The sun rose on a warm, clear day. The wind rushed through the trees causing a musical effect to surround the village. Hugh was the first one out of the house, not wanting to be part of the rather chaotic waking up ritual. A loud yell from behind the door gave him the incentive to move even farther away from the shaman's house. As he walked away he considered where he would go. He still wasn't sure where everything was, being as this was his first time visiting the small Kakariko village. Though he wasn't familiar with it he did enjoy the time he had spent in it. It reminded him strongly of his own village before it had been destroyed. Hugh thought about his village often but he wasn't concerned about it. He was confident that the men he left in charge would take care of things.
A slamming door caught his attention and he noticed Link exiting the inn. The swordsman intrigued him, he hadn't spent enough time with him to really know him, but he respected him. Link was clearly in his own little world, as he passed Hugh without noticing him standing there.
Hugh watched idly as Link walked over by the shaman's house, then as he was shocked out of his reverie when Ashei came storming out of the house. Link quickly jumped out of the way as Ashei marched towards the spring. Her hair was sticking up in all directions she looked absolutely livid. Given this information Link opted for moving out of the line of fire and went to visit the horses. Hugh, on the other hand, smirked at the sight and walked over to her.
Ashei was viciously splashing water over her face when Hugh approached the spring edge. He sat down next to her and simply waited.
"What do you want?" Ashei growled.
"Nothing." Hugh answered cheerfully.
"Well then shove off; I don't want to be around anyone." Ashei said before turning back to the spring.
Hugh didn't bother replying, he just continued sitting there quietly.
"What are you deaf?" Ashei said in frustration turning back to him.
"No, I just don't feel like moving." Hugh responded as he flashed her a smile.
"Keep that up and you'll be hurting pretty soon." She threatened.
"Nah, you're just saying that to make me feel better." He teased
Ashei glared at him for a couple of seconds before sighing.
"I'm too tired for this, and I can't stay mad at you." She slumped in defeat.
"I'll take that as a compliment." Hugh said happily
They were silent for a while longer before Ashei looked back at him.
"How long are you going to come with us?" She asked, clearly now calmed down.
"As long as it takes I guess." Hugh answered looking up at the sky.
"As long as it takes to do what?" She returned
"To avenge the people who have died." He said quietly
Ashei looked at him for a bit before continuing. "Well at least I'll have someone to talk to." She said with a shrug.
Hugh smiled but it turned to a slight frown as his attention was caught behind her. Ashei curiously turned to look as well. Link was by the door talking to the princess but she was wearing her sheikah outfit. Hugh shuttered at the idea of needing to be completely covered, especially in the warm weather. He much preferred his lightweight vest that allowed for free movement. He had noticed that Ashei had changed into a t-shirt with gauntlets instead of her normal shirt-armor duo because of the heat.
"Yikes, looks like Link isn't taking it very well." Ashei commented.
"Taking what well?" Hugh asked
"Zelda told me she's going to travel in her disguise." Ashei explained
"Why doesn't Link like it?" He said with a confused frown.
"Not a clue." Ashei admitted. "Although it might have something to do with being upset with Zelda lying to him." She added thoughtfully.
"He looks like he's taking it ok to me." Hugh objected.
"Nah, he's just hiding it well." Ashei disagreed.
Just then Link and Zelda turned toward the spring and caught sight of Ashei and Hugh staring at them. Link rolled his eyes while Zelda looked like she was stifling a laugh. Hugh got up and brushed himself off.
"I'm going to go get my horse. See ya" He told Ashei before walking off in the direction Link had gone.
Link leaned his head against the back of the house. The day had just begun and he already felt drained. He wasn't sure why seeing Zelda in her Sheikah outfit bothered him so much, but he had lost all motivation. Hugh rounded the corner and stopped and stared at him. Link just looked at him out of the corner of his eye.
"What's up?" Hugh asked as he began to tack his horse.
"Just tired I guess." Link lied
"Yep girls will do that." Hugh commented with a short laugh.
"What?" Link asked as he frowned.
"I said, girls will do that to you. Just be glad you got a relatively calm one." He expanded
"Are you talking about Zelda?" Link asked
Hugh looked at him like he was dumb. "Obviously, who did you think I was talking about?"
Link didn't bother responding.
"So have you asked her yet?" Hugh continued after a while.
Link sighed. "Asked her what?"
"If she'll date you." Hugh stated calmly
"What!?" Link exclaimed, his voice cracking slightly.
Hugh chuckled. "You're funny."
"Wh-but - how- what are you talking about?!" He stuttered.
"Wow, you've really got bad haven't you?" Hugh teased
"Hugh!" He yelped glancing back to see if Zelda had heard
"Alright! Alright! Chill!" Hugh smirked while putting his hands up in mock surrender
"I can't ask her to date me! It's just not possible, how did you even come to that conclusion?!" Link hissed
"Ok, first of all, calm down man. Second it's pretty obvious that you like her. Plus what's the big deal? Of course you can ask her to date you." Hugh responded calmly.
Link groaned and ran his hand through his hair. "I can't even think of her like that." He explained tiredly. "She's a princess, I'm a farm hand! It just doesn't work."
Hugh now looked utterly bored. "I think we both know that you're above just a 'farmhand'. I mean come on, think about it. If you would say yes, Zelda probably would make you second in command of the kingdom!"
Link looked away.
"So we can definitely say that that is not an issue. So what's the problem now?" Hugh continued, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I- I guess, I just never let myself think about it, it just doesn't seem possible." Link responded
"It's possible," Hugh assured. "So why not give it a try?"
Link looked at Hugh then rolled his eyes.
"You're one to talk. Why not take your own advice." Link retorted calmly.
Hugh stiffened. "Watch it."
Now it was Link's turn to laugh.
"See? Not so easy is it?" He teased.
"Shut up." Hugh grumbled. "I'm workin' on it."
They both looked at each other and smirked. Just then Shad came around the corner with Auru in tow.
"Mornin'" Auru greeted.
"Good morning, Hugh, Link." Shad waved.
"Hello." Link responded.
"So how long until we leave?" Auru asked.
"That's up to the girls. And who knows how long that will take" Hugh answered looking around.
As they finished speaking Ashei and Zelda came into view already atop their respective horses with all their gear packed in the saddlebags.
"You guys aren't ready yet?" Ashei asked in surprise
The men turned and looked at each other before all turning to tack their horses. Hugh leaned over to Link.
"I guess less time than I thought." Hugh whispered.
Link grinned. "I guess even you have some things to learn." He whispered back.
The group decided to take a different route to the border Norachre than before. This time they opted to go straight through instead of passing by Hugh's village and the dragon's cave.
"So how long does it take to get there?" Hugh asked Auru.
The group had over time split into three group traveling one behind the other. Hugh and Auru took up the front since they knew the area the best and Auru had actually been to the capital before. Behind them followed Shad and Ashei. The two had been bickering almost incessantly since the moment they left. Then taking up the back was Link and Zelda.
"I estimate about three days, providing that we stop at night." Auru responded to Hugh's question.
Hugh looked over his shoulder. "Will they be able to last three days without tearing each other's heads off?" He asked in regards to Ashei and Shad.
Auru also looked over his shoulder.
"Nah, they'll be fine. They do that all the time, I mean, they're basically brother and sister. You learn to ignore it after a while." Auru commented.
Hugh smirked. "And what does that make you? Their father?" He joked.
Auru frowned. "Huh, I guess so..." He responded with a wide smile.
Link slumped in his saddle. His eyes kept being inadvertently drawn to Zelda. She sat calmly on her onyx mare as if she didn't have a care in the world. Link found himself studying her again when she sighed.
"What?" She demanded
Link guiltily looked away.
"You've been staring at me for the past hour, what is it?" She repeated.
"Sorry, I'll stop." Link muttered.
"It's the Sheikah outfit isn't it?" Zelda pressed
Link winced. "Yeah, a little." He admitted
She shook her head. "It really bothers you that much?"
"No, not really, it's more what it represents." Link said struggling to find the words.
Zelda looked at him confused. "Explain."
"I guess it's ... Sheik filled the gap for me." Link answered finally
Zelda waited quietly for him to continue
"The gap left by Midna." He finished
Zelda looked at the ground. "I miss her too." She told him sadly. "But Sheik is still here."
Link smiled sadly. "It's not the same. But thank you."
"I understand, just know that if you need someone to talk to, I'm more than willing to oblige." She told him kindly
"Thanks." Link said with a nod of his head.
A few minutes later Hugh came riding back.
"Just a heads up Auru says that we're going to have to lead the horses over the next bit, the ground is really unstable and there are hidden holes that we'll have to look out for." He informed them.
"Alright." Zelda responded while dismounting,
"How long is the stretch?" Ashei asked.
"A couple hours max." Hugh responded.
They each dismounted and began to carefully lead the horses. The ground didn't look much different than before, but it became clear once they began to walk on it that it had changed. It seemed too made up as if someone had taken plates of rock and stacked them on top of each other in a very criss-cross manner. There were obvious gaps where a person could see quite far down without much difficulty, but there were also smaller ones that would appear without warning from the rocks breaking under the weight. Shad had the misfortune of tripping on one of these holes and falling but thankfully was uninjured other than a few bruises. The mid-morning breeze helped to keep the travelers cool, seeing as there was no obvious shelter for a few miles in either direction. The hours passed relatively quickly as the group enjoyed quite a bit of playful banter to pass the time. All were very happy when they reached the end of the unpredictable terrain and decided to stop for a break.
After watering the horses Shad began to hand out food to the group.
"So how much more of this kind of ground is there after this?" Ashei asked after receiving her food.
"There shouldn't be any more like this, but we will run into the desert sometime tomorrow." Auru answered before taking another bite of his bread.
"There's no way around it?" Link asked curiously.
"Not really, we would have to take a long detour into the grasslands, which would tack on at least another day and a half on our journey." Auru said with a shake of his head. "You see Norachre has three distinctive terrains," he explained as he picked up a stick and began to draw in the dirt. "There's the desert which runs along the major part of the border of Hyrule and Norachre. Then there's the forest area, that's up north." He continued drawing a jagged line near the top of his drawing. "Then there's the capital is abutting the forest and desert. Finally there's the grasslands, which takes up most the rest of the province." He finished by drawing a line that separated off almost a third of the drawing.
"Hm, so I guess the best way to get there is by cutting through the narrowest part of the desert here." Zelda commented picking up another stick and drawing a light line from the border through the desert area to the capital.
"That's the plan." Auru agreed.
"The only problem will be supplies, we have plenty of food but we might need to refill our water at some point and these lakes change location based on what time of year it is." Zelda pointed out
"Well we could actually make use of the canoe race prize we got." Link spoke up holding up the compass.
"That'll work." Zelda agreed
"So do you think we'll reach the border today?" Shad clarified
"Yep, we'll probably reach it by mid-afternoon." Auru stated.
"Well then I guess we should be going." Hugh put in.
"Sounds good." Ashei agreed.
Ashei was bored. It was a little after noon and she was beginning to get quite annoyed with her inability to do anything besides ride this stupid horse. On almost all of her other adventures she had had monsters to fight or mountains she had to climb, but now it was just a matter of waiting until they arrived. She glanced over at Zelda who had ended up riding next to her when Auru had insisted that Shad and Ashei be separated for the sanity of the rest of the group. Now Shad was behind her yammering away to Link about some obscure topic.
"Hey," she called to Zelda. "What are we supposed to call you now? Sheik or Zelda?" She asked
"I think it would be best if you call me Sheik, that way we're less likely to run into trouble." Zelda answered
"Trouble?" Ashei repeated raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, most of the citizens of Norachre still hold grudges against the Hylians, so they find out that I'm their ruler, we could end up with more than one fight on our hands when we arrive." Zelda pointed out.
"IF we ever arrive." Ashei groaned
"Stop being so melodramatic." Zelda scolded.
Ashei glared at her for a while, then realized it wasn't having any effect so began sharpening her daggers.
Later on Hugh rode back to talked to Zelda.
"Auru said he wants to talk to you about something. I think it has to do with crossing the border but I'm not sure." He told her
"Alright, thank you for telling me." Zelda responded before riding up to be beside Auru.
Hugh and Ashei rode in silence for a few minutes, aside from the sound of Ashei sharpening her dagger.
"You've been awfully quiet since Shad and you got separated." Hugh commented
"Yep, now I don't have anyone to argue with." She complained
"You could just talk to people... You know instead of arguing with them." Hugh pointed out.
"Why would I do that?" Ashei smirked.
"Because that's what most humans do." He answered with a roll of his eyes.
"Well then I guess I'm not human." Ashei retorted.
Hugh took a couple seconds to try to make sense of her statement before giving up and saying "Your logic is dizzying."
"Just wait until I get going." She teased.
"I think I'll pass this time, but check back in with me later." He grinned.
"If you two are finished," Zelda said smiling as she rode back to them. "I just came back to tell you that we're going to need to be on high alert once we pass the border, bandits tend to hover in this area looking for easy marks."
"Yes!" Ashei exclaimed, throwing her fist in the air in delight.
Hugh started to snicker but did his best to hide it, while Zelda just stared at her.
"Uh, I mean that's bad... We'll have to be careful." Ashei quickly covered up while looking to the side.
"Right... Anyway I'm going to go tell Link and Shad." Zelda said riding off.
Ashei began to laugh evilly to herself as she got her bow out of her saddlebag. Notching an arrow she took a practice aim out at the surrounding area.
"Expecting trouble?" Hugh asked in an amused tone.
"I hope so, then I wouldn't be so bored." She said with a grin
Hugh didn't respond.
"What, don't like fights?" Ashei taunted.
"What do you think?" Hugh snapped not looking at her.
"What? All I said was... Oh I- I'm sorry, I didn't think." Ashei stuttered
"I'm not in favor of putting people I care about in harm's way just for some sport." Hugh said quietly still looking straight ahead.
Ashei looked away.
"Great, now I feel horrible." She murmured.
"I'm sorry," Hugh said turning to look at her once again. "I shouldn't inflict my opinions on others."
"No, you're right; I shouldn't take fighting so lightly." Ashei grumbled.
They stayed quiet after that, just listening to the conversations of their other travel companions.
Link smiled slightly at something Shad had said. Shad had the uncanny ability to never run out of topics of discussion.
"Oh Link look!" Shad said excitedly
Link glanced searching for the object of Shad's attention. After a couple of seconds he spotted the thing Shad was pointing at. A few feet in the distance was a large tattered sign; it read a single word: 'Norachre'.
"I guess we've arrived." Link said simply
Shad nodded happily. "I've often thought about visiting Norachre but never could find a good reason to."
"What? A fire-breathing dragon isn't a good enough reason?" Link smirked.
"Not at all, I'm just pleased that this part of the journey is strictly getting from point a to point b. I don't do very well under stressful circumstances." He said with a sigh
"Well, that's not all a bad thing. We need scholars just as much as fighters." Link assured him.
Shad smiled shyly. "I'm thinking of trying to cut down on my adventuring after this though." He admitted.
"Oh?"
"Yes, I thought I would turn my attention to other pursuits." He explained
"Like a wife?" Link asked curiously
Shad blushed. "Perhaps, I hadn't really thought about it." He said nervously
Link smiled kindly. "Well she would be a very lucky woman to end up with you."
A yell up ahead grabbed their attention. Sheik and Auru jumped into position with their sword and bow as a group of men with their face covered jumped out in front of them. Link urged Epona forward as he drew his sword. Ashei and Hugh also join the fray causing a great amount of dust build up. The bandits were about 15 in number and were quite easily overtaken. Link notched an arrow and shot the last one in the side, just enough to injure but not kill.
He calmly dismounted and walked over to him. Pulling a bandage from his pocket he gently began to wrap the wound.
"What are you doing?" The bandit asked weakly
"I'm making sure you don't bleed out." Link answered
"Why? We attacked you." He spat out harshly, then took a sharp intake of breath as Link pulled the bandage tight.
"That doesn't mean you need to die, and now maybe you'll reconsider you choice of employment." He responded expressionless.
He left the man there and moved to the next, bandaging major wounds and giving small portions of potions to those that needed it. Once Link was sure none of them would die he returned to Epona. As he rode past Hugh silently handed him a bottle with potion in it. Link glanced at him before accepting it.
"To replace yours." Hugh said simply
Link nodded and put the bottle in his pocket.
By mid-evening they had made good progress and were very close to reaching the edge of the desert. By general consent the group came to a halt and began to set up camp. Zelda said she had seen at a distance a place she could take the horses for water, Shad chose to accompany her to help. Auru and Link set to work laying out the beds while Ashei made a fire and Hugh got the food. Within a half hour camp was fully set up and the food was on its way to being finished.
Sitting himself down, Link out his hands behind his head and leaned back against a rock. Auru sat down next to him and pulled out a knife and a small square of wood. Opening his eyes slightly Link glanced at the wood curiously.
"Carving?" He asked, venturing a guess.
"That's right. Keeps the hands busy and the mind free to wander." Auru said happily
Link smiled and closed his eyes again listening to the sounds of the knife scraping pieces off the wood. Hugh joined them a few minutes later and sat across from them cross-legged. He idly watched Auru while they waited.
"They're back." Ashei called from above them. She had quickly claimed the single tree that they had chosen to camp near and had been sitting on one of the higher branches as soon as the group had competed set up.
Link glanced to the side to see Zelda and Shad returning. They quickly tethered the horses and came to join them. Zelda went to check that the food wasn't burning while Shad settled himself under the tree that Ashei was perched in.
Zelda announced that the food was ready and Link quickly got up to help her hand it out.
Dinner passed quietly with each lost in their own thoughts.
"Well I'm off to bed." Shad said breaking the silence
"Already?" Hugh teased
"Yep." Shad said not even bothering rising to the taunt.
After Shad left Ashei hopped down from the tree and sat cross-legged next to Zelda.
"So 'Sheik' what's the king like?" Ashei asked nonchalantly
"I honestly don't know." Zelda replied as she stared into the fire.
"You haven't met him?" Link asked curiously
"No, I only know him by his letters and those are usually simply about business." She answered
"Don't you have some sort of formality where all the leaders come and meet up every year or something?" Hugh asked
Zelda thought a second. "Well we do have a meeting every two years between the kingdoms but no one ever comes, they just send a representative, so after a while it became just a formality where nothing really serious is discussed."
"Seems kind of pointless." Ashei remarked
"It keeps everyone passive." She sighed
"I'm just glad I don't have that kind of responsibility." Link said
"Same here." Ashei agreed
"I think you would do quite well at it Link." Zelda retorted
"If I had to, maybe but I'm more comfortable with my normal life." Link said with a yawn.
"Normal life?" Hugh grinned. "Fighting dragons is normal?" He teased
"Well I guess it's more normal to fight a crazy powerful madman bent on world domination, but I'm ok with a change of pace." Link replied happily
"Except, you know, there's Arnold... He is pretty powerful, he's definite crazy, and as far as I can tell he wants to take over the world." Ashei pointed out
"Yup, so I should feel right at home." Link said flashing her a smile.
"I think you need to find a new life." Ashei joked.
Link smirked. "What about you? What's your normal life?" He returned
"Climbing mountains, taking part in revolutions and correcting stereotypes would probably sum it up quite nicely." She said making a show of counting them off on her fingers.
They all laughed.
"Come one we've done everyone but you," she said after they finished laughing. She pointed to Hugh. "What's your normal?"
"Mines not nearly as exciting as yours." Hugh brushed off.
"Oh come on, fess up." Ashei prodded
"I guess normal for me use to be just working at the farm and taking care of my sister, but now it seems more like I need to take care of everyone. It's like my family has just increased to include more people, so I need to make sure that their well looked after." He said with a shy smile and shrug.
They all sat quietly for a moment longer when Ashei spoke again.
"Well it sounds like a pretty good normal to me." She smiled. "Could have used some monsters but overall it's not bad." She teased.
Hugh chuckled "Thanks I think?"
Sand and wind whipped at her braided hair, tearing the black cloak into the air behind her back and flapping it about like a tattered flag. Zelda reached back and pulled the cloak tighter around her body in an attempt to shield herself from the wind. Readjusting her cowl she looked out and the expansive desert they had begun to cross. The first few hours had been almost pleasant consisting of only a few hot gusts of air and the occasional squabbles of Ashei and Shad. However now things had taken a sudden turn for the worst with continuous attacks of sandstorms. After the first one had hit, the group had quickly covered as much of their skin as they possibly could to avoid getting torn apart by the relentless sand winds. Glancing around her she saw that Auru, Ashei and Shad weren't doing much better. Hugh looked like he was dealing the worst as he shuttered desolately, his arms wrapped around himself trying to create an additional protective barrier for his body. His normal open vest and sandals were replaced by one of Auru's thick shirts and a pair of Link's boots as well as a matching black cloak that Zelda had produced for each of them. The only one who didn't seem bothered by the storm was Link. He sat calmly on Epona not bothering to try and cover his face any more than usual. He noticed her looking and waved, he then put up his hand with four of his fingers raised. Slowly he began to count down with his fingers until only one remained. The moment he ticked off the final one the sand winds suddenly abated. Smiling happily he brushed some of the excess sand off his gauntlets and faced forward again.
"How did you do that?" Zelda demanded in awe.
"Do what?" Link asked curiously
"How did you know when the storm was going to stop?"
"Oh, the pitch sound of the wind changes when it's about to stop. Figured that out in the Gerudo desert, it makes traveling a lot easier." He explained.
"Can you tell when it's going to start up again?" Zelda asked
"Sure, but we won't be getting one for another hour or so." He estimated.
"How c-" she began to ask.
"Oh thank the three goddesses!" Hugh said loudly. He quickly began to take the black cloak off and shake the sand out of his hair, obviously pleased to be able to move freely again. "How ANYONE lives in this climate is beyond me." He grumbled.
Zelda and Link snickered at Hugh's reaction.
"I guess they do it to get away from people." Link pointed out.
"Well it works, they won't have me coming as a frequent visitor." He declared.
Ashei rode closer to them laughing at Hugh.
"How in the name of Hyrule did you manage to get so much sand in your hair?" She asked
"I don't know, it just happened." He pouted
She laughed again then pulled her horse up next to his. He looked at her confused when she brought her hands up near his head.
"Come on you big idiot, move your head down." She commanded.
Hugh complied and Ashei began to, rather fiercely, shake her hands through his hair in an attempt to dislodge the sand.
Link could help but grin as he watched the mounds of sand pour out, with Ashei getting more and more irritated as it continued to fall.
"Why do you have so much hair?" She demanded as she shook his hair harder.
"It's not like I've really had time to get it cut." He mumbled.
When the stream of sand finally halted Ashei sat back on her horse very pleased with herself then began to ride forward again after Auru and Shad. Hugh lifted his head and gazed after her, his faced slightly flushed.
Link glanced at him with a sly smirk. Hugh glanced over and caught the look.
"Not a word." He hissed
Link smiled wider. "Wouldn't think of it." He said happily.
Hugh rode ahead as well leaving Zelda and Link again.
"What was that all about?" She asked archly
"Oh nothing. Just an ongoing joke." Link responded.
"Would this ongoing joke something to do with a not so secret crush?" She asked knowingly.
"Perhaps." He replied
They both smiled and urged their horses forward to catch up to the group. The calm hour passed and Link told them that they would be heading into another sandstorm. They readjusted their cloaks in preparation, Hugh grumbling about it the whole time. Within minutes the winds picked up and left them all trying to shield themselves from the sand. With storms coming and going the groups finally made it to the desert river around mid-afternoon.
"I never thought I would be so happy to see water." Auru said as it came into view.
"Yeah, we should be able to avoid the storms if we stay close to it." Shad pointed out.
Dismounting they each led their horses so they could drink then began to fill their water pouches and bottles. Splashing some water in his face Link sighed with relief, glad to be rid of the grim that had begun to build up.
"So this river runs through the whole desert?" Ashei asked to no one specific.
"Yes, it's the reason that anything can survive out here." Zelda responded.
"And it's why the Gerudo chose to locate their fortress out here." Auru added.
Hugh rolled his eyes at that. "Again, they have to be bat crazy to choose to live out here, even if there is a water supply."
"Oh quit complaining, at least we're past sandstorms." Ashei shot back.
"Different subject; how long until we reach the capital?" Link interjected
"We'll reach the first town before sundown, so we should be able to see the king early tomorrow." Auru answered
"Should we know the king's name before we get there?" Ashei asked
"Didn't I tell you already?" Zelda asked surprised.
They all indicated that she hadn't.
"His name is Kaori. He is 29 and he has a seven year old son named Tobias." She told them
"No wife?" Link asked
"No she died three years ago in an accident, the details of which I haven't been able to learn about yet." Zelda explained.
"Well I feel more comfortable knowing who we're going to see." Shad said
"Very true... So shall we continue on?" Hugh suggested.
The desert cut off very suddenly and melded into hard packed dirt with a few patches of trees covering the ground. Within minutes of passing out of the desert they caught sight of a small town. Just as dusk began to paint the sky they rode into the town.
"I like it." Ashei remarked as they dismounted. "It's not as big as castle town but it's nice all the same."
"Norachre is more focused on creating towns rather than villages so they try to make sure that they are paved and have stone buildings. I think it makes them feel more secure." Zelda commented.
Hugh had been speaking with a blacksmith that was working near where they stopped their horses. He then returned and said.
"He said that the town inn is just a few buildings that way." He pointed to the right.
"Good to know, did he happen to mention if there was anywhere to keep out horses?" Auru asked
"Yes, he said that they had a stable right next to the inn for that." Hugh replied
"Well what are we waiting for then?" Ashei asked as she remounted.
They rode to the inn then dismounted giving the reins to the stable boy who came out to meet them. Walking into the inn they found that the lower level was a tavern of sorts with a stairway to the rooms above. They made their way towards the perky, blond girl who was working behind the bar.
"Welcome to the Lion's inn how can I help you?" She greeted them with a bright smile.
"We would like to reserve some rooms for tonight please." Auru smiled back
"Excellent, and how many rooms will you be needing?" She asked as she brought out a book and pencil.
Auru looked at the group, his eyes lingering on Zelda and Ashei.
"Three should do." He told her.
She scribbled in the book and handed him three keys.
"The rooms are up the stairs and to the left, rooms 7, 8 and 9. Enjoy your stay!" She told them happily.
They thanked her and made their way upstairs. As they reached the rooms Link turned to the group and asked.
"Um am I the only one who's wondering who is going to be in which room?" He said carefully.
"Yeah I was wondering that too, it's not like Ze-I mean Sheik can stay with Ashei, it wouldn't look right." Hugh agreed.
"I was a little concerned about that but I figured getting four rooms would look suspicious." Auru explained. "So I guess it's up to you Sheik, who would you feel most comfortable rooming with, seeing as we can't fit more than three to a room you're going to have to bunk in with someone.
Zelda looked between the four of them carefully before speaking.
"I think it would be most appropriate if I share a room with master Auru seeing as I've known him the longest." She responded.
"Fair enough, we'll hang a blanket down the middle of the room so you can have your privacy." Auru said
They then split off into the different rooms, Ashei in the first, Auru and Zelda in the next, and Hugh, Link, and Shad in the last.
"I'll sleep on the floor." Link offered as they walked into the room and saw that there were only two beds.
"You don't have too, I don't mind." Hugh told him.
Link reached into the neck of his tunic and pulled out his wolf stone.
"It's all good, I think I would be the most comfortable with it." He said with a small smile.
"Alright if you say so." Hugh agreed before walking over to one of the beds and flopping down on it.
"I'm going to sleep a bit before dinner." He announced
"I think I hear Auru leaving the room so I'm going to go meet up with him." Shad said as he walked towards the door.
"And I'm going to go explore a bit, see ya." Link said, but instead of going to the door he walked over to the small window of their room and climbed out before jumping up to the roof. He paused as he heard Hugh's startled voice. He positioned himself so he was hanging upside down and was looking through the window he had just exited from. Hugh was somewhat frantically looking at the ground below.
"Hugh?" Link called down
"Agh! How did you get up there?!" Hugh yelled at him
"I climbed?"
"Why would you go out a window!? I thought you had died!" He exclaimed
Link frowned slightly confused. "What, you thought that you having a nap would make me want to kill myself?"
Hugh paused incredulously for a moment. "No, ju-just don't jump out windows! You almost gave me a heart attack! Don't you care about my health?"
Link stared at him blankly for a couple of seconds. "Weren't you going to have a nap?"
Hugh growled in frustration while making wringing motions with his hands. "Yes! Yes I need one now for my nerves thanks to you!" He left the window but Link could still hear him grumbling to himself; something along the lines of 'crazy', 'inconsiderate', and 'unnatural'.
Smiling to himself, Link moved so he was once again standing on the roof. As he looked he found that the many of the roofs went even higher than the one he was currently on. He easily moved from one roof to the next because they were built very close together. Making his way to the tallest one in the area he sat down and gazed at the setting sun. From here he had a good view of the town they were now staying in; as Zelda had said almost everything was made from stone. Not wood or metal but stone. He noticed an overall bleak feeling that it exuded, yet it still had a kind of elegant beauty as well. His ears perked as they heard a sound behind him.
"I thought I saw someone." Zelda said
Link smiled. "Should have known I wasn't the only one who likes tall buildings."
"How did you get up here?" she asked as she sat down next to him.
"Climbed out a window, freaked Hugh out. You?"
"Scaled the wall." Zelda returned with a grin. She began unwrapping the bandages she had tied around her head as well as lower the cowl that covered her face. As the last of her light brown hair was freed she sighed with relief.
"Never thought long hair could be such a nuisance." She said as she ran her fingers through it getting rid of loose tangles.
"At least it looks nice."
Zelda smiled. Silence past between them as the town quietly bustled around below them.
"Are you nervous about tomorrow?" Link asked quietly.
"Not yet." She replied
Link pulled his legs up and rested his arms on his knees. "Not yet?" He repeated
"I find things don't bother me until right in the moment." She admitted
"Well I guess that could be good or it could be bad." Link chuckled
"Depends on the situation I guess." She smirked "I remember my father getting so nervous before events that he often wouldn't eat the night before, I'm glad that doesn't happen to me."
"I don't know much about your father, what was he like?" Link asked as he rested his chin on his arms.
"He was very kind... He put on a show of being tough and aloof but he actually really loved people, my mother especially." She bit her lip and looked down.
"I bet you miss them, they sound like wonderful parents." Link empathized
"Yeah, but I did have them for 15 happy years, and that's more than some people." Zelda said gazing sadly at him.
Link smiled back. "I guess I barely even noticed, my village was my family. The adults were my parents and the kids were my brothers and sisters so I couldn't help but be happy."
Zelda smirked. "Even Ilia?" She teased.
"Yup, even Ilia. She was that annoying little sister that you couldn't help loving." He laughed.
"Do you find you get homesick when you're out adventuring?" Zelda questioned curiously
"Of course, but if I have other people around it's not as bad." Link replied
They smiled at each other. Link turned and looked at the sun that had almost disappeared from the horizon. Standing he brushed himself off.
"We'd better get back before they start to worry." Link mentioned. He leaned down with his hand outstretched. Zelda shyly took it and allowed him to help her to her feet. She also brushed herself off and began to rewrap her head and position her cowl. She finished within seconds and nodded to him.
"I enjoyed chatting with you Zelda." He said with a warm smile.
As they arrived back at the inn Link was greeted by Shad and Auru who were seated at one of the tables of the tavern.
"Hugh's still sleeping, but dinner is going to be ready soon do you mind going and getting him?" Shad asked
"Sure, I'll see you later Sheik." Link said before heading up the stairs.
He rounded the corner and walked into the room without bothering to knock. Hugh was lying on the bed reading a book. He glanced up as Link entered.
"Nerves calmed down yet?" Link teased
Hugh smirked. "Have fun on the roof? I noticed you had some company." He said as he turned his attention back to the book.
Link tensed slightly. "Yes as a matter of fact, Sheik ended up joining me." He said willing his voice to stay steady.
"Ah, and how did that go?" Hugh grinned even wider.
"Just fine. Now supper is ready, if you can tear yourself away from that book." He said turning to leave so as to hide his blush.
Hugh chuckled then pushed himself to his feet. "Yup, no problem, can understand half of that chicken scratch anyway." He walked past Link out into the hallway, his hands in his pockets.
"One of Shad's?" Link asked following after him.
"Yep, can't believe that guy spends so much of his energy on such an old civilization." Hugh sighed
They walked down the stairs and into the tavern. Stepping carefully around the rowdy drinkers and their tables. As they sat down Ashei came down the stairs and joined them. She had changed from her usual armor into a loose fitting shirt and pants.
"So where's the food?" She asked as she sat down between Hugh and Shad
"The waitress is bringing it now." Auru said glancing behind her
As he said this the cheerful blond girl came over to their table and placed a large plate in the middle with a large cooked cooco as well as some spare ribs and vegetables.
"Wow, I wasn't expecting such a feast." Ashei said drooling slightly as she stared covertly at the platter.
"Best in town." The girl said brightly, "Please enjoy, and let me know if I can get you anything else."
They all thanked her and began to hungry attack the food. Sheik even managed to eat some of the food without anyone noticing that the cowl had moved. After link finished he sat back with a sigh.
"I know is should feel weird about eating a cooco but I really don't." He said
"Why would you feel weird about that?" Ashei asked as she stuffed another large bite in her mouth.
"Because the last time I came into contact with a cooco it tried to kill me." Link laughed
"A cooco... Tried to kill you?"
"It's true, those things are vicious." Hugh said with a shudder
"And it gets even worse when they call the rest of the flock." Link commented
"You got attack by a whole flock!? How did you survive?" Hugh asked in shock
"It was a close call, I managed to jump into a lake then I had to swim to the other side before they finally left me alone. I've learned to get them a wide berth after that." Link rolled his eyes at the memory
They all laughed at his comment before returning to their meal.
"Well as the senior citizen of this group I'm going to head off to bed, adieu." Auru said with a small flourish as he stood.
"I'm going to get a drink, anyone want to join me?" Hugh asked
"Sure I'll come." Link said
"Count me in." Ashei answered
"I think I'll pass." Shad smiled
"Myself as well, can't drink well with this thing in the way." Zelda said with a gesture to the cowl
Shad and Zelda made their way back to the rooms while Hugh, Link and Ashei made their way to the second rooms with the bar.
"I'm curious to see how well the hero of Hyrule holds his ale." Hugh teased as he ordered for them
"I bet he'll pass out after a couple." Ashei predicted as she sat at one of the bar stools
"I guess we'll see." Link smirked with a shrug
A couple hours later Link was sipping nonchalantly at his second glass and watching Ashei and Hugh drunkenly slur at each other.
"There is no way that you can out drink me! Give up now!" Ashei declared as she clanged her umpteenth glass down on the bar.
Hugh groaned and bury his head in his arms on the table top. "Goddesses how can you hold that much liquor?" Came his muffled reply
"I can because I'm just that amazing." She sang as she stuck out her tongue
He shifted his head so he could look at out of the corner of his eye.
"Mmmhn, I guess that seems logical." He smiled as his eyelid began to droop
Ashei grabbed Hugh's half empty glass and chugged it down.
"Anything seems logical after a few of these." She snorted
She glanced down at him again.
"Will you please stop staring at me?" She demanded
"Can't" Hugh grinned
"Why not?" Ashes asked suspiciously
"Cuz you've captivated me." he murmured smiling, then immediately fell asleep, a small snore escaping his lips.
Link was shaking as he tried to hold back his laughter
"Oh he's going to be fun in the morning." he said with a wide smile
Ashei didn't respond for a while, she just simply stared at Hugh's sleeping form.
"We should get him to bed; he's going to be super hungover." She said getting to her feet
Link obliged, also standing as he drained the last of his drink and tossed a few coins to the barkeeper. Carefully lifting Hugh so he had an arm over Link's shoulder he half dragged Hugh towards the stairs with Ashei in tow. After much struggling he managed to get him up the stairs and to the door of their room. Ashei said a short goodnight and departed to her room while Link struggled to open the door with Hugh's dead weight still on his shoulder. Finally pulling them both into the room Link closed the door behind them and brought Hugh over to the bed, careful not to wake Shad. Hugh murmured something quietly before turning onto his side and settling into an even deeper sleep.
Link smiled to himself and began to remove his chainmail and hat. Setting them on the ground he pulled his stone from his tunic and gently set it against his skin. He let out a small hiss as the pain sparked through his body, transforming him into his alternate form. With a tired huff he flopped onto the ground, happily allowing sleep to claim him.