Hello my lovelies! I apologize in advance for not being able to upload, there's been some terrible family illnesses going on, including my mother going to have surgery for her diverticulitis and me possibly having to have surgery due to my gallbladder acting up badly. Hopefully I don't have to have surgery, but if it happens, then it happens. Anywho, enjoy this chapter and tell me what you think about it. Thank you for being so patient with me, lovelies, and reading, following, reviewing, and favoriting! I'm sorry if this chapter is a bit short... I'm sick currently.

(This chapter has been edited for your convenience and a smoother reading experience. Enjoy!)

-WingedIceWolf

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THE LEGEND OF ZELDA OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!

Link found himself lying with his back to the couch by the time the sunlight was streaming through the window, casting the shadows of trees and their branches within the house. He stretched slowly as he did every morning, his body popping in numerous places as he let out a slight squeak. It was an involuntary thing that often got him teased by those in Ordon, earning the nickname, "Squeaker". By Din did he find that name annoying…

Beams of sunlight hit him in the face as he combed his hair behind his head with his fingers and rose, forcing him to shield his eyes to prevent blindness from the day star.

A soft groan reverted his attention to the young man lying upon the couch, snuggled under the blankets with his ears twitching occasionally. With every ear twitch, the blue looped earrings Wild carried dangled. Link brushed the young man's amber-blonde locks from his forehead, a few strands having stuck due to the sweat gathered at his brow.

"Good morning, Wild," Link said gently, placing a hand to the young man's head despite the perspiration there. He wasn't nearly as warm as yesterday, yet a fever was still present. "Seems that medicine is working after all. That's good news, isn't it?"

He didn't expect an answer and nor did he receive one. Wild's chest rose and fell in the steady rhythm of breath and Link had placed two fingers to his slightly warm neck, counting the beats. He was relieved to discover his pulse had regulated, throbbing beneath his fingertips like the beat of a drum.

"You're making progress, Wild..."

He turned to the stone fireplace and stepped toward it, glancing at the pale embers within that caused small shadows to flicker across the stone around it. Link held his hair back with one hand as he blew on the embers, yet they barely roared back to life before dying back down in an instant.

"Oh well, worth a try I suppose," Link sighed, knowing the embers were far past the point of revival. He returned to Wild and sat cross-legged beside him, upon the cool wooden floor, enjoying the feeling of sunshine on his back. For some odd reason, this felt somewhat familiar to him. Had he done the same after returning to Ordon when Rusl had been injured?

Link again sighed, leaning back on his hands as he recalled that day, prowling through Ordon at night in the form of a beast with Midna there to guide him, to aid in stealing Rusl's sword and the shield from Jaggle's abode. He recalled how the hawk had dived at him and how he scared away Hanch by leaping up to his location, hearing a loud splash as the man fled into the water behind him.

A faint smile played at Link's lips. Yes, his adventure did have its bumps in the road and near-death experiences, but in the end, he would have never wished to take it back. None of it. Especially now with Midna now missing in his life…

Is that why Wild had appeared here? To fill the hole Midna's absence had created within me...?

Numerous questions began to run through his head yet again.

Why does he too have blue looped earrings?

What is his true name?

Why did his tunic bear an emblem of the Blade of Evil's Bane but also a Triforce…?

But most of all; What is his story and how did he get that horrible burn right at his heart…?

Yes, the burn had been at his right side as well, spanning from his shoulder to barely his breast, pink and unruly. But again, the worst of the injuries appeared to be the burn directly above his heart, being apparent on both his breast and between his shoulder blades.

Granted, Link himself had seen wounds far more severe previously, but they existed on a dead man. How this young man managed to survive whatever burned him seemed pretty unethical…

There were other scars this young man carried, however, including a Sheikah eye faded, but carved into his skin. This only brought more questions to Link's mind, so much so that thinking over them had triggered a headache.

Another groan from Wild snapped Link out of his trance.

"Sorry," Link apologized, knowing for certain it wouldn't be his last apology, nor was it his first. His stomach growled and he again grimaced, having forgotten all about breakfast. Wild's stomach too echoing his. "Let's get breakfast. Maybe Uli has some leftovers and you'll be conscious by then. Do you like pumpkin bread?"

Wild's ears twitched twice. Link smiled a little and wrapped the blanket securely around the young man before lifting him into his arms slowly and gently. Regardless, his attempt in bringing no harm to his guest was in vain. Yet again, Wild clutched tightly to Link and screamed out in pain.

"I know, I know..." Link began in a calm, soothing voice, grimacing not only at the scream, but also Wild's nails again digging into his shoulders. "We'll get you some better help, alright…? And some food in your system. How's that sound?"

No response, only an ear twitch.

Link made his way out of his house and whistled for his mare. It didn't take her long, but Epona appeared before the two of them, waiting patiently for her rider to descend, pawing the soft earth with her hoof, leaves crunching beneath it.

The Hero slowly descended down the ladder and to Epona, helping Wild mount her. Yet again, he released another scream of pain, Link cringing but getting Epona saddled before he mounted Wild, making sure the blanket was secure around him and he was leaning forward so he wouldn't fall off.

"Sorry…" Link yet again apologized, petting Wild's head. "Epona is very gentle, she won't harm you… If you fall off, I'm right here to catch you."

Link patted the mare and scratched her behind the ears. Epona nudged his shoulder and grabbed a lock of his hair with her teeth, lightly and playfully yanking on it. He laughed gently and took her reins, guiding her to Uli's cabin.

Once within Ordon itself, Link's sapphire blue eyes scanned the little village to see if anyone else was awake. And indeed they were, bright and early as usual. Jaggle, a short man with dark hair and squared features was harvesting his pumpkins, too busy to pay any mind to Link and Epona with Wild upon her back walking through. Fado, Link's close friend with a bit of muscle to him and too dark hair, was most likely up at the ranch, seeing as he was nowhere in sight.

The sound of shouting caught Link's attention and apparently Wild's as well, seeing as the young man's ears twitched and he stirred yet again. Colin, a small boy being Uli's son with blonde hair and blue eyes, and Talo, also a short boy with dark hair and a red ribbon tied around his head like a headband were fighting with wooden swords upon the dock, each tightly grasping their swords.

"Come on, Colin, attack faster!" Talo demanded as the sound of wood hitting wood filled the air.

"I'm trying!" Colin replied nervously, being swift in his movements, bare feet hopping on the wooden dock below him, occasionally letting out small "Hyaa!"s and "Yah!"s, obviously imitating Link as he swung viciously, each boy trying to push the other into the water with their fierce sparring. Malo, the younger brother to Talo with short dark hair, a round face, and green eyes, simply watched them.

"Link can do better than both of you," Malo stated bluntly.

"Oh yeah?" Talo asked rhetorically, leaning on his sword. "I once beat him in a sword fight! I'm the best Hylian swordsman there is!"

"That's a lie and we all know it, Talo," a girl with freckles, sea green eyes, and dirty blonde hair replied, a red pin in her hair. "Link could beat your butt any day!"

"No he-" Talo began, but Colin swept his foot under Talo, forcing him to fall, nudging him into the pond with a splash. Colin smiled brightly with Link from afar smiling and shaking his head, continuing on when someone called out to him.

"Hey Link!"

And there you have it, my lovely readers. I hope you enjoyed!

-WingedIceWolf