It was dark outside when the pain subsided enough to not bother me anymore. Or maybe I just had gotten used to it. After all, now it was more like a soreness instead of the stabbing pain I'd felt before. I finally had the courage to get up and go sit with Link just outside the cave.

"Oh good, you're awake," Link gave me a small smile, "I was just going to make some soup."

"Thank you," I sat across from him, a small fire between us, "You've made quite the home for yourself here..."

This much was true. A small cot with hay, some lanterns and a few less comfortable seating areas, as well as a table that looked to be made from nearby trees were what made Link's high-ceiling cave. Still, I didn't understand why he wanted to live there. Didn't he have family, or even a home somewhere else? Almost looked like squatting to me.

"It works for me," he replied, "At least for now."

"Yeah...Listen…I wanted to ask you a few things."

He tended to the pot, "Sure."

"Why did you not just leave me there? I mean, you don't know me…"

He paused, "Oh. Well, uh, it used to be the kind of thing I would do."

"What do you mean?"

Link seemed to look around for Navi. She was nowhere in sight. He sighed.

"When I was the 'Hero of Time'," Link said to me, clearly not fond of the title, "I rescued people, saved them, you know. It was what I did."

"Why'd you stop?"

Link focused on the pot that rested over the fire, "No reason."

There was clearly a reason, but I thought it would be rude of me to ask.

"Aren't your parents worried about you, being out here by yourself?"

His gaze didn't budge, but his eyes seemed to grow dark.

"I don't have any parents."

"What do you mean? Everyone's got parents."

"Mine died when I was very young, during the first war."

Now I felt like an idiot, "Oh shit, I'm sorry…" I paused. "Sorry for swearing, too…"

Link smirked a little, "You know, it's kind of refreshing to hear. I used to swear like crazy when I was on my adventures. I remember the water temple and I got lost, and I stood there hitting the wall with my sword just screaming every curse word I could think of…"

"Water temple?"

"Yeah."

"Sounds like you've seen some weird things."

"You have no idea."

The stars were out. I looked up at the sky and sighed, "I wish I knew what happened to me…"

"You will, soon enough," Link said quietly, checking on the soup, "Like I said, the Great Deku Tree can help."

I shrugged, "I guess, yeah…" I watched him for a few minutes.

"What?"

Now I had a feeling it was time to ask questions.

"You're hiding something."

"No I'm not."

"You are. I can tell." I stared him down. He avoided my gaze.

"Link?"

"Yes?"

"…do you know what's happening to me?"

No words.

"You do know."

Link set the lid on the pot and looked at me, "I have a sort of theory, but…"

"But what?"

He pursed his lips, "That's all it is."

"Ok, then tell me."

The young warrior took a deep breath, "Before I came out here, I was fighting Ganondorf, in order to save the kingdom, as I do. I had to journey very far, and for some reason he met me halfway in the middle of the forest, which is odd, for him…"

Link seemed very uncomfortable, staring into the flames.

"Ganondorf threatened me then. Said he had something that was going to really take me for a spin. 'No ordinary monster,' he said. 'This one's going to ruin you. My own little killing machine. She is going to make you wish for death before it's even over.'"

I swallowed, "…she?"

"Yes. He likes to go on, you see, and he told me about how he was going to take the power of the Triforce, along with his own greatness, and embed it within someone. Like a vessel."

Link turned and withdrew his shield from the ground, gesturing to the symbols, "You see this? The same as what is on your arm. It's called the Triforce, and is what Navi and I are concerned about."

"What does it mean?"

"It means a lot of things, but it is more than anything the symbol of the royal family of Hyrule, and of various energies that can be found throughout our realm...and others. Most importantly, not just anyone can harvest the Triforce, in any form."

"Why do you have it?"

"Because after the things I've done, I've been awarded the Triforce of Courage. Again, that's a long story, but only I and the Princess of Hyrule are known to hold these."

"But you said Ganondorf has one."

"Yes."

"How?"

"He stole it."

"So you either are born to it, earn it or steal it?"

"Exactly."

I looked at my arm, "So it's not normal for me to be given one."

Link shook his head, "Not at all."

"Go on, then," I insisted, "Tell me what else he said." I wouldn't admit that half of me didn't want to know.

"Right, well, in order to embed the Triforce within a vessel, it would be a woman, he told me, that would be the easiest, given the delicate state, especially since it could happen when they were young, and it would grow with them, like a parasite."

I felt sick, "Ganondorf wanted to place the Triforce and his own powers within a person? A girl?"

"That's what he said."

"But…how? He would have to steal someone, wouldn't he? I wouldn't want to volunteer for that…"

Link nodded, "There was a girl reported missing from one of the villages in Hyrule. Never found. Many believe it was his work, that he was conducting a sort of experiment on her. An imprint takes years and can erase memory–"

I let out a small cry. Link paused.

"…I can't…..it's not me.." My heart was now beating so fast it hurt.

"No, nothing is set in stone," Link insisted, standing up and raising his hands, "I know things seem really weird right now, but–"

"But all signs point to me, don't they?" I rolled up my sleeve all the way, "This…thing. It's the Triforce for sure, isn't it?"

Link closed his eyes, "Yes…"

"And I've lost enough memory, that it's possible I could be the imprinted girl, right?"

"It's possible, but no one knows if Ganondorf succeeded, let alone if he is even alive. As I said, we do not have all the answers. That is why I am taking you to get them."

"You're not just trying to help me then. You're making sure I'm not a threat to Hyrule."

"Hanna," Link said firmly, "I'm not your enemy."

"If I turn out to be his…experiment, then will you kill me?"

Link looked horrified, "Loaded question!"

"No, it's not, because you'd have to, wouldn't you?" I continued, "What's one life to millions…" I scoffed.

Link shook his head, "Everyone is important, Hanna. Don't say things like that."

The pot began to boil over and Link jumped to lift it away from the flames, a frustrated groan in his throat. He set it down and removed the lid, starting to sit with the wooden ladle. I looked over the woods of the forest that lay beneath the mountain, and to the blackened circle that was once Bamoor. I wondered if there was a reason I was being exposed to fire so much all of a sudden.