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Chapter 7 – The Joys & Pains of Friendship
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—Sheik's POV—
Gwyn and I were finishing up our two-hour shift as the watchers. As we were talking about leaving before we headed back to camp, a thought hit me that made me realize just how dumb I could be from time to time. I had been waiting to escape by force when I was given the opportunity, and had completely forgotten I could teleport. When Gwyn mentioned some of the girls being able to track I sarcastically thought; could they track people if they leave no footprints?
It took everything I had inside me to not openly face palm in front of her. Why had I not already done that to escape? Its not like the ability to teleport is something you should be able to forget easily. Once our watch had started, she had questioned how we were going to get away and not give them any chance at following us, and I told her not to worry, she would see. I didn't want to tip my hand in case there were any still up listening; they could know we were leaving, but not how.
After the final fifteen minutes passed, Gwyn went and woke up the girl who had volunteered for the second watch, the two of us stood up, and walked in the direction of our beds, I had placed mine near hers and her things had been placed in my pack along with my own. Once we lay down and were situated, I nudged her, grabbed onto her arm and my bedding and motioned for her to do the same.
I closed my eyes for a few seconds and concentrated on a part of the field a ways away from the camp. There was no motion or any evidence we had moved, except for Gwyn's soft gasp. I concentrated again on another spot farther away on the field, and once again, no feeling of movement, but a small gasp of surprise from Gwyn.
"Yes, we just teleported, no, it cant be tracked, and yes, now we can get on the move again. Answer all your questions?" I said with a voice that sounded like I was making huge effort to stay patient with her before turning to face her and cracking a wide grin at her. "Come on, it isn't that far to a small settlement I have friends at, we can sleep once we get there. Now we have two options, I could teleport us again to within a mile of the town, but you would have to carry me the last mile. Or option number two, we could walk the five miles or so and continue talking without you needing to carry me that last bit of the distance." I look over just holding in a laugh at her still stunned face.
"Ummm, you're small and all, but I don't think that would look too good, a Gerudo carrying in a Sheikah on her back. Besides, I'm used to being the one doing the riding." She replied with a wink. At this, I couldn't help but let out the laugh that had been waiting to run out of my mouth. She is going to be a great addition to the group.
We linked arms once more and headed off in the direction of the small town on the edge of Hyrule Field. We talked as friends, something I hadn't done more than four times for a couple years, minus the short talks with Link, we talked as girls something I hadn't done for at least seven years, but most importantly, we talked as sisters, which was something I had never done or a relationship I never had with anyone before. It felt even weirder because of the fact I had been so emotionless for over six years. It is freeing in some ways and absolutely terrifying in others, I'm still not too sure what I think about it…
We reached the town just before dawn and the inn was thankfully already open. I was welcomed back by the owners happily, and once I explained who Gwyn was, they accepted her with open arms more or less, well, less than they would a Hylian, but more than they would accept just any Gerudo from the streets. We ate a quick but large breakfast, booked a room with two beds and then settled in for a morning of sleep.
Gwyn fell asleep quickly; I had forgotten she had been going longer than me. Her feet had definitely been dragging by the time we walked through the door of the inn. She gained some life back after she ate, but she must have been unconscious by the time her head hit the pillow. She didn't even take time to change out of her clothes.
I laughed softly and then rolled onto my side. Yesterday had been crazy, last night had been some of the most fun I had had in a while that lasted more than just a couple hours… Gwyn had told me tons of stories from her childhood, thankfully she hadn't gotten out of the habit of treating me like a guy for the most part, or calling me Sheik, but I would have to be sure she didn't slip around Link.
I still wasn't okay with being close to people; I still shunted off any questions she asked about my past or anything too personal. I considered her my sister, but even family had the potential to turn their back on you, I know she will fight for and with me if needed, but that doesn't mean something couldn't happen and change everything… I'll let her be closer than most, but her and Link still have to keep their distance; I can't let myself get hurt again.
It was going to be tough though; there was a deeper connection than just friendship with her. Even Link and I have a relationship that is different than just a normal friendship. It's almost like I am becoming Gwyn's sister but Link's brother. If that does not ultimately leave me confused, I will be amazed. Even with me trying to keep my distance from those two, it is like Fate has taken a rope, wrapped it around us and then tied a slipknot in it, keeping hold of the loose end and pulling on it ever so often, pulling us closer to each other… No matter how hard I try to go against it, they just keep getting closer to me, and that scares me…
I finally drifted off to sleep at some point, my mind going like crazy up until that point so I wasn't sure when I actually fell asleep. Only that my dream was terrifying. Link was fighting Ganondorf in a room with the same painting handing on the walls that surrounded the platform he was stuck on. However, Ganondorf looked wrong for some reason.
Ever so often, Ganondorf would ride his horse into one of the paintings and up the road, He would then turn around or appear in a different painting and ride back down the road in it. Once he reached the end of the road, he would reappear and jump over the platform and shoot black lightning down onto the platform.
My body cringed as the black lightning hit Link, time and time again, the electricity flowing over his body, and his face contorted with pain. As he recovered Ganondorf's horse raced off once more and jumped into a painting again. Link watched all the paintings, his head on a swivel. As he saw Ganondorf racing down one of the paths, he reached back, pulled out his bow, notched an arrow and released it as Ganondorf and his horse came out of the painting. When it hit, the horse turned around and ran back up the path.
Link did this a few more times, sometimes being tricked by, apparently, a fake Ganondorf that ran down one of the paintings as the other Ganondorf did in a different one. After landing a couple hits, Ganondorf started floating above the platform. Floating? Ganondorf can't do that, there must be something else to this...
The Ganondorf raised his sword above his head and charged what looked to be a ball of…energy, I guess would be the best way to describe it… After it had amassed a large ball, it swung its sword down and launched the energy at Link. He swung his sword and knocked the ball of energy back at the floating figure of Ganondorf. The ball went back and forth a couple times until it struck Ganondorf. He sank to the ground and Link rushed over and hit him a few times with his sword.
The Ganondorf rose into the air once more and repeated the attack again. This time, a few hits into it, Link mistimed a swing and the ball of energy enveloped him, dropping him to his knees and one of his hands supporting the weight of his upper body. Mercilessly the Ganondorf was already forming another ball of energy, Link pulled himself up, using his sword, and then staggered as he reached his feet. Navi was trying to distract the floating figure by flying in front of his face. If I know her, she is making rude comments about his mother and family, Link has not done the forest any services with how he has corrupted that fairy…
He is steady on his feet now, not a moment too soon, Ganondorf released the ball of energy and Link deflected it until it struck Ganondorf. He once again, somehow, ran over to the figure that was bent over and struck him repeatedly with his sword. As the figure tried to rise again, Link jumped up and brought his sword down on the figure's head and it crashed to the ground once more.
The intensity Link set into the fallen figure with would have maimed any normal person beyond recognition; the figure had stopped trying to get up and then ultimately laid still. Link took a couple steps back and then looked around as if startled. After a few moments, the body floated off the ground once more; surely it can't still fight after a beating like that…
As it straightened out in the air, it stopped, hovered for a bit, and then a dark portal opened up on the floor and the creature melted into the floor. A gate that had been blocking his exit previously dropped and Navi floated in front of him. Something passed between them and then he nodded and stepped forward into a small circle of blue light then disappeared.
My mind sighed with relief, Link was safe and on his way out of the Temple, finally. He will probably be in the mood to sleep for a while once he gets his feet back on solid ground and in a safe area again. But that would have to wait until morning. I closed my mind off and settled back into a deep sleep. Tomorrow would give time for conversation, stories, and, thank the Goddesses, more sleep.
Thankfully, either Gwyn or I had enough brains to shut the blinds before we went to sleep this morning. If they hadn't been closed, we would have been awakened not too long after we fell asleep. There were no clouds in the sky over the small village and it seemed noticeably brighter than it had been the past few years. Maybe its because of how close we are to the Forest Temple; the more Sages Link frees, the brighter it will become in Hyrule. Good, it'll be nice to get away from all this constant gloom.
Oh! Speaking of Link, err, thinking rather, Gwyn and I need to get ready and go meet him. He's more brawn than brain in almost any situation where he can't use his sword to get him to the next place. Probably went to Hyrule field last night to walk around and kill any stalchildren that popped up…
If that's the case then we'll let him buy lunch with all the rupees he farmed from those demons, they were ugly bests, but they had some pretty rupee on them usually, especially the bigger ones. I half chuckle, mostly to myself, but the abrupt noise woke Gwyn up with a start and the only thing that saved me from having a knife to my throat were my reflexes and one of the knives always on my person, even when sleeping.
"Gwyn! Take it easy! Its me, Sheik, take a chill pill and get this knife away from my throat crazy!" I half yell, I can't be too upset with her because I know I would have reacted mostly the same way.
"Sorry, I didn't recognize where I was and something woke me up. I didn't mean to…" She mumbled, embarrassment rushing to quickly cover her face with a shade of red, not too noticeable since her skin is already pretty dark.
I offer her a reassuring smile, "You're fine, I would have reacted the same so don't worry about it." I playfully punch her in the arm and add a soft shove before pulling my fist back, sending her stumbling some a couple feet. She smiles back at me and mockingly rubs her arm before starting to move around the room and pick up her things.
"So, what is on the agenda today?" She asks as she bends over on the other side of her bed to pick something up off the floor.
"Well, Link finished defeating the last boss in the Forest Temple last night, so—" she cuts me off
"Wait, how do you know that? Did a message come after I fell asleep?" She had stood up, a sock and shoe in her left hand and she was looking at me with a quizzical expression, "Was I that far gone into sleep?"
"Umm," I wasn't sure how to explain the fact I saw him in a dream to her without giving her an easy chance at making fun of me, "I have a weak telepathic connection with him, at times I can see what he is doing. Mostly it is during times he is under a lot of stress or in pain. I haven't pressed the limits much more than that so I don't know much more than you do."
She was still looking at me with confusion, "So did you make contact with him, or did he contact you? Or did it just happen?" I couldn't tell if she didn't understand, or was pressing for more information, she seemed to realize that there was more I wasn't telling.
"I was half asleep and I saw him fighting something that looked like Ganondorf so he was in pain and under stress." I said exasperated finally after looking at her for a bit longer before answering.
"Oooooh, so you dream about the Hero huh?" She smiled at me evilly, even with me trying to explain it with the best light given to it; she twists it to the one thing I was trying to avoid.
"Not on a regular basis, only when he's fighting or hurt. Besides its usually when I'm half asleep, after I see all there is, I fall asleep for real." I didn't feel the need to mention that the dream I actually had last night once I got to sleep was of Link. I shake my head to clear my head, trying to make it look like a shake of disbelieving she would think I would dream of the Hero.
"Anyways, I'm not sure where he is now, it will probably be best to go to the Kokiri Forest and see if any of those who live there saw him leave this morning. I doubt he would go to Castle Town, but he may go to Kakariko Village to restock on things." I say, all of our belongings picked up now, we head out of the door, pay the lady for the room, and thank her as we leave the building and then the village.
She had been wearing a thoughtful expression since we left the room, she finally turned to me as we walked farther from the village in the direction of the forest, "When you were talking about Link, you made it sound like he wouldn't sleep or rest or take time to recover from the wounds he got in the Temple before getting on the move again. Even with a couple bottles of red potion, surely he wouldn't be up for moving much for a day or so…"
"The Hero is a very strange young man to be sure. I know I told you he was asleep for seven years, but it was not just sleep in a bed, he was in the outer edge of the Sacred Realm. I have a feeling the Goddesses helped shape him some.
"You see, most people would sleep seven years and they would loose muscle mass, have brittle bones and other physical problems. The Hero woke up and ran, not jogged mind you, ran from Castle Town to Lon Lon Ranch in the middle of Hyrule Field, stayed awake all night, and then rode to Kakariko the next day, went for another day straight, dueled me, stayed wake that night also and still rode on to Kakariko with more energy than I had sleeping every night, and I highly doubt he slept while in the dungeon." I say with a small smirk on my face because of the expression Gwyn is looking at me with.
"Wow," she finally forced out, "How does he look? For someone to be able to sustain that rate of exertion and be able to fight through a dungeon, he must be a pretty great specimen to look at. Right?"
I chuckle lightly and my voice slips into a dismissive tone as I answer, "I haven't paid that any mind, he has a job to do, I must help him with it and be sure he makes it through all of this. Anything past that is extra, unneeded and unwanted."
"Surely you must have taken notice…you may dress like a boy, but you are still a girl underneath, yes? Our conversations in the past ten hours have been proof enough of that." She answered, disbelief coloring her voice.
"In all honesty, Gwyn, that is the first time in over six years I have spoken to another person as a girl, even alone, Impa and I spoke as we would in public; I as her nephew. I am not a boy, but if you play a role long enough, it becomes more like first nature than an act. Besides, if I formed any feelings towards him, it would make things difficult."
"And why is that? How would you forming feelings or noticing how he looked or anything like that cause problems or make things harder?" She asked with some force behind it.
I shook my head, she's just not getting it, possibly because I haven't explained everything going on inside my head, but opening up like that is a definite no… "Listen, Gwyn. All he knows of me right now is I am a young Sheikah guy that knows some strange and random things that will hopefully be able to help him. I don't know how you ladies in the fortress get along, but in most of Hyrule, you don't like people who are the same sex as you, not that way at least."
A deep blush was the only response I received to that statement and I continued, "Besides, I have other reasons that I'm not as inclined to share for keeping my true identity hidden and not allowing feelings to form." I said it with a tone that suggested the end of that line of conversation. She took the hint and didn't press it.
We reached the entrance to the Kokiri Forest within a couple hours; it wasn't that far from the village we stayed in. I grabbed onto Gwyn as Link did for me and pulled her through the trunk behind me. There was a loud gasp as we came out on the bridge from her. It didn't affect me as noticebly as it did the first time.
The bridge was clear so we continued through the next one. Gwyn didn't gasp as loudly this time, but she still made some noise. It could be very disorienting if you weren't ready for it or used to it. We walked towards the middle of the groupings of tree houses, there weren't any of the Kokiri walking around, but it wasn't because of any monsters. None had returned since Link made a couple passes with his sword. The sky and ground looked well also, probably inadvertent effects of cleaning out the Temple.
We headed toward the house Link had pointed out last time as the main meeting place for the Kokiri. As we got closer, I could hear him inside. He was keeping his promise and telling them stories of his adventures. I wonder if he told them he used to live here with them, that they are gathered around and looking at one with wide eyes that they used to make fun of…Link never said it directly or mentioned it, but there was enough pain in his eyes to tell years of things he went through.
I looked into the building and saw him, all the kids sitting in a partial circle around him on the floor. Mido was sitting close to him, and odd expression on his face that I can't quite make out. Maybe some fear, wonder, however it was clear to see his imagination was running wild as the stories were spun around him.
I look over my shoulder and Gwyn also has a strange look on her face. I'll have to ask her about it later, for now I look back to where Link is sitting. His face is lit up, he is making sure to make eye contact with everyone listening every few seconds, his eyes moving about as much as his hand as he motions.
Gwyn leans over and whispers to me as she takes in the scene, "If he is half this good with his own kids, he'll make a great father someday…"
I laugh silently, shake my head and give her a soft shove before quietly slipping into the room and lean against the back wall, Gwyn follows me in just as silently. He is explaining the ending of his trek through the Forest Temple. As he reaches the end, he explains the last bit that I saw in my dream and then took it past there.
He had been transported back to the Chamber of the Sages. When he explained that Saria had become a Sage, protector of the Forest Temple, he explained to them, they all gasped. Mido looked down slightly and then raised his head to look at Link,
"Sir, how did you know Saria's song, I didn't question you when you were asking to go through because I knew something was wrong, but there was no way for me to do anything to make it better. I figured that with the gear you have and that you know the song that you would be the best bet for making things better. But I'm still curious…" he trailed off slightly looking down once again.
Link looks over at him, "There is no need for you to call me sir, I was a friend before, and if you will have me, I still am." Mido looks up in wonder but with a startled look on his face, confusion and disbelief running rampant across his face.
"I am the same Link that grew up with you all. Mido—you were right, I am not a Kokiri. Ganondorf, the man that I have told you about is the one who poisoned the Great Deku Tree, I did what I could to destroy the monsters that had gone inside of him, but it wasn't enough. However, I have been back to his place in the grove and there is a young sprout that is very talkative and actually asked to see you Mido. Apparently knowledge is carried over between trees so he knows you are the protector of the Kokiri and their forest. He explained that I am a Hylian, at least in part."
I didn't think it was possible, but the wide expressions locked onto Link before became wider still. But none could match Mido. He couldn't have looked more surprised if lightning had struck him twice in a row. My own face had taken on a look of surprise. There we very few pure Hylians still alive, mostly there were humans and the mixture of different races added in, but what really threw me for a loss was the fact that I did not notice his pointed ears. Even as a child, how did I not recognize that sooner?
Link was looking around with a worried expression on his face, and then finally noticed me in the shadows on the back wall. His expression lightened some and got up to meet me and then he noticed Gwyn, she was wearing darker clothing and was deeper in the shadows, his expression became slightly curious but still was happier than it was a couple seconds ago.
The Kokiri were kept busy by looking over at him every once in a while and then returning to whispering to each other about Link being the Link they knew and how much he had changed. The object of their whisperings looked over his shoulder once before facing us again.
"Sheik, it's good to see you again, my friend. I was worried for a bit that something had happened when I didn't see you outside the Temple waiting as you promised," he finished with a small nudge on my shoulder from his fist. I could see a faint hint of weariness behind his eyes; he was doing a great job masking it though.
"Yeah, I was…" I glance over at Gwyn and continue looking at her as I continue, "unavoidably detained for a longer period of time than I expected." I look back towards him and motion with my hand in Gwyn's direction. "My I introduce to you Gwyndale Highrunner, she is a Gerudo," Link tensed slightly at this but remained mostly impassive and then bows to her by way of greeting, "She is my Sister of The Blade. It is a—" Link gave a start and then continued with something close to what I was going to say,
"A tradition that was established to help build deeper bonds between the races of Hyrule, usually recognized as Gerudo tradition because it was they that were most estranged and benefited the most from the activity. Formed after a duel, usually to the death, when one side felt there was more benefit to keeping both combatants alive and bringing friendship than letting a feud continue. After decades, the combatants themselves would offer the bond after achieving victory." Link said half dazed, half surprised. What the heck? Where did that come from? Even I didn't know that much about it…if that's even true…
Gwyn looked as surprised and confused as I felt. Apparently this was news to her also. "Where did that come from, Hero?" I ask, "That isn't common knowledge, or normal knowledge even for Gerudo from what I understand. How do you know that?"
"I don't know, you said Sister's of The Blade and I just, knew…" He said, still semi-dazed. I look over at Gwyn, "I think he is as lost as we are on this… Has this happened before?" I ask him. He shakes his head no. Weird…
Gwyn looks thoughtful but doesn't say anything. Those wheels are turning on that sharp mind of hers; she may have more to say later… I shrug my shoulders and turn to Link, "Ready to go, Hero?"
"You know I have a name right?" He said sounding slightly irritated,
"Yeah, yeah, are you ready to go?" I blow off his question,
I know your name very well, better than you think, I prayed to the goddesses everyday you would be safe for the first year after you disappeared, then I couldn't bear the worry anymore and told them they would just have to do it without me asking, it hurt too much. Plus, my mind was too overwhelmed with anger and my thoughts too driven by the hope of vengeance.
I cried in secret after hearing your name, even mentioned in passing during that first year because, sometimes, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop that worry or fear that you were hurt or dead or captured…but this too passed as the anger flowed freely. Shortly after that your name would be the one I cursed because of your mistake in letting Ganondorf into the Temple, but that too passed as I turned the blame and hatred towards Ganondorf himself. Yes, I think I know you have a name and what that name is.
I struggle to keep my face composed as my thoughts run deeper than I meant to let them. Thankfully only Gwyn notices the slight shift in my expression. Looks like I wont be the only one asking something later…oh well, give a little, take a little I suppose…
Link shakes his head and moves off to say goodbye to his friends then gathers his stuff and leads the way out the door. Mido races up behind us and grabs onto Link and pulls him to the side. Once they get a ways away, Link kneels down onto one knee so he is a little more level with Mido. After a few moments Link shakes his head and puts his hand on Mido's shoulder and gives it a soft squeeze.
The young boy's expression brightens greatly and he turns and rushes back to the main meeting building, turning and waiving over his shoulder at us. Link rejoins us and though we look at him questioning, he gives us a wide smile and shakes his head to tell us it was nothing of importance. With that, we once again head towards the tree trunk that led to the bridge, which then led back out to Hyrule Field.
We passed through both without incident; Link pulled out his ocarina and played Epona's song. Gwyn now looked at Link with open mockery. Apparently, a guy acting like a kid while telling stories to kids that were years younger than him and then playing an instrument like the Ocarina were things she didn't think a guy should be doing, or maybe a girl shouldn't be doing. Even while being the person with the most in common with Gerudo, without being one, in Hyrule, I still don't understand how they thought sometimes…
Her look of mocking turned to one of awe as Epona gallops over the nearest ridge, half prancing through her strides, by the time she reaches us, Link already has a fresh carrot, not sure where he got that from, out and ready to be offered to his riding partner, She takes it from him gladly and then nips at his hat slightly before turning so he can give her the normal rub down he gives when its been a little while since they were around each other.
"Have you seen a horse to equal her Gwyndale? I know the Gerudo are proud of the horses they own, as proud of them as they are of the swords at their waist and the length of their hair," Link stated, once again, an odd look on his face. He sounds older, like he knows so much more than he should as a seventeen year old guy who was asleep for half his life…especially knowledge about the Gerudo.
"Please, Hero, just call me Gwyn." She replied with a small laugh to her voice, "And no, in all the breeding I have seen, never have I seen one that looks to even come close to her. She is a magnificent beast." She conceded with a small nod.
"Then, Gwyn," Link replied, putting a little more emphasis on her requested name, "Even if Sheik will not be swayed, I do hope one who asks to be called by a different one than they have been called by, would not mind to return the favor, my name is Link. Hero, though I may be because of what I do, I am and always will still be Link. After I save Hyrule with the help of the sages and the races throughout Hyrule, will I still need to be Hero? No, I will need to be Link for the rest of my life though."
That is the most I think I have ever heard him speak at once, other than the times he tells a story at least, those can go on for hours. Great way to help a trip go by quicker, he is always great at telling stories… Gwyn nods in response and turns to me, flashing me a quick smile as she continues walking around the horse examining more of her. I guess she finds nothing wrong because at least she nods mostly to herself and then comes to stand by me once again.
Rather than climbing onto Epona as I expected him to, he took her reigns loosely in his hands and than motioned towards the direction of Kakariko Village and said, "Shall we?" before turning and starting to walk in that direction. It appears Nightscream has returned to the stables. He might not be trained to come by the sound of a song, but he does know to return before it gets too late.
The conversation as we crossed the Field, started slow and slightly awkward, but before a full hour had passed, we were talking, laughing and sharing stories. Link enjoyed hearing about our duel; we left the stickier side of the whole ordeal out including where we ran away from Gwyn's old group without any kind of goodbye or forewarning. He absentmindedly wondered aloud how he would fare against Gwyn or I.
We looked at each other with a humorous look on our faces. I may have been the only one to have dueled him, but I could tell my skills far surpassed his. Gwyn just had the mindset of there being no possibility of a male being better at sword play, especially if it was a male outside of the Gerudo. There is also a finer side to dueling than just hacking away at creatures. As we walked, Gwyn began to question him on how he held the sword and then everything he did between pulling the sword from its sheath and putting it back in, plus some.
By the end of this conversation, the two of us had our heads together on what all we could teach him to help him improve. A scheming look passed between her and I inconspicuously from either side of him. Link is going to get plenty of practice with fighting whenever we have the time I thought with a small grin crossing my face.
"So tell us, Hero, " he shoots a faked exasperated look at me and I continue speaking without pausing, "Exactly how long were you in with them telling stories?"
He looks at the ground sheepishly, "Well, I got out earlier this morning, and then instead of coming straight out of the temple, I ended up being transported back to the Sacred Realm, where the sages sit, and I saw Saria, she gave me another medallion to go with the one from Rauru. Hers was green though, green like the forest.
"After that, I returned to the place in front of the Great Deku Tree where a new sprout was growing. That was when I learned of how I came to be in the forest. My mother had been seriously injured somehow, carried me into the forest and then left me there to be taken care of. Shortly after we finished speaking, the Kokiri showed up. It was way before they usually got up, but there they were, all gathered around.
"As soon as they saw me, they all jumped back for a second and then crowded in around me after a bit of hesitation, asking a bunch of questions. The most frequent one was where Saria was. It was hard to tell them Saria wasn't going to be coming back, I made sure they knew she wasn't dead, but that she wouldn't be returning. Growing up here, with all of them, I knew how hard it was going to be to take it." He stopped talking for a couple moments. He worked to keep his voice composed and clear of emotion; it had started to become a little husky and thick with almost a hurting tone to it.
I silently and respectfully waited for him to continue albeit impatiently but then I realized, He isn't just saying he knew because he understood why they would be upset or worried or sad that she wouldn't be coming back, he knew first hand what that meant and it affected him just as much as it affected them.
A few steps later he started again, "After they all heard why she wasn't coming back, they accepted it, most were still upset, but they knew it was the truth. Somehow, they could feel when I finished working within the temple, when I released and awakened the sage. That's why they came to the Deku Tree's grove. When I told them that Saria had awoken as the sage, they understood what the feeling was and what it meant.
"As we walked back, they asked questions about what all I had to do, the different things I had to face ad defeat, if I was scared, and just a ton of other questions any ten year old kid would ask. I answered what I could without giving them nightmares, and then left the rest up to imagination. My details would be a lot scarier than anything they could some up with on their own."
I've been watching him as he has been speaking. His eyes, like Impa and almost every other person in the world, show his emotions better than his voice or what he says or how he says it. As he was talking about the Kokiri, there was softness to them and a slight glazed look, like he is remembering memories past. All of these different sides to him, it was amazing how there could be all this under the surface.
He had continued speaking, "We got back to the main tree building and went in and sat down, I was there until you two came in. We were there for probably, seven hours? Maybe only six, I haven't been keeping track really. How long was I in the Temple?"
"As best as I can figure it, two and a half days. When was the last time you slept?" I asked him
"Haven't had a chance to yet, once you get into the temple, you're constantly surrounded by bugs and monsters and all that, there isn't any time or safe place to sleep. Most of my wounds have healed but my muscles are a little sore, and I'm getting pretty tired, you think we can stop for the night?" He asks shyly.
Gwyn and I look at each other; mine a 'I told you so' look and hers one of incredulity. He looked between us and laughed though he was not sure why we were looking at each other like this. She shook her head and looked at Link for a short time before looking off towards the horizon.
My attention flicks to Link and then I see Gwyn raising her hand pointing off into the distance in the direction we are walking. I follow her pointing with my eyes and I am thrown off guard, "How long has it been like that?" I exclaim. Death Mountain looked more fitting to its name than it ever had before, the normal clouds and smoke that surrounded the mountain had been replaced by a deep black smoke and there was lava constantly spewing into the air, some hardening into rocks as it flew through the air and then dropping back to the mountain side.
"It wasn't like that the last time I went to Castle Town, but that was almost a year ago." Gwyn stated with awe and fear creeping through her voice. "I wonder what has set it off? That looks violent from here…"
Link turns to me, "Is that where the next Sage for me to free is?" His eyes staring straight into mine.
I nod before answering, "Yes, Hero, that is where you are to go next. But before we go in, we will need to find a way to deal with the high temperatures inside the mountain and, consequently, the temple." It is a simple matter of fact that this is required, but I didn't say more or how to get it, because past that I really wasn't too sure where he could go to get one. Maybe Kakariko carries some reinforced armor or something, as a Sheikah, I've never been worried about it much or paid attention to armor.
"I saw that the Goron's have some heat resistant armor in their city when I was there as a child. I can go buy it; I collected more rupees than I can carry in my pouch." He smiled widely. I shook my head.
"Alright, lets get camp set up so we can get some much needed rest for the Hero and a little more rest for Gwyn and I." I state as I look at the sky more closely, the sun has made the majority of its' trek across the sky already, time flew by quickly today.
Gwyn and I set out our bedding while Link works to get the fire ready. He snaps his fingers and a small flame bursts into existence and catches fire on the dead wood. I gasp softly.
"How did you just do that?" I question.
"Din's Fire, I spoke with one of the Great Fairies and she granted me the ability to use it. It has been a very useful tool at many different times." He shrugged.
Gwyn's head had snapped around, "Wait, you mean to say you have met a Great Fairy?"
"A few of them yes, they have been great help and very kind." He answered, slowly warming his hands as he massaged them together. He then began working his hands over his arms and shoulders, apparently trying to work out some of the soreness.
We all gathered around as we began cooking food over the fire. It was small and not bright, but the heat it gave off was perfect for cooking with without giving the probability of attracting attention from prying eyes. The food turned out well, and Link turned out to be a very good cook. When Gwyn mentioned it, he smirked and answered,
"Yeah, well, when you grow up in your own home and have to provide for your own food, you learn to either cook well or eat food that doesn't taste good, sometimes I had to do both." Finishing with a wink and another smile.
We had allowed the fire to die down some, it was only casting a soft glow and a medium amount of heat now, but it still gave us enough light to see each other's faces. I was watching the Hero for any weariness, but it was then I noticed what I told Gwyn I was not going to, he has a very handsome face, though it is mostly probably due to the lighting and my tiredness more than any attraction, I think quickly before forcing my eyes to begin wandering to the darkness surrounding us.
We sat and talked a little while longer, the fire reducing more and more till it is only embers, Gwyn had already moved to her bedding and was lying down as she laughed or threw in comments. I was enjoying the conversation with Link so much that it was a while before I noticed I hadn't heard anything from her in a while, I looked over and saw that she was sleeping soundly.
I laugh slightly before turning back to Link. His eyes are closed, not in a tired way, but in a contented way, peaceful, relaxed. Jealousy sparked within me, how is it, he can work through a temple filled with evil, see all the pain and torture so many people and still look like this. The innocence still in his mind, his seven years of peace and rest, all of that together gives me a slightly sickening taste in my mouth. It's all so unfair.
"Would you like for me to take first watch, Hero?" A little more of an edge slips over my voice as I speak. "You have been going far longer than either of us have been put together over the past couple days."
He looks over at me, worry set on his face, "I am sorry if something has upset you, my friend, but no, I am still quite alright. I will wake you if you are needed. Rest well." And with that, he stood, turned and began to pull something out of his pouch on the side of his hip. As I moved to my bedding, I looked over and caught a glimpse of what it was. The pole I had thrown him for our first duel was in his hands. He moved and bent over to pick up some of the extra wood that he had gathered and put it on the fire.
At first, I thought he was about to put the pole on the fire as well, and a flash of hurt went through me for some reason. But he straightened again as the fire took to the new wood and he brought the pole up as he would a sword.
His eyes were still closed as he slowly began moving his arms through different movements. It looked as though he was stretching; but as I watched longer, I could tell that it was like he was fighting an opponent at a very slow pace. As I watched longer still, I noticed that many of the movements were ones I myself made, or very close to them with a few adjustments for the differences in blade width and style.
His movements flowed smoothly, fluidly even, one blow moving easily into a block and returning just as easily to another blow. Maybe the duels will not be as lopsided as we first thought. If he fights half as good as this he will be jumps and leaps beyond where he was before he entered the Temple.
My eyes were quickly growing heavily as Link began picking up the pace that he moved. He was now moving into movements that I did not recognize as my own, but I knew I had seen them somewhere before. Sleep pushed my focus to the side and allowed dreams to become my reality.
