism etched upon her features, but as she searched his gaze her face softened, and she looked away. "I… I trust you, Link. So… for that reason, I'll…" She sighed heavily, slowly shaking her head. "I'll try to withhold judgement. At the very least, this little trip will give the two of us more time to practice, right?" She smiled, although it was clearly forced, leaving her eyes grim and wary.

Link nodded, smiling back, hoping the faith and love he felt for her came through clearly in his gaze. "Please understand," he whispered when she looked away, her features slackening. "I don't think you're not already putting in your best efforts. I follow you around all day, every day; I've been around you long enough to really see just how hard you're working. If it was up to me, you and I would be practicing together all the time instead of… well, anything else all those priests are having you do. The only reason I don't hate this new idea - especially after everything the King just said - is because I know that Impa is involved, and after spending those four weeks learning from her, learning who she is, I… I respect her judgment enough to consider at least trying what she has to say."

Zelda nodded, her lips pressed together in an unyielding line as she gazed into the flames, contemplating his words. Link waited with baited breath, hoping he hadn't said the wrong thing and yet knowing that every word had been honest, praying that she would understand.

"Do… do you believe that I can harness this power?" she whispered as she looked back at him, her brow creased.

Link nodded eagerly, once more clasping her hands in his. "I know it," he answered, feeling confidence burn warm and bright in his soul. "You can. You will. It's just a matter of time."

"How much time?" Zelda pressed anxiously, glancing down at their joint hands.

"Soon," Link promised firmly. "It has to be! You've been making so much progress these past several weeks. It just wouldn't make sense for -"

She silenced him with her lips on his and he froze for a moment, entirely caught off guard, his eyes growing wide.

And he saw fresh tears glittering beneath her closed lashes, and felt the fervor in her kiss, felt her arms locking around his neck, and he realized - they were tears of joy.

It was with that realization that he felt his own soul swell with joy, fierce and beautiful; overcome, his knees wobbled, threatening to give out, and it was at that moment that Zelda pulled away, ducking her head as if embarrassed. Link took a moment to steady himself, forcing slow, deep breaths in and out to calm his racing heart.

Then Zelda chuckled, a sweet smile lifting the corners of her lips. "I - I'm sorry; that was… I don't know. It's… an emotional time for me… right now… I think." She cleared her throat, meeting his eyes, and when next she spoke her voice was a nearly inaudible whisper, and her smile had faded. "But… you've no idea how much I needed to hear that."

Link held her gaze, noting the dim reflection of the flames flickering there. "And… I needed to see you smile," he murmured. "And hear your laugh. I - I worry about you, Zelda, because… because of the similarities between us. The burdens we bear. I wouldn't wish the darkest days I've had on my worst enemy, but I… I suspect you've had days just as dark, if not more so." A lump of emotion was swelling in his throat and he struggled to swallow past it, feeling a sudden stinging in his eyes and wondering how his thoughts had taken such a turn. "Like I said," he finished weakly. "You're too precious to me to lose."

Zelda broke away from his gaze, tilting her head to look past him, towards the window and the balcony streaming silver moonlight into the room. She closed her eyes for a heartbeat or two, drawing in a deep breath, her brows furrowed; she leaned forward into Link's arms, nestling against his chest. "I don't know… how much worse things are going to get," she murmured, as he curled his arms tenderly around her. "Right now, in this moment, it's enough to me that you… that you understand, that you support and care about me. Really, it… it means more than words can say. I hope you know that."

His heart felt soft and warm; he loosened his hold around her and looked deep into her eyes as she gazed up at him. Rendered nigh impenetrable by the shadows draped around them, by the conversely strident orange burn of the flickering fire behind her, he couldn't decipher the tale her eyes could tell. But he heard it in the sound of her voice - gentle, nuancing tones, uncertain about many things yet confident and unbending as stone on others. And he felt it from her very presence - the way her hands, resting lightly on his shoulders, seemed nonetheless tense, as if at any moment she was prepared to tighten her hold to keep him from ever being taken away from her.

He nodded, slowly, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I… I think I do," he admitted in quiet affirmation. He felt his heart swelling, his spirits lifting, filled with love, and blinked at the returning pinprick at the corners of his eyes. "Just as it means to me, how you… helped me, after Choice's… death." He swallowed thickly, feeling the memory return of the darkness that had crept over him then, dimmed and diluted but nonetheless threatening. "And to this day."

He blinked the memories away, letting his mind clear of thought, focusing instead on Zelda, on her sweet, familiar scent, now every bit as comforting to him as hay and horse.


Updated 7/8