Chapter 34: The Wise One
The light woke Zelda.
She felt it, warming her under some covers, and when she opened her eyes, she saw she was in a bed directly next to a window, daylight streaming through the glass.
Zelda blinked. This wasn't her window. She shifted in bed, the mattress creaking. This wasn't her bed.
Pushing herself onto her elbows, Zelda surveyed her surroundings. She knew it should be alarming to wake up in some strange place, but compared with the plunge from the waterfall, this was nothing to be alarmed about. Zelda could tell that she was in a loft, a railing winding around the perimeter of it where the floor dropped away. Below, clanking and clinking of metal sounded. A sweet scent infused with some bitter herbs lingered in the air. Raising herself until she was fully sitting, all she could make out over the railing were cross beams in a grid pattern hanging from the ceiling by ropes on the four corners of it. Light shone from the beams, a fixture for hanging lanterns.
Examining the rest of the loft showed a modest, clean room. There was a side table near the headboard, empty except for a candle holder and a book. Directly by the footboard was a short two-shelf bookcase holding an assortment of items, mostly books, and wielding a few pictures in frames on the surface of it, but from this angle, Zelda couldn't tell who the pictures were of. Across from the bookshelf, a desk sat near the corner of the railing hugging the opposite side of the room where Zelda supposed the staircase lay leading to the ground floor.
She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, hitting two neatly placed boots resting on the rug there. They were her shoes. Dry, Zelda noted as she pulled a pair of socks from inside one boot. She paused as she finally caught sight of what she was wearing.
Someone had undressed her down to a collared camisole. A search around the room showed Zelda's clothes were nowhere in sight, but there was a pile of neatly folded attire resting on the desk. Already wondering how, or better yet, who had undressed her, Zelda quickly picked up the pieces of clothing, yanking them on.
They smelled like purple safflina, a laundered smell, and Zelda examined each piece analytically as she pulled them on: a lantern-sleeved blouse with cuts on the insides of them, a mauve jerkin and tan capris. It looked like a commoner Hylian outfit.
A belt cinched at the waist over a swath of fabric to complete the garb.
There was no mirror, so Zelda merely stroked fingers through her hair, combing whatever tangles were there. Surprisingly, it felt like someone had already brushed through her thick blonde strands, the hair silky and soft between her fingers.
Letting her locks sway freely down her back, Zelda headed towards the stairs, pausing to gaze at the pictures as to some clue where she was.
There were three frames total. One was of a scenic view that looked very much like the seaside from the southern coasts of Hyrule. Another was of four people painted together. It looked like a child's drawing. Two of the people were adult Hylians, the pointed ears giving them away, while two others were a young boy and girl. Something about the hair seemed familiar.
Zelda picked up the last picture, almost dropping it as what she was looking at registered. Staring back at her, with a half-smile on his face, was Link, one arm propped on his hip as he stared at the painter with nonchalance. Link looked thinner, younger, but it was definitely him. Beside him was a bigger, taller man, thick-chested and wearing a knight's garment and between the man and Link, a small girl, eyes closed happily as she wore a broad grin. Her hair was the exact same as Link's.
This is…Zelda gazed at the picture in stunned silence. Link's family. She looked around the room once more, then to the staircase where the noises hadn't ceased. Then this must be…
A sudden apprehension followed Zelda as she descended the staircase, the easy, soft mannerisms of one just having awoken dispersing into sharp focus. Suddenly, the clothes she was wearing felt scratchy, a sweat started on her palms, and the air thickened. Zelda went from one step to the other, first noticing a kitchenette against the wall directly across from where she was, a figure facing whatever they were working on. The figure was too wide and too diminished to be who Zelda thought would greet her.
An inward sigh of relief escaped her. From the back, Zelda could tell the posture was that of an older woman, hair as white as milk gathered into a bun. The older woman appeared to be chopping something on a cutting board, a pot beside her arm. That explained the clanging. The woman hadn't detected Zelda yet, allowing Zelda to creep quietly down the final steps and get a better look around the ground floor.
The kitchen and dining area was the ground floor with an oak table big enough to seat four people in the center of the room. There was a door along the same wall as the kitchenette, but it was closed. And the only ornaments on the walls were racks holding various weapons: bows, swords, axes, spears, and shields. They looked polished and well-taken care of, but they looked out of place in what appeared to be a modest, comfortable home. If Zelda was right though, and this home belonged to who she thought it did, she was unsurprised.
Her appraisal of the weaponry was as far as Zelda got in her surveying before something clattered to the floor, drawing her attention back to the woman.
"Age makes the joints clumsy no matter how much the mind tries to wish otherwise." The woman was still hunched over the cutting board, facing away from Zelda, but she turned, eyes crinkling as a soft toothless smile spread across her aged face. "Your Highness," she said with not a hint of surprise. The older woman wiped her hands on the apron around her thick waist, bowing. "It is so good to see you awake." Grunting, the older woman bent to retrieve the fallen knife.
"Here. Allow me." Zelda crossed the room, not even thinking about whether the situation with this strange woman was safe or not, just reacting on instinct. She grabbed the knife, taking a step back before holding it out to the woman.
The woman's smile returned, and Zelda knew she had nothing to fear from this person. In fact, she smelled and sounded familiar. Zelda's fresh clothes had the same fragrance as this woman.
"Thank you, child." The old woman set the knife back on the cutting board, motioning to the pot next to her arm. "Like I said, despite what you want, reality won't change. I thought I would be done preparing the soup by now, but my hands said otherwise."
Zelda realized why the woman sounded so familiar. The woman's voice. It was the same one who had urged her to drink the warm liquid before Zelda fell back into unconsciousness.
Behind the older woman, on the cutting board, was the remnant of a swift carrot. Without thinking, Zelda stepped forward, the older woman allowing Zelda to pass. Zelda took up the knife, beginning to slice. There wasn't much left to cut.
"I suppose I have you to thank for my well-being. This is the least I can do for your kindness."
Surprise crossed the woman's features before softening into warmth. "I was humbled I could assist you, child. It was an honor." There was a brief pause. "But your thanks should be reserved for Link. He brought you to me just in time."
The knife blade slipped harmlessly off the end of the carrot, missing the last cut completely. Zelda forgot the carrot for a moment. So Link was here. The pictures had suggested his presence, but after seeing no sign of him, Zelda wasn't so sure. She turned to face the older woman.
"Link–, I mean," Zelda carefully began again. "The Hylian Champion is here?"
An amused expression crossed the woman's face. "Yes. Link, The Hylian Champion is here." Zelda shifted in embarrassment at the woman's jesting. "There is no need for pretenses here, child. I have known Link since before he became the Hylian Champion. He shall always be known as Link to me, and from the experiences you two have shared, I think titles are a bit pretentious by this point." The older woman's eyes crinkled knowingly.
A breathy laugh, escaped Zelda. Less from amusement and more from the keenness of the older woman. "I don't know what to say to that, except…Who are you?"
The older woman hobbled to the nearest chair at the table, easing herself down into it. She motioned Zelda to sit in the chair next to her. Zelda obliged, leaving the knife on the cutting board. "I have a name, but those in this village only know me by my title."
Curiosity sparked in Zelda. "What title would that be?"
"The Old Wise One." A twinkle appeared in the woman's eye. "The old part didn't come into being until a decade ago. I suppose that's how I knew I was then old."
"The Wise One," Zelda murmured to herself. "You must have a lot of knowledge then."
"I have lived a long time, my child. Which is why you are a child to me, Your Highness. One accumulates a lot of knowledge in that time."
Zelda leaned back slightly in her chair, appraising the woman. "But knowledge and wisdom are different. You are wise because your knowledge must be valuable." Zelda paused, a thought forming. "You are more than just the average healer aren't you?"
The Old Wise One's eyes blinked slowly, a pleased expression spreading over her features. "You are quite wise yourself, child. And it is not just from all of those lives carrying the Goddess's power inside of you."
The reincarnation of the Goddess Hylia. That's why Zelda possessed the Goddess's powers in the first place. She forgot that part of the history of Hyrule since Zelda felt very un-goddess-like most of the time. It was hard to imagine, and Zelda never could imagine, a time where she would feel like she was the Goddess Hylia reincarnated over and over, Zelda just being one of many vessels for her. She stared at her hand on the table.
The Old Wise One leaned forward, seeming to read Zelda's thoughts. "You are still very much you, Princess. The Goddess may lend you her power, but you are the Zelda of this present moment, the Zelda who will not fail though haunted by her own self. Though you may not have awakened the Goddess's powers, you are not powerless."
When Zelda looked back up, it was to a sure, soft smile. It was as if this woman not only could read Zelda's thoughts, but her feelings as well. It was unnerving. But, it felt good to hear the Wise One's affirmations. The Wise One leaned back, folding her hands neatly in her lap.
"Do you know why Link brought you to me?"
Zelda's eyebrows drew together as she examined the Wise One relaxing into the chair, eyes riveted on Zelda. Memories came back of falling off the bridge, fighting the surging waters, and hearing two voices…or was it just the one? Mipha's? And then there was the beautiful woman haloed in light, surrounded by a devouring monster. "I–I was injured."
The Wise One's eyes were calm but stern as she chuckled huskily. "That is putting it one way." The Wise One coughed, clearing her throat. "Yes, you may have fallen hundreds of feet into roaring waters and nearly drowned, but your injuries would have healed just fine under the Zora Princess's touch. There was no need for a desperate journey to Hateno Village."
Zelda jolted at the name. Hateno Village? But that was miles and miles from Zora's Domain. It should have taken them at least a full day of traveling to reach Hateno. She suddenly grasped at the hazy memories of a bumpy ride on a horse, unable to fully awaken but aware slightly of what was transpiring. That ride on the horse had only felt like minutes. How on earth had Link…?
Reading her thoughts again, the Wise One leaned towards Zelda across the corner of the table separating them. "Link was quite determined. Quite upset as well when he arrived, but he thought I was the only one to help you. And from what I've surmised, he was wise to do so. I fear you wouldn't have lasted much longer."
Quite upset. For some reason those were the only words that stuck out to Zelda.
"That was not the greatest threat you have faced or do face." The Wise One tapped a finger on Zelda's forehead, startling Zelda. "The greatest threat is all in here.
"It's what kept Princess Mipha from reaching you. You have been wounded, child. And not by the Yiga Clan or by anyone else. You have been wounded in your mind for quite some time. It just built and built until you could no longer contain the pain and it overcame everything else."
Zelda stared at the palm of her hand, pressing her other fingers into the muscles. "You mean," Zelda began softly, "when I was unconscious, those visions I saw, those were figments of my imagination, or rather, manifestations of self-doubts plaguing me?"
The woman's eyebrows furrowed slightly. "What exactly did you see, child?"
Zelda sought to explain it to herself as well. "I was in darkness. It was…a living, roiling thing. A being with unbridled anger. A mass of shadows. It–it surrounded me. And then," her voice trailed off. The image of the beautiful otherworldly woman came clearly into Zelda's mind. The Wise One was watching Zelda intently. "There was a woman in white. A beautiful woman who didn't feel like she belonged in Hyrule or any of the lands beyond Hyrule's borders. Ancient." That word felt right. "She felt ancient." Zelda paused, meeting the Wise One's eyes. "How does what I saw fit in with what you said about me being wounded? Is there a double meaning behind these beings?"
The Wise One moved nothing but her eyes, studying Zelda in silence. Zelda shifted in her seat nervously.
Finally, "My surmisings from before about your fractured mind are still accurate. I feel that they are. But–," the Wise One frowned. "The being you saw, this ancient one, I feel is also real. As real as she can be without being in the temporal plane of existence as we are."
Zelda's mouth opened and closed. "So…"
"You had a vision of a supernatural being, I believe. Whether a goddess or fairy, I do not know. But she must have appeared to you for a reason." The Wise One's eyes shot to Zelda's. "Did she tell you anything?"
The woman speaking urgently came back to Zelda, but her voice contained no sound. Zelda shook her head. "She tried, but I heard nothing." Would Zelda have heard the woman if her power was awakened? Maybe it was a lack in herself that the ancient woman's words couldn't reach her.
"I advise you to record this vision as soon as you can and reflect on it," the Wise One admonished solemnly. "Visitations from the supernatural, no matter how you receive them, are not to be thought lightly of. Now as for this darkness…" The Wise One's lips pursed. "I believe your mind conjured up Calamity Ganon, or what you perceive as Calamity Ganon. He haunts you not only physically, but spiritually as well. No doubt ever since you began training to awaken your powers."
"Yes," Zelda admitted in a low voice. "He's always been there, a presence in the back of my mind." She swallowed hard. "I don't know if he will ever go away."
There was a scrape as the Wise One rose to her feet, shuffling over to the kitchenette. Zelda watched silently as the Wise One took a kettle that had been sitting on a hot plate, along with two teacups and returned to the table.
She pushed a cup in front of Zelda, hands only shaking slightly as she poured the steaming liquid into Zelda's cup. "Here, drink this, child."
Zelda picked up the cup, swishing the liquid around for an was the scent she had smelled earlier from the loft. "What is it?"
The Wise One sat back down, taking a sip from her own teacup. "Not poison if you were wondering."
A slight smile tugged at Zelda's mouth before she took a slow sip, savoring the flavors. The bittersweet taste heightened Zelda's senses before a soothing blanket replaced the jolt of energy. There was the bitter and there was the sweet. Strangely together, it wasn't bad. "I've never had anything like this."
The Wise One winked. "Because it is my own special concoction." The Wise One set down her cup. "Now, how do you feel, child?"
"Good," Zelda said surprisingly, her earlier anxiety at bringing up the vision and her lack of powers losing its thorniness and replaced with a quiet acceptance. "I feel good."
The Wise One nodded, a small smile on her wrinkled face. "As you should. This concoction is meant to ease the strains and stress the mind's effects has had on the body. When your mind relaxes, your body is then able to relax as well. You have been pushing yourself too hard, child. It is time to allow your spirit and body to work in harmony instead of against each other. Only then will you find the peace you seek." The Wise One took another sip of her cup.
Zelda watched the swirling brown liquid ripple as she set it down on the table. "But what if there is no time for that?" Time. The moving of the sun across the sky as shadows fell across the land. Time was not something they had much of. From Zelda's recent vision, she felt it.
The Wise One's voice, when it came, was calm. "You cannot force a flower to bloom before it's time. It must be gentle and unbidden. Everything will play out as it should, child. Have faith." Zelda looked up at the Wise One pleadingly. "The Goddess has a plan. Trust in that, and let go of everything else."
The Wise One, her words, they were sweet, they were comforting, like a blanket around her shoulders. Zelda just didn't know if she could let herself believe this woman. She wanted to. So badly. To just have faith that everything would work out. It was definitely more painless than the route she had been pushing herself on all these years…maybe she could. Maybe she could, just for now, believe the Wise One. It was either that, or lose herself to the darkness of her own self-doubts.
Zelda lightly pushed the cup away. "I think…I would like to see Link now."
The Wise One smiled freely then. "He has been waiting."
Zelda was to find Link fishing in the pond below the house, working on getting food for their dinner.
As Zelda descended the grassy slope leading down to the pond, the relaxing effects of the tea wore off. She hadn't seen Link since…she wasn't sure if seeing him on the bridge had been the last time. Faintly, Zelda recalled maybe seeing him after the bridge but before they'd arrived in Hateno Village. However she wasn't entirely sure if that had been a hallucination or not. Either way, her feelings were still a mess, and Link no doubt thought her an idiot for putting herself in that dangerous situation in the first place. So it was with dread, as well as expectation, that Zelda hiked to where he was said to be.
It certainly looked to be a perfect day: a light blue sky, white clouds sparsely drifting along. It was the feeling of being somewhere that you had never been before but instantly felt at home in. It was pretty, and Zelda wondered for a moment about Link's life here. That home must belong to him; the old woman mentioned she had only been there to look after Zelda. What was his life like outside of the castle?
A laugh sounded nearby, startling Zelda out of her thoughts. She sped up her pace, then slowed as two individuals sitting on a squat pillar in the middle of a pond appeared through some saplings. A large oak tree grew on the edge of the pond, right where Zelda was descending and she took the opportunity to examine the two without them noticing her.
Her heart picked up slightly as she recognized Link, his outline from the side, sitting beside a girl barely shorter than he was. He held a rod in his hands, the line bobbing in the water. His feet were bare, trousers rolled up to his knees, with his head turned slightly towards the girl next to him. The girl's voice was loud, her arms full of expression as she waved them around.
From this distance, their hair looked the same. Zelda remembered the picture in the loft. There had been a young girl with Link and who Zelda guessed was his father. So was this…his sister? Another laugh from the girl. And was that–a chuckle from Link? She'd never heard his laugh before.
Watching them, Link, posture relaxed as he mindlessly thumbed the rod while listening to his exuberant sister, brought a smile to Zelda's face.
In this moment, he seemed so relatable. Approachable. None of the brooding, troubling knight Zelda had come to know him as. Or maybe her opinion of him always kept getting in the way and she never allowed Link to show himself as he was.
Zelda wanted to know Link like this. And she wanted him to know her too.
She stepped from behind the tree, only stopping until she stood at the edge of the five foot drop into the pond.
The girl noticed her first, pausing with hands spread on either side of her shoulders, mouth parted open as her eyes widened.
Link followed his sister's line of sight, going rock still as he met Zelda's gaze.
They were too far apart for Zelda to see the color of his eyes, but she felt the draw of them even with the distance separating them.
The rod fell from his hands, there was a splash, then another splash, before there was no more distance separating them, Link heaving himself quickly over the lip of the ridge she was on, water dripping off his clothes, his hair, his skin, his eyelashes, as he blinked, taking her in.
The nerves disappeared. The worries disappeared. There was only relief. Only a warmth filling Zelda as Link stood barely a foot away from her.
Her smile grew. "Hello, Link."
There was only a millisecond pause before the smile was returned.
