I hope you will enjoy this chapter.

"Are you certain you don't want me to wake her, Link?"

"Yes. I need all the time I can get to study this book, Malon, and if Zelda's that tired, let her sleep."

"She's never napped before. It must be the mental effort of learning something so foreign." With that, Malon went back to the quilt she was making for Ralph's birthday. She actually preferred to quilt in the evening but wanted this to be a surprise. Her hands moved as lightly as her heart. Link had finally come to eat lunch, and they had talked.

"How did she do?"

"Excellently. I know she'll have it down in no time."

"She didn't fight you?"

"Not the way I think you're talking about."
"Meaning?"

"Meaning, that if I read her face correctly, Zelda has decided to show me that she doesn't need me for anything."

Malon's eyes slid shut. Understanding dawned.

"I saw it in her," Malon told him after a moment. "I mean, ever since Ralph told her you wee coming, she's been hardening her heart."

Link nodded. "It really makes sense, Malon. She can't risk my rejection, so she's not going to let me close enough to hurt her."

"But what about you, Link? What about your feelings?"

He'd been silent for long minutes. "Right now I'm here to teach Zelda, and that's all. If I don't watch my expectations, this is never going to work."
Malon had done nothing more than nod and, once the meal was over, suggested they take coffee in the living room. Link had agreed, gone to the study for the manual, and been reading with very little interruption since.

Now, some 40 minutes later, movement at the door and Zelda's voice raised both their heads.

"Malon?"

"Right here, Zelda. Did you ant some lunch?"

"Lulu just served me."

"Good."

"Is my lesson over for the day, Malon?"
"Not if you're up to more."

"Link is still here?"

"Yes. Would you like to continue?"

Zelda nodded her look unreadable.

"All right. Head back to the study, and Link will be right behind you."

Why neither one of them mentioned Link's presence in the room, no one knew, but the experience was good for the new teacher. Zelda was remarkably different with her sister. Her voice and expressions were more open and soften than when she was alone with him. Seeing her thus, Link determined to bring his student out. He didn't have to teach the children of Hyrule for another five-and-a-half weeks. As Link joined Zelda in the study, he asked God to work a miracle between him and Zelda during that time.

(&)

"Oh, Ralph, it went so well." Malon's voice was breathless with excitement. They were already in bed for the night, cuddled together under a sheet and light blanket. The night was deliciously cool, and both could hear the familiar creeks as the house settled in the dark.

"She didn't really want to talk about it at dinner," Ralph commented, pulling Malon closer.

"No, but when I went in to say good-night she grabbed my hand. 'I did it,' she said. 'I read some words, Malon.' You should have heard her voice."

"Did Link say how it went?"

"We didn't talk before he left, but I could tell he was still ready to go on lunchtime."

Ralph pressed a kiss to her brow and then found her mouth. Malon was ready to chatter on about the day for hours to come, but Ralph wanted only to kiss and hold her. He love Zelda, but having a live-in-law did have its drawbacks. They were able to say things with their eyes, something which would have been impossible with a sighted sister in the house, but it was still a challenge to find time for themselves.

Ralph knew Malon wanted to talk, but tonight he wanted her silence more.

"I take it you don't want to hear anymore?" Malon questioned softly with a smile in her voice.

"Later," Ralph murmured when his lips fund her throat.

Malon wouldn't have argued for the moon.

(&)

"Okay, let's have you stand and recite your '12 times' table."

Zelda slowly pushed herself to her feet. They'd been working together for more than two weeks, but for some reason she felt a little nervous this morning. Her hands fluttered for just a moment, but she managed to complete the assignment perfectly.

"Good. Now, we've been going over the early presidents. Can you name the first 15 for me?"

"I think so," she told him, but she stumbled to a painful halt after the eight president, Dotour Van Buren.

"Want to start again?"

"Yes." Her face was red now, and she was beginning to tremble, but she did start again. She got a little further this time but once again fell into an excruciating silence.

"Come on now." Link's voice was light and teasing, but in her humiliation, Zelda missed it. "You've got to stay with it, or I'll have to get out my ruler."

Link was not even looking at her or he'd have seen the sudden panic. Her hands went deep into the folds of her skirt and clutched together until they were nearly cramped.

"Is Malon in here?" Her voice was high and strange, causing Link to finally turn and look at her.

"No, she's not here right-"

"I need her," she gasped.

Link watched in amazement as her head whipped around in complete panic.

"Zelda, what's-"

"Malon," her voice called like a frightened child. She began to edge her way to the wall, trying to keep her face to the man she couldn't see. "Malon, I need you," she cried again, now having found the wall.

"Zelda, it's okay." Link came closer just as she ran into a bookshelf. He put his hand out and touched her arm but withdrew when she screamed in terror.

"Please don't, Link, please don't hit me. Malon, Malon, where are you, Malon?"

Thankfully, Malon wasn't far. She hit the door at a run, coming to Zelda's side and barely taking in the fact that Link was standing by in utter stupefaction.

"Zelda, Zelda, what is it?"

"Please, Malon," she clung to the older girl. "Don't let him hit me."

Malon told herself not to tell Zelda she was being ridiculous and. leading her to the sofa, tried to talk in a calm voice. Searching her mind for what went wrong, Malon noticed that Link had taken a chair as far from Zelda as he could get. It was beyond him as to what had just happened, and he was afraid to approach until he knew.

"Now, Zelda." Malon's voice was almost stern. "What happened? Link would never hit you. What in the world is going on?"

The tears had stopped, but she was still trembling and holding onto Malon's arm.

"I hated it when Miss Impa Bradley hit me," Zelda said in a dull tone, "but it would be a hundred times worse if I couldn't see."

Before Malon even had time to turn and look at him, Link was kneeling in front of Zelda. He took her hands gently into his own, his grasp warm and strong.

"Zelda." His voice was deep and soothing. "I'm sorry I teased you about the ruler. I don't even have a ruler with me, and I would never hit you. I'm sorry I was so insensitive."

The trembling slowly moved from her body, but Link still held on. Strangely enough Zelda made no objection, and now Malon was talking in a comforting voice as well. It took a few minutes, but when Malon asked if she could leave, Zelda agreed with the nod of her head. Link thought she would pull her hands away, but she didn't. He felt her thumb move over one of the knuckles on his right hand.

"Is this a scar, Link?"

"Yeah," he managed to answer without revealing what her touch was doing to his heart.

"I don't remember it."

"It's been there. Barbed wire when I was about ten."
The caress continued for just a moment more. Then all at once, she took her hands back, her face becoming hard once again. A moment later she spoke.

"I'm ready to recite now," She announced, sounding like a queen addressing her court, "but I'd rather sit down."

Link moved away from her. He wasn't certain if he could keep the disappointment from his voice, but he tried. He hoped they were getting somewhere, but she'd pulled from his touch as if she'd been stung.

"It has occurred to me," Link began, "that maybe we should take a midmorning break. Now would be a good time, I think. Would you like me to get you some coffee or anything?"

"I thought you wanted me to recite."

"I do, right after the break."

"And if I'm ready now?" Her voice arched.

Silence fell over the room. Link was not about to pander to her tantrum.

"I'm going to go and have some coffee," Link told her evenly. "You can do as you like, but I'll expect you to recite for me when I return in 15 minutes."

"And if I refuse to be taught at all?"

Link shrugged, but Zelda couldn't see it. "You'll have to take that up with Malon and Ralph. They're the people who hired me."

Zelda was so furious that she couldn't move or speak. She heard Link leave the room, and so grate was the rage within her that she thought she would explode. At the moment she hated him, or did she only hate the darkness that surrounded her? No matter, her mind told her. She planned to be back in control of herself by the time Link returned.

(&)

"I've decided we should work outside today."

"Outside?" The familiar feeling of cottonmouth over anything new came on Zelda.

"Yes I've set out a blanket in the back. We'll still have shade from the house, and I think the change of scenery will do us good."

"I can't see how a change of scenery will do me any good," Zelda told Link, but still she rose to move for the door.

Link let her precede him. Something had happened a week ago after they'd had words over her recitation. She was no longer the biddable, if uppity, Zelda. She was now saying what was on her mind, and on a very regular basis. Her bitterness lover her situation was plain to see. Up until that time, she'd been a cool, polite stranger. Now, she told Link in no uncertain terms that her life was awful and she hated it.

They made it down the back porch steps, and Link knew better than to take Zelda's arm or even offer.

"The blanket is just this way," he told her, hoping the sound of his voice would help direct her. Five steps later, she was down. Her foot had missed a low spot on the turf and she'd gone full onto her face.

The exertion on Link's part was unbearable. His hands clenched at his side, and his head went back in agony. His breathing came in rapid gasps as he stopped himself from going to her. She'd fallen one other time, in the house as they were walking to lunch, and without thought he'd reached for her. She had told him in scathing tones that he was never to touch her again. Now the effort to restrain himself as she spat grass from her mouth and struggled in a full skirt with nothing to hold onto was more painful to him than a lash from a whip.

"Over this way," he said when she had come to her knees. "You cal almost reach it if you up your hand out."

The temptation to crawl onto the blanket was strong, but Zelda resisted it. She came awkwardly to her feet, nearly tripping on her hem this time, and moved every slowly to the blanket.

"There you go," Link said softly. "Have a seat." He wanted to reach out and pluck the grass from her hair and dress but knew better. He watched in silence as Zelda sank down onto the quilt, her composure swiftly returning.

"I'm trying to come up with some other books in Braille," Link began immediately to cover his own emotions. "But so far I've been unsuccessful. You'll have to read to me from the poetry book." He handed her the thin volume. "Please read me the poem on page 19."

Zelda turned the pages carefully and found the numbers with her fingers. In order to use both hands, she set the book in her lap and began speaking, her voice clear and confident as she read over the lines.

As always, Link was amazed. Gone was the falling blind girl. Zelda had taken to Braille like a duck to water, and it was obvious in the way she read.

My summer Day

By Timothy James

As I look over the horizon and see the setting sun, it reminds me of a fun summer day with my friends at the sea.

As the cool breeze blows in by face, I think of how as a child I would run along the beach where the sea breeze would hit me from the side and knock me down.

AS the stars come out, and the moonshines bright I close my eyes and feel content. I feel the soft touch of a hand caress over my arm. I can tell who it is because of that smooth hand, and the soft voice telling me to come in.

"That was excellent," Link said softly. He had translated several poems that night before, but none of them had hit him the way this one did with Zelda reading it and using such expression. It seemed the only time she didn't play the part of the ice maiden was when she read aloud to Link.

In an effort to keep her on congenial ground, Link asked her to read two more selections. She was still moving through the last one when Malon came out. She sat on the blanket as well, and when Zelda finished, spoke in an excited tone.

"Oh, Zelda, that was wonderful!" but her sister only smiled cynically.

"Wasn't it, though? Just like a trained seal. Remember the one in Holodrum, Malon? Soon you'll be able to put me on display and maybe even charge admission. Then I can help pay for my school lessons."

Malon told herself not to cry or even listen to the horrible, sarcastic tone, but in truth she was crushed. She came swiftly back to her feet, tears filling her eyes before she rushed to the house.

"Malon," Link called to her, but she did not turn back.

A moment later Zelda found herself hauled to her feet. She was so shocked by the action that for a moment she didn't respond. Then Link's furious words found their mark.

"It would be just wonderful it you could actually think of someone besides yourself, Miss Fontaine."

"Let go of me," she hissed, but only found herself moved swiftly along the grass.

"I said, let go."

Link came to an abrupt halt.

"Just shut your mouth, Zelda. Shut it right now."
Again she was propelled forward several feet.

"The steps are directly in front of you," he told her tersely. "Find your won way inside."

The steps just inches from her feet, Zelda stood alone in the backyard long after she heard Link go up the stairs and into the house.

Ok the title of the chapter was misleading but it was fun on my part.