Chapter 11: The Open Air
Link laid awake in bed, forcing himself to stay awake every time sleep threatened to capture him.
Just think about cuccos. And how terrifying they are. Why is it that they always multiply and attack me when I'm around? It's ridiculous!
...And Liari always made fun of me for it. The corners of Link's mouth twitched slightly at the memory. My life was so different before Liari came along.
At that, Link frowned. But I wouldn't even know her if all those horrible things hadn't happened.
Link sat up on the lumpy bed and glanced around the small room. It was roughly five feet by… seven? Eight? It had a small square footage nonetheless.
It was also extremely bare. The only object other than the small cot was a quaint table with a candle and a book.
His old journal. About the… past. When he had been an optimistic child, always laughing and joking. Sometimes he missed those days, but he knew that wasn't what the people wanted from a hero.
...And he also remembered trying to hide stuff from Liari. She eventually found out, but it took a long time for Link to trust her enough.
Link stretched. If he got too bored, he would be tempted to fall asleep. And even though he had established the fact that he should ease back into sleeping, maybe find some potions for lack of dreams, he was good for today, thank you very much.
He winced as he recalled the day. The captain…
The beat of a fist…
...Had found out. Link wasn't sure how, but that made him-
"You useless little boy! You can't even keep watch of one little princess!"
-Far less enthusiastic about going to sleep. Link rubbed his right shoulder subconsciously.
Link stood slightly, careful not to hit his head on the ceiling. Link wasn't really that tall- in fact, he was about an inch or so shorter than the average height for his age- but that's what happens when you sleep in a room like this.
He pulled on the simple white undershirt to the Champion's Tunic, as well as a dark green hood Liari had given him. He pulled on the Master Sword's sheath, hiding part of it beneath the tail of the hood. He'd rather not be easily spotted. Sometimes there were still workers around outside.
It wasn't like they managed to hear him, though. Sheikah training had its advantages.
He pushed open the door slightly, revealing the quiet stables.
Yes, he slept in a small room off of stable, normally used for stable hands. He always had, since he'd gotten here oh so long ago. The barracks had been full back then, so he had been put out here. No one had ever remembered that he'd been placed here, even after he became a champion. Link supposed everyone assumed he was put into some fancy quarters.
But Link was fine. This was comfortable. He preferred it to the rowdiness of the barracks anyway, and it was far more comfortable than a big fancy suite would ever be.
He heard the clopping of hooves away from the stable. Seems someone else wanted a midnight ride, too. Probably for a very different reason, though.
Link made his way down to the stall of his favorite mare. She greeted him with a winny, as usual, and looked him up and down.
Link chuckled. "I'm sorry, girl. I'll bring you an apple in the morning, if I can manage to sneak one from the kitchen without being caught."
Epona snorted, but nuzzled him affectionately. Link smiled and rubbed her face with his scarred hands.
"How about a ride, then?" He asked quietly.
Epona tugged her head away instantly and stomped her foot with a huff.
"I can't understand you when you huff like that." Link smirked, putting his hands on his hips. "I'll repeat; Do you want to go on a ride?"
Epona neighed and bobbed her head up and down with an amusing likeness to a four year old nodding eagerly.
"Good." Link said. "Let's get you geared up, then, shall we?" Link opened up the stall door and grabbed the saddle, throwing it over Epona's back.
After buckling the saddle, and putting on her bridle, Link led her out of the stall and into the open air.
From doing this for years, Link knew he knew the quietest route out of Castle Town. It used to be when he couldn't sleep, but now he found it funny that he was doing it to evade sleep instead.
After twisting and turning through the alleys of Castle Town, Link mounted Epona and rode. He breathed in the fresh night air, and for the first time in a while, he let down his guard. He smiled softly and held tight to Epona's reins, allowing himself to slouch a bit.
It wasn't like anyone was out here to care if the great Hylian Champion wasn't being stiff and straight. No one was out here to judge the small water of the corner of his eye.
It was out here in the wild, all alone, that Link could be whom he wanted. Who he truly was.
Link frowned. But now, even that would be taken from him. The next time he ventured into the fields and plains, the hills and mountains… He would be watching Princess Zelda. And if the princess saw him slouch… or anything that wasn't the absolute most knightly one could possibly be, who knew what would happen? And if the captain heard of anything like that, then Link would not be getting a restful night of sleep, that's for sure.
...Not like he ever got one of those. Link remembered the few days before and in between that time, when he was able to sleep whenever he wanted, most of the dreams being pleasant. There was a time when if he dreamed at all, it would be a picture of the legends his mother or Impa had told him.
Link had discovered from those dreams that he had an overactive imagination. For some reason, his dream thought that the Hero of Twilight had turned into a wolf, but that was impossible, considering the fact that the Master Sword fought off the effects of twilight.
"And how do you suppose that means the Hero did not turn into a wolf?" Fi asked within his mind.
Link slowed Epona's gallop. "Well, the reason he turned into a wolf in my dream was due to the fact that he'd been dragged into the Twilight Realm."
"And when did you have this dream?" Fi asked.
"Probably when I was nine or ten." Link replied, patting Epona's neck. "And I'm sure that that was most likely because I was very imaginative back then." Very, very imaginative.
"So you had visions of the past that early?" Fi mused emotionlessly. "Surprising. Most heroes begin to have visions at thirteen, maybe fourteen years of age."
Link pulled Epona to a halt. "What?" He sputtered.
"Heroes carry the same spirit." Fi explained. "Most of the time, this spirit results in visions of previous, sometimes even future heroes."
Link mulled over on it for a moment. "So…" Link began uncertainly. "...You're saying that all the heroes…carry the same spirit? Doesn't that make them the same person?"
"Yes."
Link nearly fell off the horse, and would have, if not for Epona, who turned her head low to the side and caught him.
Link pulled himself back up, giving Epona a thankful pat. He felt like he was going to throw up.
"How-? What-? Why-?" Link sputtered.
"That is something you'll have to figure out on your own." Fi replied. "For now… is that the princess riding off, over there?"
Link blinked, and glanced at the direction Fi was tugging at in his mind.
There, riding upon her white horse, was a cloaked figure. But the royal gear on her horse gave away that it was the princess.
"That's the direction of the Ancient Columns, isn't it?" Link sighed.
"Affirmative, Master Link." Fi confirmed.
Link turned Epona back to the castle. "I'll get my stuff, then. Something tells me this won't be the most… enjoyable experience."
And so he rode back to the castle as quickly as possible. He left Epona in front of the door to his room and pulled his Champion's Tunic.
He quickly pulled on his leather guard and gloves, re-slung the Master Sword's sheath over his shoulder, buckled it quickly, and then grabbed his pile of supplies.
"Epona, we're going to have to ride pretty hard in order to catch up." Link said. "Are you ready?"
Epona whinnied, stomping her foot.
"Good." Link said.
Link piled the supplies onto Epona's back, mounted, and then rode for the Ancient Columns.
I hope no one realizes that I'm missing. Though they'll surely realize that the princess is.
Oooh. Raise your hand if you know what's happening next!
*Everyone raises hands*
Are you sure about that?
So this chapter is a bit shorter, and I'm sorry I haven't updated in a couple of days! I had a really busy weekend! I don't have any more chapters written after this, so I probably won't update tomorrow and spend it writing a few more chapters. Once I've written two more, I'll update again!
REPLIES!
SmokeyMirrors: The captain probably had child abuse or something, so he thinks that's the best way to teach. I think. I won't be going into his story too much, though, so think whatever you'd like! Impa's being calm because... hmm... who do you think taught Link to hide emotions? *HMMMMMMMMMs significantly.*
SmokeyMirrors (2.0): We'll see. HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM...