When I think about it the pervious chapter's name I should have used for this one. Oh well enjoy.

The mails were in their usual winter holdup, but surprisingly enough, Zelda received three letters on the same day. One was from Malon and two were from Link, who had been gone a month. She told herself not to get her hopes up. He was writing only because he said he would, but it would be no different than Malon. The snow did slow things up, but this was Malon's fist letter to her in weeks.

Zelda opted to open the letter from her sister fist. She was very cheered by the words inside, but felt sad when Malon once again confided to Zelda that she wanted to be pregnant.

"You hear of women who go childless, Zelda," she wrote, "but you never dream it will happen to you. I know Ralph loves me as I am, and even laughs and hugs me if I mention my infertile state, but I so want us to have a child. I've never wrestled with anything as much as this. I have even been angry at God. Please pray for me concerning my heart's attitude."

Zelda did pray for her, every night. She also prayed that someday they would see each other again, but it didn't seem likely to happen anytime soon. Zelda's mind swam in all directions for a while before she told herself to get on with what she was doing.

She picked up Link's letter, opened but of them just enough to see which one he'd written first, and then started in. She was in for a pleasant surprise.

"I thought we were going to be on that stage forever. But," he underlined that word, "we caught the train in Clock Townand was that an adventure! I've never moved so fast in my life. Poor Miner would have dropped dead from heart failure." Zelda laughed in delight at this description and thought of Miner, now housed in the stable behind the store. She avidly read on.

My grandmother's house in noting like I expected. She has enough room to house the whole of Labrynna. I think I mentioned to you that I would stay with her only if it worked out. Well, believe me, Zelda, it has been fine. She's so loving and really delighted to have us here.

I haven't actually walked to the school, so I don't know exactly how far away the school is right now, but I'm going tomorrow. I'm a little nervous about checking in at the school, but Grandma says there's noting to worry about.

My father starts work tomorrow too. My mother tried to get him to take it easy for a time, but he's raring to go.

It's certainly noisy here. I haven't slept as well because of it, but my mom says I'll adjust. Aryll has cried every day for Ruto and Kafei, but the sights and sounds of the big city have certainly helped to distract her.

Zelda had to stop reading. She was so amazed she couldn't go on. Why, it sounded just like him! At times it was difficult to picture Malon and Ralph, but Link's letters were just an extension of the man, and Zelda could see his face and hear his voice as she read. Relieved by this revelation, Zelda gave way to her exhaustion. She lay back on her bed and let the wonderfulness of it flow over her.

However, she sobered swiftly. It didn't mean he would keep writing. She finished the first letter and turned to the next one. It was just as much fun as the fist and ended with a postscript. "Don't forget, Miss Fontaine, you said you would reply to ever letter. You now owe me two."

Zelda scrambled off the bed, forgetting all about being cautious. She pulled out paper and immediately started to write. The things she could never say to Link's face now came easily. She swiftly told him that she missed him and all of this family and then went on to talk about events in Kakariko Village. She was careful to address only the things in the first letter with plans to answer the other one as well.

She started he second one by saying, "If you haven't received my first letter, don't read this or it will be all out of whack." She then put a little smiling face on the page and smiled herself. The second letter went on for three pages. Zelda would have written more, but her father stuck his head in the door and told her to get to bed. Blossom came soon after to kiss her. Zelda scrambled up into the bid bed, feeling five years old all over again.

"That wrote, Mother. Link wrote to me."

"Ruto told me."

"Two letters, Mother, and they sound just like Link."

Blossom sat down now and just listened to the sound of her voice. Blossom didn't know what she would do if Link didn't follow through. It would be easier never to hear from him again if he wasn't going to remain her friend, but that decision was out of her hands. Then Blossom asked herself what she expected the man to do if he met a girl in Labrynna and fell in love. Right now she couldn't find an answer.

A moment later she kissed Zelda and told her good-night. She went to her own room, giving Zelda and Link over to God in prayer and taking them back again in worry not tow minutes later. Go to sleep, Blossom, she finally said to herself. You can pray about this in the morning.

(&)

Labrynna

Zelda's letter began with "Merry Christmas." Link smiled at eh words and then laughed about her explanation.

"I assume my letters are taking as long to get to you as yours are to me, so I'm getting a jump on the stage. Who knows? I may even be 17 before you get this. I don't suppose a man of our advanced years (20, isn't is now?) can possibly remember those young carefree days, but I'll try to fill you in."

Zelda went on to tell him about an afternoon at school, followed by an evening of work at the store. He laughed until tears ran down his face. Everything that could go wrong, had, and then some. She asked him all about school and whether or not he'd had his first exam. She said she hoped he was making friends and wasn't lonely. Link finished her letter and then sat starting into space.

Had she really been so shy, or was another girl writing these letters? That was the fourth he'd received, and he couldn't believe what fun she was and how caring. School was such hard work, that going to church and reading her letters were the only bright spots in this week. As had become the pattern, Link got ready to write back to her. he know somehow that he would never hear from her unless he wrote first, and for some reason the idea of not getting a letter from her utterly depressed him. Christmas was still more than two weeks away, but if he mailed the letter tomorrow, he was certain that she receive it in plenty of time.

In the sawmill where his father worked they had a machine that allowed them to call one another within the building. It was the most wondrous thing he had ever seen. His father could pick up the instrument at his desk and a bell would ring down tin the warehouse. Someone could pick-up down there and talk to him. It would have done his heart good to here her laugh.

Link was about to put ink to paper when he heard his father's wheeled chair in the hall. A knock sounded a moment later.

"Come on in," Link called, turning from his desk to see his father come through the door.

"I saw your light. Studying late?"

"No, I'm just getting ready to write to Zelda."

"How is she?"

Link smiled. "Doing well, I think. A little tired of the snow but looking forward to Christmas."

"Your mother said that Malon was in touch yesterday."

"Yes, she was. She and Ralph are busy in a small church, and god is doing mighty things. She admitted she's so busy in Hyrule that she feels likes she's losing touch with Kakariko Village and her family."

Rusl nodded. "Is that why you write Zelda regularly? Because you feels sorry for her?"

"It was a first," Link admitted, remembering how he'd told her he would. "But now I look forward to hearing from her. She's so different on paper than in real life."

"What do you mean?"

Link shrugged. "I don't know exactly, but I'd see her laughing with a group and then I'd come on the scene. She would act as though she was pleased to see him, but she wouldn't have two words to say. Her face would get red for no reason."

Rusl stared at his son. Could he really be so unsuspecting? Rusl thought about the way Zelda looked when she came up to his bedroom to say goodbye. She had not been upstairs one time before that day, but Uli had told him of the way she'd come in and quietly helped around the house. They had never had much contact and Rusl and still been thinking of her the way she was that first summer when she despised Link. He had struggled with his feelings toward her for that very reason, but the young woman who'd come to his room to tell him she was praying and to have a good trip was not the same girl.

"You have an odd look on your face," Link commented.

"Do I?"

"Yes. Are you going to tell me what it means?"

Rusl looked at him and made a decision. "You can't force feelings that are not there, Link, but I want you to think long and hard about the way you just described Zelda to me."

Link's brow furrowed. Why would he ask him to do this?

"Just think about it, Link. I'm glad you have tremendous respect for women, and that you have chosen to comport yourself in a way that pleases God, but you're being naive where Zelda is concerned."
Understanding came to Link like a bee sting. He literally stated in his seat and stared, slack-jawed, at his father. He started to shake his head, but Rusl only smiled.

"I hope I haven't ruined things between the two of you, Link, but I felt it was only fair to her that you should know."

"I can't believe it," he admitted softly. "I mean, it's not the way I would thing anyone would act."

Rusl tilted his head to one side, his smile still in place. "I can't agree with you, Link. I thing that's exactly the way she would act. After all, you've never done anything to encourage her, so she couldn't exactly let her feeling show."

Link's hand came to his mouth and then rubbed over his jaw. He was still taking to take it in, but his father said a soft "good-night" and went out.

Oh, Zelda, how could I have missed that? I felt such a peach about not being in love with you that it never occurred to me that you might not share that feeling. The thinness of her wrists and the way her cheeks sank in just before he left Kakariko Village jumped starkly into Link's mind. The young man's eyes slid shut. Zelda was feeling more than friendship to have his leaving affect her like that.

He had been on the verge of picking up the pen to write to hr about school, but now he only shook his head.

"Every letter is all bout me," he told the quiet room. "Every letter is filled with Link's world." this was not exactly true, but Link was upset. "You are an incredibly selfish person, Link Taggart, and it's noting short of self-centeredness that it has taken this long for you to see it."

Link did write Zelda a letter that night, but it was one with her in mind. He answered the questions she'd asked of him, but then sent back dozens of his own. He suddenly wanted to know so much. His heart ached that he'd been so insensitive. He hadn't suddenly fallen in love with her because of his father's words, but he saw now that he could have been so much kinder and more caring of her needs. He mailed it the next day with a prayer that she would be encouraged. He was already in class before he realized that he hadn't remembered to say anything about her birthday.

(&)

"Happy birthday," Bipin said. Zelda's eyes widened. Her birthday had been over a week ago, but her father was holding a gift for her. "This came to the store."

"Oh!" Her eyes sparkled with pleasure. "Is it from Malon?"

"Not unless she's moved to Labrynna."

Zelda became very still.

"Labrynna?"

"That right," he said with a flourish, and set the box on the table beside her plate. Her sisters were all watching her.

"Aren't you going to open it?" Sari wanted to know.

"Yes, but I don't want to hold up dinner."

"Well," her mother said practically, "let's pray and get started, and you can open it when you want to."

Zelda nodded and all heads bowed. It was Romani's turn to pray, but Zelda didn't hear a word. Her eyes were on the box. She put food on her plate without really seeing it. Bipin and Blossom shared a smile when she took a huge helping of beets. Zelda hated beets.

"I want you to open it now, Zelda," Ruto admitted suddenly. "The rest of us don't have birthdays for weeks to come and any gift, even someone else's, is fun."

Zelda looked at her and chuckled.

"You might as well, Zelda," her father put it. "You're sure not interested in eating."

She blushed a little at that and, using he knife, opened the box. The were all sort of wrappings inside, and it took some work, but when the floor was finally littered with paper Zelda brought forth the most delicate crystal bell she'd ever seen.

"Ohhh." Her sisters gave a collective sigh as she held it up for inspection.

"Ring it, Zelda," Romani urged her. When she did, the room filled with a delightful tinkling sound.

"I have to go and write to him right now," Zelda said in a dreamy voice. She began to move, but Bipin waved her back.

"After you eat," he told her in a voice that she know better than to argue with.

Nodding, Zelda set the bell carefully by her plate and just looked at it. It was several more minutes before she picked p her fork.

"All right," she said to the sisters on either side of her. "Who's the joker? Who put all the beets on my plate?"

The whole family laughed at her expense.

I don't care for beets myself.