Chapter 61: Reaching Deeper

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Note: So I'm never going to give up on this story - I'll see it through to the end - but definitely expect updates to be sporadic. I'm student teaching now; time is definitely in short supply. I hope you enjoy, nonetheless! Thank you SO MUCH for hanging in there with me!

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The next day saw them returning to the peaceful forest glade, and Impa reiterated her advice from before. She, like all the others, is falling back on the insistence that more practice is the only way to improve, Link thought, biting his lip as he looked on. If she knew that it was the bond, maybe she'd have an idea about how to help…

For several long minutes he debated whether he should tell Impa himself. He trusted her; he knew that she wouldn't do anything to break that trust, or to even inadvertently harm Zelda.

But speaking up himself would certainly be a violation of Zelda's trust in him. Yes, it was a sacred skill, and one that he did not possess and so could not fully understand. It would be best to defer her judgement.

And if she chooses not to explain… well…

He inhaled deeply, crisp air filling his lungs and leaving behind a slight cold ache in his chest and the back of his throat. His fingers fluttered, calling down a soft breeze that rustled the fallen leaves and conglomeration of new and old grass on the forest floor.

But if she's not ready to tell Impa, and Impa doesn't know, and I can't say anything either, what is there to be done?

Two young Sheikah children, a boy and a girl, brought up baskets full of food at around midday, and Zelda was at last granted a reprise from the long morning of attempted meditation. Link noticed that she didn't eat much, just a small bowl of pumpkin stew - and only a few spoonfuls, at that, before she set it aside and gazed forlornly into the empty woodlands. She lifted a hand to gently massage the side of her head quite often, a delicate pained wince drifting across her features, indicating some level of headache. Link chewed thoughtfully on a chunk of venison in his own bowl, hardly paying attention to the taste as he studied the Princess with concern for her sending threads of tension through his body, binding his shoulders.

"...Are you even listening to a word I'm saying?"

Link gave a start, nearly slopping his stew all over himself. He shrugged sheepishly as Impa regarded him coolly. "Er… sorry."

"As I was saying," she huffed, "We have about three more days to spend here, but with this new… deadline… things must be pushed forward. The King and his council wish to be sure that the Princess will have visited the two other springs as close to her birthday as possible, so that it forms a cohesive pilgrimage for her culminating upon Mount Lanayru."

"Why… why is that so important?" Link asked slowly. Rhoam had mentioned Zelda's birthday, as well; he couldn't for the life of him imagine why it held so much significance to the pilgrimage.

"Until my birthday, I won't be old enough to visit the last spring - the Spring of Wisdom," Zelda explained tiredly, at last lifting her head to meet Impa's gaze. "Apparently they didn't want to just wait until after my birthday, and perhaps there's something significant about visiting the spring the very day I come of age, but… I don't know."

Link frowned, tapping his fingers against his knee and resisting the urge to count on them as he tried to work out the math in his head. "So that's… that's only a couple of weeks from now, isn't it?" He felt a surprised jolt inside - her birthday was so close, and he hadn't realized it, despite the fact that it was one of the most celebrated occasions at the castle. I just thought 'spring,' and it still feels more like winter - I thought there was more time!

Zelda shrugged. "A little less than three weeks - the end of the first month of spring," she sighed. "All my life… I've been told that it's symbolic. Of… new life breathed into a cold, dead world. New hopes… new beginnings…" She shook her head. "Nonsense, in my opinion."

Link studied her carefully, his heart feeling strangely soft at her words. It's not nonsense, he wanted to say. It's a beautiful way to think about it. It describes you accurately.

But with Impa around, he found his tongue unexpectedly bridled. They were not words meant for her to overhear.

Impa cleared her throat. "Well, as it stands, we do have three more days here after today - not nearly enough time as I'd hoped."

After they'd eaten their fill of pumpkin stew, Impa and Zelda resumed their slow, silent training session sitting in the small clearing, and Link continued to patrol the surrounding woodlands. When they made the short hike back down into the village that evening, Link was relieved to see that Zelda didn't seem quite so put out as she had the night before. Once in the relative privacy of the inn she beckoned him into her room and they sat across from each other on the floor, sharing a small meal of meat and rice balls.

"I could see what you were talking about this time," she admitted. "I realized that there was something in the back of my mind, and of course it was that bond. Once everything else was cleared away, there was just that. And I… well, what with us being out in the woods again, there was that inkling of danger, so I thought I'd make the best of things and see if I could pinpoint what exactly was posing a threat."

"Did you succeed?" Link asked around a mouthful of rice.

Zelda offered a half-smile and shrugged. "I couldn't say," she murmured. "It's so difficult to tell. I thought several times I was on the verge of discovery, but then I'd feel a bit too tired and let other thoughts… come back in, so to speak, so that it wasn't the sole focus of my mind."

Link nodded, chewing thoughtfully. On the one hand, he still agreed that practicing seemed like a good idea, especially when she paid attention to the toll it took on her. But on the other hand, it wasn't what she was supposed to be working on. She needed to be able to clear her mind entirely, not just mostly; Impa truly believed, it seemed, that doing so would help her at the three springs.

So how, then, can she let go of that connection - and everything else in her mind - without telling Impa and hearing her feedback?

Frowning, he shovelled another bite of food into his mouth, absently shaking his head. "So… er… what do you want for your birthday?" he asked, covering his mouth with one hand.

She blinked at him in surprise, her cheeks turning a delicate pink. "Oh, I… I don't really want anything," she said with an embarrassed chuckle. "Really. It's difficult enough with the entire kingdom making such a big fuss, let alone Purah." She offered him a small smile. "I… it would be nice to just… keep things simple, between the two of us."

Link nodded quickly, trying to mask the slight twinge of disappointment he felt. Maybe… she just knows I'm poor as dirt and doesn't want to ask for too much? Maybe that deal with the innkeeper wasn't a great idea after all; having money actually would be useful here. "Are you… are you sure?"

"Of course," Zelda answered fervently. "If you knew how stifling it felt, to be stuffed in a gown and put on parade for everyone to gawk at and throw lies and false words at you in the hope of gaining - or even buying - your favor… It honestly disgusts me." She paused for a moment, fiddling absently at the hem of her tunic. "And… it would be rather pointless for you to… to get me anything, because - and you'll laugh at me for saying this, but it's true - you're already better than any gift I could receive."

Link felt his face heating up and tried to bite back what he knew would be a goofy smile. So… so she's not just saying that about gifts. "Thanks," he managed to whisper, meeting her eyes and then quickly looking back at their dinner. He cleared his throat, allowing a small grin to tweak his lips. "I'll think of something simple to do, then."

Zelda laughed, playfully smacking his arm. "After I just told you not to get anything? You're incorrigible, do you know that?"

"I said 'do,' not 'get,'" he reminded her, chuckling. "There's a difference! And I'm serious - I'll think of something. It won't be fancy or costly or anything, I promise."

She sighed heavily, rolling her eyes in a stunning impersonation. "If you insist," she huffed, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

I insist, he thought silently to himself, smiling at her. Goddesses willing, I can think of something good.

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In the morning, as they walked through the village to meet Impa, Link was stunned to see old Imraz waddling down the stairs of her manor towards them. Zelda gasped in surprise, taking half a step back.

"E-elder Imraz," she said haltingly as the ancient woman neared. "Shouldn't you - shouldn't you be inside?"

Imrz squinted at her dully for a moment or two. "We'll have it finished soon, liege," she warbled, before turning her dark gaze on Link. "Ahh… a fine evening to you, Lomei…"

"Grandmother!"

Link looked up in relief to see Impa charging down the stairs towards the little old woman.

"I - I apologize," she panted, reaching the bottom and settling a firm hand on the Elder's shoulder. "I was getting dressed - never figured she'd leave the house - hoped she hadn't gone too far…" She closed her eyes, taking a moment to catch her breath, before speaking once more in her usual calm voice. "Grandmother, isn't it time for your breakfast?"

"Eh?" Imraz blinked at her in confusion. "...Yes, yes. We shall go digging for more."

Impa cast an exasperated look at one of the two guards standing at the base of the staircase. "Would one of you take her back upstairs and see that she eats her breakfast? And the other - bring someone to watch over her for the day. I'll be out again."

The guards nodded obediently, and one of them hurried forward to gently slide an arm around Imraz's bony shoulder, carefully helping her turn around and start back up the stairs.

"I'm so very sorry about that," Impa said again, shaking her head ruefully. "She means well, and the Goddesses know that somewhere in there she's certainly trying to keep up with her duties, but we're all of the mind that it would be kinder to just let her pass on in peace."

Link nodded slowly, in silent agreement. She thought it was evening. It's… it's clear now that there's really no meaning behind her words; she can't have meant what she said before, either.

Impa brought them once more up to the top of the hill; this time she had Zelda sit on the grass, which had mostly dried out by now from the heavy storm that preceded them into Kakariko Village.

"Now," she began, once they had settled in the cold morning sunlight. "Today I'd like you to begin with your breath. Feel your lungs expanding and contracting; hone in on that sensation. Then move to the feeling in your shoulders, your arms and legs… from there reach outward to the temperature of the air, the ground beneath you. Fill your mind with as many of these observations as you can, and then let them go, one by one."

Zelda let out a frustrated sigh. "The same thing you've been telling me, in different words," she muttered under her breath. Link was certain that Impa had heard, but she pretended not to, and the day's attempted meditation began. Link slipped away behind a tree, out of Impa's direct line of sight, before cloaking himself in shadow and twisting a gentle breeze around himself, and beginning his patrol, stalking careful circles around the Sheikah elder and his Princess.

They had scarcely been at it for a few minutes before Impa broke the silence. "I hate to disturb your concentration," she said, turning to look down at Zelda sitting cross-legged in the grass. "And… forgive me if I am wrong, but I perceive that there is something concerning you. Something… disturbing your mind."

Zelda didn't respond right away. Slowly she tilted her head up towards Impa. "Not exactly," she admitted. "But… essentially, yes."

Impa's head bobbed as she nodded. "Is there… something you wish to discuss? Open communication is often a vital part of freeing your mind and spirit to obtain peace."

Link paced quietly closer, his heart beating faster in anticipation. Will she do it? Will she say something?

The Princess inhaled deeply and let the breath out slowly, her shoulders drooping. "I… I probably should," she murmured, avoiding Impa's gaze. Her hands, resting on her knees, tightened. "You must understand – this is not something I wish to become common knowledge. My father must not know."

Impa's expression was unreadable. "I am an advisor to your father," she said quietly.

Zelda curled her hands into fists and then relaxed them. "Link trusts you, and I trust him, more than anyone else," she said firmly. "So I – I offer my trust to you as well, and pray that you do not misuse what I must say. My father cannot know." She drew in another deep breath, her shoulders stiff. "Lady Impa… my powers have already begun to manifest. In small, nearly insignificant ways that have nonetheless proven useful. I have received visions from the Goddesses, and I… and, more than that, I have discovered a sort of… connection, between Link and myself."

Impa raised an eyebrow. "Half the kingdom is already more than aware of that connection," she said, a slight upward twist to her lips indicating that she was teasing.

Zelda scowled, looking at her. "You're not making this particularly easy," she huffed.

"My apologies, Princess."

"It's not a physical connection or attraction or anything of the sort," she went on, her words coming out in a rush. "It's more spiritual than anything. I can sense his surroundings – whether or not he's safe or in danger. And we've spent time working with it, honing its accuracy and confirming that it is not imagined. My practice with this bond is not actually very different from the meditation we've been doing here, and so whenever I clear my mind, all that is left is this bond. We – Link and I – believe that this is why I've been struggling; my mind is not actually clear."

Impa didn't respond for several moments. Link waited, holding his breath, to hear what she would say. He offered up a mental prayer that she would not betray his or Zelda's trust and tell the King, and that she would know what to do next, to help the Princess progress.

"Well, Princess…" Impa murmured, her fiery gaze distant. "Certainly you are making incredible progress in discovering your powers. Our histories speak often of your ancestors wielding similar abilities to watch over the Hero of their era, and to gain wisdom from the Goddesses. This is better news than I could have hoped.

"However… I am confused by one thing," she sighed, cupping her chin in one hand, her brow furrowed in thought. "Why not inform your father? Surely hearing of your progress would ease some of his… dissatisfaction."

Zelda gripped her hands together in her lap. "I don't want to give him any more reasons to separate me from Link," she answered softly. "I fear that, given everything else that had happened, he would not find it a blessing, or even believe that it is a manifestation of my powers."

"Fear often holds us back from the Goddesses' blessings," Impa mused. "Acting in faith, even knowing what unfavorable outcomes may occur, is often the best course of action. But I promise you that he will not hear of this bond from me. It will be up to you to decide whether to share this with him."

Link released a breath he hadn't known he was holding in, feeling tension in his shoulders ease.

Zelda nodded. "Thank you, Lady Impa. I truly appreciate it."

"Now, then," Impa said, sitting straighter. "Since you've already made so much progress, and our meditation is helping you successfully take hold of the bond you feel with Link, I believe I have a new idea. We'll begin as we usually do – fill your mind with the sensory details of the world around you. Let them come and go, leaving your mind calm and open. Then, once all that is left is the bond, see if you can dig deeper, to its source. What enables you to feel it? What gives such power to you? Feel the spirits of your ancestors… feel their power flowing through you… feel their love and support of you…

"I do not expect you to succeed at once," Impa finished quietly. "But give it your best."

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Thick clouds drifted over the village over the course of the afternoon. The crisp mountain air felt heavy and tense; it felt like a storm. Yet the skies did not split, even as Link and Zelda parted ways with Impa and headed through the village towards the inn. In evenings the streets of Kakariko were relatively busy, shopkeepers and herders all heading home after the day's work. Link spotted Fado with his goats and wondered how the innkeeper's daughter was getting along with the buckskin mare. The innkeeper herself had accepted his offer to board the horse in her vacant stable, especially once she had seen that he had the rupees on hand.

"You were right," Zelda said, her hand finding his as they walked, breaking him from his thoughts.

"Oh?"

"If I hadn't told Impa, we would have both only gotten more and more frustrated," she answered. "It was far wiser to be honest with her about the extent of my abilities, and the progress I had made." She went quiet, but Link felt that she had more to say; he waited patiently, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. "And… you were right to trust her. I believe she will keep her promise, and my father won't hear a word."

Link nodded, relieved. I'm glad it seems I was right to trust her. "What.. what do you think about her idea, that you tell your father?"

"That wasn't what she said," Zelda responded stiffly, shooting him a glare. "And I absolutely won't. Inasmuch as we're talking about trust, I most certainly do not trust my father not to use this as an excuse to separate us."

"Would he, though?" Link wondered, scratching his chin – it was getting itchy; he hadn't taken time to shave since leaving the castle. "It's a manifestation of your powers, and it sort of implies we shouldn't be separated, doesn't it?"

"It… does," Zelda said, carefully choosing each word. "My worry… is that my father won't… believe that it has any connection to my powers. He'll think I'm just being… immature, and imagining things that aren't there, because of my feelings for you."

Link frowned. Unfortunately, it sounded like exactly the sort of thing Rhoam would say. But… just supposing he did believe her, then… he wouldn't have the justification to scold her and treat her so poorly anymore.

Faith, not fear, Impa said… Are the possible good endings to this worth the risk?

It would have to be Zelda's decision, in the end, he concluded. This is about her, and her relationship with her father. She'll have to make her own choice.