Hello my lovelies! Again, sorry for the long wait. I've been struggling in school and currently am failing algebra... Oops... Well, here's this as my apology. I hope you all enjoy! Thank you for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting! It truly means a lot to me and motivates me to get a chapter done as soon as possible.

(This chapter has been edited for your convenience and a smoother reading experience. Thank you in advance!)

-WingedIceWolf

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

Link turned his gaze toward a figure rushing up to meet him, his blonde bangs hanging over his white headband, blue eyes friendly and a gentle smile upon his face, his sandals hitting the dirt ground beneath him, a slight beard upon his chin. Link hardly had any time to react before the figure pulled him into a tight hug.

"Good morning, Link!" the figure greeted, ruffling the Hero's hair before departing.

"Good morning Rusl," Link replied, smiling gently and adorably. The Ordinian returned the smile before his blue eyed gaze fell upon the young man within Epona's saddle. Wild's breathing was labored, his eyes flicking beneath his eyelids, but a blanket hid his body and his face, shadowing his features. His body trembled slightly while he lied nearly motionless in the saddle. "Brought yourself a friend, have you?"

Link's smile dropped slightly, trying to think of how to respond. He'd barely found the young man, so calling him a friend wouldn't be the appropriate term. "I wouldn't call him such. More a guest than a friend. He's sick and injured, if you can't tell already..." Link's hand went up to his neck, subconsciously rubbing the hair there and dipping his head slightly, grimacing.

Of course he can tell… It doesn't take an apothecary to know when someone is sick and injured...

"Sorry, probably an obvious explanation…"

Rusl laughed gently, a laugh that comforted the Hero many times in the past and continued to do so in his time of need. This was the man that had raised Link in the absence of his parents, both who had unfortunately met their untimely demise, the man who would sit with Link until he fell asleep, rubbing his back in circles and humming; the man who had given Link his first sword and would always be there should he need him. This was the man Link trusted with his life in the past and knew he could continue to put his trust in, rely on him when things got out of hand.

"Think you can carry him inside or should I?" Rusl asked, moving to scratch Epona behind the ears. The mare rumbled gently in response to his touch, not wanting to startle her rider awake or harm him. Link nodded and took Epona's reins, the two walking to Uli and Rusl's cabin, Epona's hooves tapping against the earth with soft, melodic thumps.

"How bad are the wounds?" Rusl questioned, a gentle breeze blowing the bangs from his eyes. Link's expression turned grave as he answered, his hold on Epona's reins tightening.

"Pretty bad…"

"Do you know how it happened?"

Link shook his head. He'd thought about many possible reasons for the young man's wounds. Failed exile? Attempted suicide? Maybe treason? None of those added up… If it was an exile, it would have been far less messy. Attempted suicide didn't explain the countless slashes and wounds littering his body. Treason seemed unlikely as well, seeing as his sleeves were not torn in the fashion that marked one of treason and there was no evidence of him causing treason. He wasn't a pirate, that much was obvious…

He is not from this era, but he is of this world…

Those words spun in Link's head since he heard them spoken by Faron itself. What could that mean…? Someone not of this era, but of this world…? This was the present, was it not? How could someone not be of this era?

Link realized they had reached the house and he shook his head, Epona slowing to a halt. The Hero turned to Wild in her saddle and carefully removed him, causing yet another scream of pain from the young man, Link and Rusl cringing in unison.

"His injuries are that bad, huh…?" Rusl half joked, opening the door to his house and holding it open to Link who readjusted Wild in his arms, feeling if he made one small wrong move, the young man in his arms would surely shatter. Epona patiently waited outside while the two entered.

Immediately, the Hero was met with the warm aroma of pumpkins, the smell of pumpkin bread, and flowers of many varieties. Even the young man below him twitched his ears and took a slight sniff of the mixed air, despite being unconscious. It almost looked like he had done so in a wolfish manner...

In the back of the room was a lit fireplace, casting a warm glow in the room, shelves above it where dishes were stacked and pots as well. To the right of the fireplace was a post that held several potted plants, a rocking chair not too far from the fireplace and a rocking horse consisting of blue painted logs. Next to those was a table with a white embroidered table cloth, a potted aster acting as the center piece. Also to the left of the fireplace was a cross between a dresser and a shelf, holding several pots, pillows stacked on top of it, and potted plants lining the top of it.

Link winced a little, remembering how when he was younger, he had reached up to touch one of the potted plants and ended up shattering a handful of the pottery instead…

A banner hung on the wall with a green leaf embroidering and goat horns upon it, Rusl's blade sitting on another shelf along with his helm, the same blade and helm he had used when fighting alongside The Resistance. Uli lied upon another couch parallel to the right window, her soft blonde hair in her eyes and her babe beside her, facing her little one who too slept within a bassinet.

A ladder lead up to the second floor of the house, where Rusl used to sleep alongside Uli, Colin in his own large bedroll, and the area Link himself had slept those years ago. Seeing where Link was raised made his heart ache a little.

"Set him here," Rusl said, motioning to the couch closest to the right window. Link did as asked and set Wild upon the couch, crouching down beside him and propping him up with pillows, Wild's hair spilling over his shoulders like amber waterfalls. He lied a hand to the young man's head to again check on his fever and to his relief, the fever had not spiked, but he still remained warm. The Hero sighed and rested his head on the couch, glancing at Rusl, then the sleeping Uli, waiting.

"The wife is still asleep with our little princess. Both Uli and Akiko ate, then fell right back asleep. Childbearing is hard on a woman, let me tell you that..." Rusl shook his head and walked away to wake Uli.

Link himself had aided in the delivery of the children in Ordon, acting as a midwife. He'd heard women scream, cleaned the blood from wailing infants, and congratulated the mothers. The Hero had been urinated upon by infants as well. While he hadn't had a child of his own, he knew what it was like to help deliver one.

Uli's baby blue eyes fluttered open, seeing her husband. She flashed him a gentle smile and reached up to touch his cheek, of which he leaned into the touch.

"Good morning yet again, love," she whispered lovingly.

"Good morning," Rusl replied in the same whisper, stroking her cheek with his thumb and returning the smile. "How are you feeling?"

"A little out of it today," Uli answered. "I ate breakfast, right…?"

"Yes you did, love. Link is here," Rusl said. Uli sat up slowly, brushing her hair from her eyes, seeing the young man lying upon her couch and the Hero she had raised as her own sitting alongside him. Her already smiling face seemed to brighten more.

"Hello, Link!"

"Hello, Uli," Link replied, waving slightly in greeting. "Don't mind if we butt in for breakfast, do you?"

"Of course not, sweetheart," Uli replied, getting up and going to him and Wild. Wild was curled up beneath the blanket he had been wrapped in earlier, his ears twitching as Uli spoke. "Don't feed him if he is unconscious, as he could choke. And make sure to keep your voice down so you don't wake little Aki, alright?" Link nodded and the Ordonian reached out to brush Wild's hair from his face.

The young man's chest rose and fell slowly, flinching at Uli's touch. However, when Link pulled the blanket around him a bit more and pet his head, he only leaned into the affection.

"Who is he?"

"Um… I don't know really, but he seems to respond to Wild," Link explained, again subconsciously rubbing the back of his neck. "Found him in the woods in Hyrule field. Badly wounded, barely breathing, somehow holding onto life…"

"Seems like you to take in someone you found injured, Link," Rusl stated. Wild's ears twitched at the name, "Link", his blue looped earrings dangling, but Link didn't draw too much attention to it. The Hero only nodded and returned his attention to the young man.

"Looks a lot like you, doesn't he? Same blue looped earrings," Uli began, tapping Link's earrings, then pointing to Wild's. "Long pointed ears..." She touched Link's ears, then again motioned to Wild's. "If only he'd open his eyes…"

"Blue. Wild blue eyes," Link assured her. "Saw them once..."

"I swear, the two of you could be related..." Uli sighed, rising slowly. "I'll get the two of you some pumpkin bread. A bit of goat butter on that too?"

"Yes please, thank you," Link thanked her with an adorable smile. Uli ruffled his hair and stepped away to get the two of them a slice of pumpkin bread. Rusl stepped over to the two yet again.

"You really just brought him into your house, not knowing what he's capable of, who he is, or if he has the intent to murder you?" Rusl asked, worried for Link's safety.

"Well, he hasn't killed me yet, for one," Link sighed. "Two, you should have seen the clothing I found him in… a royal blue garb with an emblem of what looks like the Blade of Evil's Bane upon it… And on the back of it? A Triforce. It was stained in blood, but I can tell it was blue at one point and time…"

"Was there anything he carried?" Rusl questioned.

"Aside from horrible injuries, nothing I could see… A few belts here and there obviously meant for weapons and pouches… Had his hair pulled up behind his head, for the most part."

Rusl's mouth fell open slightly, confusion coming over his face. "A captain of the royal guard…? That's the only thing I can think of… But it definitely doesn't explain how he looks so much like you… and his clothing choice is rather bizarre, don't you think?"

Link only shrugged, feeling he should keep his mouth shut about Ordona. Yes, praying to the spirit was common, but truly seeing it was something very uncommon. He didn't wish to raise suspicion about the young man who seemed to have been entrusted to him.

"We just need some breakfast, maybe some fever medicine to go with, and we'll be off," Link stated. "And please don't tell the others about Wild… I don't want more trouble than what we've already caused… I promise you, he means no harm..."

"How can you be so sure?" Rusl huffed. "How long have you had him?"

"Less than a day..." Link replied, intertwining Wild's fingers with his own and giving his hand a slight squeeze. "But I can feel he doesn't mean any harm… That I found him for a purpose. I know you don't really believe in fate but… Trust me… Please…"

And that concludes this chapter. Thank you all!

-WingedIceWolf