Translated by MissQuestions-LaAmazingNabo
Beta reader: Chameleon Eyes
Thanks to both of them for their excelent work. And thank you all for your favourites, follows and reviews.
I hope you enjoy this chapter, the next one will be the last.
The Legend of Zelda series and its characters are property of Nintendo.
Chapter 8
Ordon
Barely two months were left until the wedding. Luckily, the majority of the preparations were already done, but there was still plenty to do, like choosing the entourage that would accompany the princess. Even still, Zelda and Link had decided to take a few days off to visit Ordon. Link wanted to see his old friends— some of them he hadn't seen in more than a year— and present Zelda to them.
They had left that morning, early, the sun barely rising, and they now had several hours of intense riding. Luckily, Ordon wasn't very far when they stopped to eat at noon. They could now see Faron Woods, which they had to cross to get to the village, located in Ordona province.
Several members of the court had suggested they traveled by carriage, but Zelda thought it was more adequate to ride on horse. It was faster, and that way they could travel alone.
By mid-afternoon, they finally reached Faron Woods. They followed the only path that went deeper in until arriving at a small house, where they stopped. In front of it was a man sitting on a tree trunk. The man sported a strange hairstyle, with a nest (bird included) on top of his head, and a big smile. In front of him was a fire with a cauldron over it.
"Oh, it's the Ordonian!" he said with great enthusiasm at seeing Link jump off the horse. "Long time, no see. I almost didn't recognize you. Did you come for a visit?"
"That's right," Link replied as he helped Zelda dismount. "How's the business, Coro?"
"It's going, though I lost my best customer when you left. Oh, and this beautiful girl?" he asked, looking at Zelda. "Is she your girlfriend?"
"Fiancée," he said with a smile.
"Wow! What luck you have, man, being able to marry a beauty like that."
"Truth is even I don't believe it sometimes."
Zelda saw how Link looked at her from the corner of his eye and smiled at her timidly. Sometimes she also thought if all this wasn't more than a dream, but thank the goddesses it was real.
After the introductions and a while of chatting, the two youths continued their way. They crossed a tunnel and arrived at a small pond with several waterfalls. Link commented to the princess that this was the spring of the Light Spirit Faron. The place was precious, all covered with tiny white flowers, the pond's crystalline water, the small waterfalls located in between trees… it was like a small paradise. Unfortunately, they couldn't stop, it was beginning to get dark and they needed to hurry to get to Ordon.
After leaving the spirit's spring behind and going deeper into the woods, they arrived at a suspension bridge that crossed through a deep precipice.
"Once we cross the bridge, we'll be in Ordona province," Link said as he began to cross the bridge.
Zelda stayed at the edge, staring down at the deepness of the precipice with fear. They were very high and the bridge only consisted of a bunch of rope and wooden boards.
"You are afraid?"
The princess lifted her head and saw Link on the other side of the bridge, looking at her with an amused smile on his face. The boy got off the horse and walked through the bridge towards her. He took the reins of her horse and guided it through the bridge.
"Don't worry," he said in a calming tone. "I've crossed this bridge hundreds of times. It's safe."
"That does not console me."
Link laughed. She didn't find it funny. That he apparently wasn't afraid of anything didn't give him the right to laugh at her. Sometimes she wondered if Link really was invulnerable to fear.
"Tell me, Link. Have you ever been afraid of something?"
Link stopped, luckily they had already crossed the bridge, and tilted his head to the side, thinking.
"Everyone is afraid of something. It's part of our nature. I just don't let myself get carried away by fears, I try to think things with clarity and do all that's possible to face and get over them."
"And were you afraid when you faced Ganondorf?"
"At that moment I was too angry to be afraid."
They resumed their walk. Link climbed over Epona's back again and they kept going. Zelda wasn't surprised by the hero's answer; after all, he was the bearer of the Triforce of Courage.
As they advanced, Zelda observed a path that branched towards the right, but was interrupted a few meters in by a gate made out of logs. Through the holes that were in between logs, she could see water at a distance.
"That's the spring of the light spirit Ordona," Link said. "We'll see it later or tomorrow."
After several minutes, they arrived at a small clearing where a there was a house built in a tree. The door was located on a platform, which had to be accessed by a ladder of ropes and wooden boards. They stopped there and Link got off the horse. Zelda imitated him, and they left the horses besides the house. At the left of the ladder was a sign with something written on it: 'Link's House'.
"So this is your house?" Zelda said, observing it with attention.
"Yep. It's not much, but it's enough for a single person."
From outside, it was a strange house, built in the trunk of the tree itself. It was the first time that the princess had seen a house like it and she wondered if all the houses in Ordon were constructed in the same manner.
"Let's go to the village first." Link said, taking her by the hand and coercing her to follow. "We'll put the luggage inside later."
The road they followed wasn't very long and it crossed through a small hollow. When they exited the hollow, they arrived at a clearing surrounded by mountains. A river crossed through the clearing and there were several scattered houses. They were finally in Ordon. The houses, although similar in structure as Link's, were built on solid ground. It was a nice and calm setting, brimming with peace. Zelda was liking this place.
"Link!" a child's voice was heard from afar.
At the same time as the hero turned towards the direction of the voice, a boy of no more than ten years lunged at him, snagging him by the legs. The boy had short brown hair, with a bandana tied over his head, and green eyes. Other kids were running behind him: a girl who was older than the rest, one who was much smaller, and Colin; the princess perfectly remembered the blond youngster who seemed to admire Link greatly.
"Hey, Talo!" he said to the boy, putting a hand over his head. "It's been a while. You've grown so much."
The other children arrived, forming a semicircle around Link.
"Hey, Link," said the smallest one of all. "You could have deigned to visit us sooner."
"I'm sorry, Malo, but I've been very busy. My boss gives me too much work," he replied, laughing and looking at Zelda.
Seeing that Link looked the other way, the children followed his gaze until they found the princess, who remained standing, a bit far to leave room for the children. With the exception of Colin, who already knew her, the kids stared at her with lots of intensity and curiosity. Suddenly, the girl gave a squeal of happiness, and with a small clap, joined her hands together, intertwining her fingers.
"It's the princess?!" she exclaimed with great joy.
Zelda simply nodded.
"So it's true you're marrying the princess?" Talo asked excitedly. "It's just that it's something difficult to believe."
"I think I should feel offended by that," Link replied, crossing his arms.
"It's just that she's a princess!" said the girl. "And you… well, it's true that you saved us, and that you're very strong, brave, handsome and all that, but you're still Link."
"What does that mean, Beth?" the young hero questioned, raising an eyebrow.
The princess couldn't contain her laughter; it was so amusing to see how the small group of children pulled the chosen hero's leg. She saw Link look at her with reproach and hurried to try stopping her laughter. It was a difficult task.
"I didn't doubt it for a moment," said Malo. "We've always known that Link was different from any of us. After what happened, it was more than evident that he was destined to be something greater than a simple herder."
That child was very strange. He didn't talk or behave like the other children; he was like a mini-adult. Zelda had heard much talk about him, not only from Link, but from people from at the castle and from Hyrule Castle Town. After all, it was Malo, the owner of Malomart. How did a small child manage to build his own business (a very prosperous one, at that)? To Zelda, and all who wondered, that was a mystery; although the princess suspected that Link had helped more than what he was willing to admit. He said that he'd only contributed with a bit of money so that he could open the shop in Castle Town, but he never said how much that 'bit' was.
"Come on, Link," Colin said, taking Link's hand. "Everyone's waiting at the mayor's house."
They followed the children towards the other side of the village, to the house that was along the opposite exit. To Zelda's astonishment, they entered without even knocking. That was unthinkable in Castle Town, but they were very far from the city; it was logical to think that they had very different customs in Ordon.
Just as they entered the house, there was an ample room in which a great number of people were congregated. Zelda observed the large room, it was completely different from the opulence she was used to in the castle, but this place didn't dissatisfy her; it was warm and homely. The people greeted them and approached them. Link received hugs from each and every one present, and Zelda small curtseys and polite greeting from them. In some way she felt disappointed, she would have preferred a warmer welcome, like Link's, but it was expected that these people of humble origins would feel a bit intimidated by the presence of a princess like her, even those she'd already known during the ball.
After introducing her to his friends, Link was boarded with questions from their part. Zelda took advantage of this moment to approach Ilia, who was a bit in the sidelines, next to the children.
"Can we speak a moment, Ilia?" she asked her with a bit of shyness.
Ilia moved from the children and guided her through a hallway towards a room of similar dimensions as the one before, with a circular dais in the center. Zelda was nervous, she didn't know how Ilia would react before what she was about to propose her. After the conversation about Link she'd had with her, she expected her to react in a positive manner.
"What did you want to talk about, Highness?"
"This may seem a bit strange to you, and it may not be the most considerate on my part considering your feelings for Link, but there is no one more apt for this."
"Do not worry for my feelings towards him, Highness," Ilia said with a small smile. "After the conversation we had, I could renounce to him definitively."
"I am glad to hear that, for I would like you to be my maid of honor during the wedding."
Zelda looked at Ilia, who did not react. She moved towards her with the intention of putting a hand on her shoulder, but, just as she was about to touch her, Ilia let out a squeal. Zelda hurried to pull her hand away, frightened. Harried footsteps were heard entering the room.
"What's wrong, Ilia?!" Mayor Bo worriedly exclaimed.
"I'm going to be maid of honor!"
With a little jump, Ilia lunged at Zelda, hugging her. The mayor moved in quickly to separate them, that was a serious affront towards the princess, but Zelda indicated him with a gesture that it did not matter.
"And you thought Ilia wouldn't agree." Link approached them and put a hand over Ilia's shoulder, catching her attention. "Although your reaction was a by a bit exaggerated, don't you think?"
"Oh, shut up," Ilia said, taking his hand off her shoulder. "How'd you want me to react then? It's not every day a princess asks a country girl like me to accompany her on her wedding."
"I'll remind you that it is also my wedding, and I'm a country boy like you."
"Nonsense! This has nothing to do with you, Link, you are just the groom."
Link opened his mouth to reply but Rusl placed a hand over his shoulder and shook his head, stopping him. Zelda giggled. It wasn't the first time she had seen this type of situations; it was typical to see this kind of reaction concerning weddings among her ladies in waiting and maids, they always said that it was a special day for the bride. It was something the princess couldn't grasp; she had been taught since little that a wedding was just an agreement, a formalism, to finance their ties with other countries or to maintain peace and prosperity in the kingdom. Now she understood that excitement, for it would be Link who will be at her side, and not some noble or prince whom she barely knew. However, she still failed to understand why it was only considered special for the bride. In her opinion, it was equally important for both.
"Ilia is not the only one that I want to accompany me," Zelda said. "I would also like for the children to become part of my entourage."
Beth jumped and screamed from happiness, Talo and Colin smiled, and Malo remained impassive. Their respective mothers approached them and congratulated them.
"Rusl," Link turned towards the man. "I also have something to ask you. Would you like to be my best man?"
"It would be an honor, Link," he replied with a grin.
That afternoon had been very interesting at least. It had been very pleasant being able to know all of Link's friends. After the introductions and petitions, they all dined at the mayor's house. The food had been delicious and the conversation pleasant. Although she'd been welcomed with a bit of coldness at first, they had opened to her little by little, and they began to treat her with more familiarity and affection, especially Uli— Colin's mother— who even let her hold her little two year-old daughter... Ilia had been worried about the maid of honor issue, she said she didn't have any adequate dresses for the occasion, but Zelda calmed her by telling her that the castle's tailors and dressmakers would take care of the outfits for the children, Rusl, and her, that she only had to present herself there in two weeks to have her measures taken.
After bidding everyone goodbye, Zelda and Link headed to his house. They grabbed their equipment, which was still besides the horses, and entered the house. It wasn't very big, they were met with a living room upon entering that seem to function as both as a kitchen and a dining room, and some wooden ladders that lead to several platforms. From below, she observed the platforms but didn't find anything similar to a bed.
"Where will we sleep?" she asked as she continued to search with her gaze where they would sleep.
"Right here," he replied, pointing to the carpet that was in front of the ladder.
Zelda stared at him, horrified. Were they really going to sleep on the floor? With a chuckle, Link opened a wardrobe, from which he took something large and that appeared to be soft, rolled up, and extended it over the carpet. He moved towards the wardrobe again and took out some sheets and a pillow, and placed it over that kind of thin mattress.
"Come now, try it, I assure you that it's more comfortable than it looks. I'll look for the other meanwhile."
After saying this, Link went down some stairs that were at the back of the house, which Zelda had not seen until now. The princess sat over the mattress, trying it, and laid down. It was more comfortable than it looked for certain, not as much as those in the castle, but it was acceptable. She sat up once she heard Link come up the stairs. He had difficulty coming up, for he carried a similar mattress and another pillow. Zelda stood up and hurried towards him to help him carry all that.
"Thanks."
Free of burden, Link could climb the ladder quickly. He grabbed the mattress from Zelda's arms and extended it along the other, leaving several centimeters of space between both.
"You will sleep on this one," Link indicated, pointing at the second mattress. "It's for guests. I don't have many guests so it's practically new. I think only Colin has used it once."
She had tossed for hours, but however she lay, she couldn't get some sleep. It wasn't the first time it had happened to her, she had had trouble sleeping for several days. She looked at her left, where Link lay with his back turned towards her. She could hear his breathing, slow and relaxed, indicating that he was in deep sleep. How lucky were some. She looked at the ceiling, fixing her gaze on the skylight, from where a bit of moonlight had filtered. Fed up, she finally stood up and exited the house in silence as to not wake her fiancé.
Once outside, she sat on the edge of the platform, her legs dangling, and let the nocturnal breeze rock her locks of hair and the skirts of her nightgown. It was chilly, but she didn't mind at that moment, it was relaxing to feel that clean and fresh air over the bare skin of her arms and legs. She lifted her gaze towards the sky and contemplated the stars.
"Can't sleep?"
Zelda jumped. She was so immersed that she didn't hear Link come out of the house, neither did she know for how long she was sitting there. She turned towards him and observed him. Like her he was barefoot, and only wore his sleeping pants. She turned her head again and looked ahead, and she heard his muffled footsteps approach.
"I suppose those mattresses aren't very suitable for a princess," he said in a casual tone.
"I do not think that is it," she replied without looking at him, but felt his gaze on her. "I have been having trouble sleeping for some time."
"Why is that?"
"I do not know. I feel quite nervous and restless. It could be from all the work I have been having lately."
"Wait here for a moment."
Zelda turned towards him and saw that he had entered the house again. He came out after a few minutes with a bag on his shoulder and her boots in hand. He dropped the boots next to her and jumped off the platform.
"Come follow me."
The princess stared at him in a questioning manner, but only received a smile from his part as an answer. She put on the boots and climbed down the stairs, she wasn't sure to get out of there unscratched if she jumped from up there like he did. She followed him through the path they took that afternoon up to the bifurcation where she had seen the door. Link took a key out of the bag and opened the door with it. After passing through it, they found themselves in front of Ordon spring. Just like Faron spring, that place was beautiful, with white sand banks and three waterfalls in the background.
"I used to come here and get into the water when I couldn't sleep," Link said, walking towards the shore. "With it I relaxed and got to sleep. Why don't you try it?" He dipped his feet and walked some meters inward, the water only came up to his ankles. "The back covers enough to bathe in."
Was he really telling her to bathe there, in the open? Didn't he realize that that implied her to undress in front of him? Zelda stared at him for a few instants, hesitantly, to then avert her gaze and observe their surroundings. It wasn't that she minded him watching, sooner or later he would have to, but she wasn't sure that he would feel comfortable in that situation.
"Of course, what an idiot I am," he said embarrassed, giving himself a tap on his forehead. "I'll be sitting there." He pointed at a tree located between the shore and a rocky wall that surrounded the place and headed towards it. "You have my word that I won't look."
Zelda observed him as he walked. When he passed by her, she saw that he was completely flushed. She saw him sit next to the tree and lean his shoulder on the trunk. Zelda took her boots off and dipped her feet in the water. She expected it to be colder, but it was warm.
"There's something you can dry off with later in the bag," she heard Link say. "I've also taken one of thy hair bands in case you did not want to wet it."
She moved towards the bag and took a rather large towel and one of her hair bands out from it. Leaving the towel over the bag, she tied her hair with the band. She looked at Link, making sure he didn't turn— although she knew he wouldn't— and began to undress. As she started to walk in the water a comforting sensation began to travel through her entire body. Not only was the water warm, it gave off a fresh, pleasant, and surprisingly familiar smell, too. She headed towards the deepest part, where the water reached her waist, gathered a bit of water with her hands and soaked her face with it. She breathed deeply, enjoying that fragrance, and then she recognized it. It was Link's smell. He had told her that when he lived in Ordon he used to go there during the nights he couldn't sleep, but lived in the castle now, he couldn't come to the spring.
Once she felt more calm and relaxed, she got out of the water, dried off, and dressed herself again. She looked at Link again, whose head was tilted a bit back, observing the sky, and felt the necessity to verify something. She walked towards him and sat behind him. She rested her hands on his bare back and buried her nose on his neck. Yes, although faint, it was the same smell.
"What are you doing?" Link said nervously, turning his head towards her.
"I was just making sure of something," she said, moving away a bit, but without removing her hands. "You give off the same smell as the spring; I have noticed it when I entered its waters."
"Well, it's logical, I usually bathe in that water; it has several properties and I am used to using it for them."
"But how? There is no spring near the castle."
"You know of the Goron who sells hot-spring water in Castle Town?" he asked in a fun tone. "I pay him to bring me water from Eldin spring in Kakariko. But don't tell anyone; it's a secret."
Link looked at her and gave her a knowing wink. Zelda giggled. Certainly it wouldn't be recommendable to let others know, the light spirts probably wouldn't like people to start taking water from their springs.
"Wait a moment. You are insinuating that you go around smelling me?"
He stared at her with a mixture of horror and disbelief. The princess laughed and hugged him, resting completely over his back.
"It is just so pleasant," she whispered in his ear with a playful voice. "It mixes with your own, making it very appealing."
In that moment she noticed how he turned tense and rigid. It wasn't the first time she noted his nervousness in these kind of situations. He was prepared to stop her once she tried to go further. Zelda sometimes wondered if he didn't feel physically attracted by her in the least. She hugged him tighter.
"Tell me, Link," she murmured against his back. "Do you find me attractive?" He didn't respond. "Because sometimes I feel like I do not attract you in the slightest."
There was a moment of silence. It looked like Link wasn't going to answer or react, but, just as she was about to release him and move away, he grabbed one of her hands and intertwined his fingers with hers. She heard him murmur something, and asked him to repeat it.
"I'm sorry," he said again, louder. "I'm sorry if that was the impression I've given you, but you are wrong; it's quite the opposite."
Zelda released him and moved away from him a bit, but rested her hands on his back again. She wanted him to turn, wanted to see the expression he had at this moment, but he didn't turn, keeping his back to her.
"Then why…?"
"Because I don't want to ruin it," Link interrupted her. "It didn't take you much to convince the council that marrying me was for the best, but what would happen if they discovered there had been inappropriate behavior between us? Not only will they begin to raise objections, the rest of the nobles would make a fuss if they knew." He paused briefly and sighed. "I don't want you to have trouble because I couldn't control my impulses. I'm sorry."
Zelda balled her hands and pressed her forehead on his back. Why was he apologizing to her? It was her who should be apologizing, she who hadn't thought of the consequences of her own actions, who had behaved in an inappropriate manner. As princess, she should have thought of her actions with coolness instead of letting herself get carried away by her feelings and personal desires.
"You will have to be a bit patient," Link continued. "In two months we'll be married, and then I'll be yours completely; you'll be able to do with me what you want or ask of me whatever you wish."
She didn't know what to think of those words. She didn't know whether to consider that as a declaration of love, one of servitude, or both. While she thought of that, she noticed how Link moved away from her. She lifted her gaze and saw him standing in front of her, offering his hand with a small smile on his face.
"Should we go back?" he told her.
Zelda took his offered hand and he helped her stand up.
"Thank you."
For the princess, waking up with the morning light filtering through her eyelids wasn't precisely the most pleasant way to wake up. She was used to a servant waking her with care and slowly open her curtains to get used to the clarity little by little. She sank her face into the pillow to escape the light and get used to it slowly. When she finally got used to it, she turned to her right, looking for Link, who was sleeping by her side, or so she thought. The hero was not there. Zelda sat up and searched through the house with a glance. She called him, but no one answered. The door opened just at that moment.
"You are finally up," Link said from the doorway. "And people say I'm the lazy one."
Link was dressed with typical Ordonian clothing: some pants of a greyish-brown color that reached to half his calf, a large, sleeveless shirt with pistachio-green hems, an orange sash, and sandals. He was carrying a large wicker basket in his arms. He closed the door and left the basket over the table.
"I brought food."
Zelda moved closer and observed how he took out different kinds of food from the basket and placed them over the table. There was bread, eggs, cured meat, bacon, pumpkin, jam, butter, milk, and honey.
"Isn't that too much food?" Zelda asked.
"It's for several days," he replied, grabbing a pair of buckets from a corner. "I'm going to fetch water. You can change in the meanwhile if you like. I'll prepare breakfast when I come back."
Just as promised, Link fixed breakfast when he returned. Zelda had insisted in helping, but he had refused, arguing that, as host, he couldn't let his guest do work.
"What are we doing today?" Zelda asked as she watched him spread butter on a piece of toast.
Link took a bit to reply, he seemed to think over their options. While he did so, he continued to spread butter over their pieces of toast and put a bit of honey over them.
"We could go to Faron Woods," he said finally. "It seems that there are no monsters left, and with a little luck, we could see the monkeys that live in that area."
The princess thought it was a good idea; she had wanted to go to the woods for a while.
After breakfast, they packed all that was necessary for their excursion and hooked to Epona's saddle. Link had also hooked his sword, just in case. To go comfortable, Zelda had dressed in ridding clothes and some special boots Link had given her for hiking; the hero, from his part, remained in his Ordonian attire, but had substituted the sandals for his leather boots.
They both mounted on Epona, him in front and her behind, and they headed towards Faron province. They were taking the mare only, for Link had informed her that they could only ride for a small portion of the journey. They would have to leave her with Coro and continue by foot.
They trotted through a good portion of the way, until they arrived at the bridge that united the two regions of Faron and Ordon. The sole sight of that bridge of rope and boards caused dread in the princess. She held on tightly to Link and heard him laugh while doing so. She gave him a pinch on the side as punishment.
"Are you certain you want to do that to whom is holding the reins as we cross the bridge? We could have an accident."
Link turned his head and looked at her with a fun smile. Zelda frowned and looked away from him, though, after seeing the deep abyss they were crossing, decided it had been a bad idea and fixed her gaze at his back.
Just as the day before, they passed by Faron spring, but didn't stop, though Link promised to stop there for a while later in the afternoon.
After asking Coro to look after Epona, Link grabbed his sword and the bag in which they carried the food and other utensils, and entered the cave that lead towards the heart of Faron Woods. The cave was very dark, but luckily Link had brought his lantern, which he carried on his right hand while carrying his sword with his left, just in case. They crossed the cave without trouble and came out to an ample hollow covered in fog. Link explained to her that during the Twilight Invasion the place was covered by a toxic fog, but now it was a normal fog. Holding to his arm as to not lose him from sight, they crossed the hollow and arrived to an open, wooden door, with another cave behind. This one was shorter. They didn't take much to cross it and arrive to another hollow, which was narrower and seconded as a road.
When came to an open field, the first that Zelda saw was what seemed like an immense tree in the distance, it was enormous and magnificent.
"Woo! Hey! Woo! You're super!"
Zelda was startled. She diverted her gaze towards the origin of that shrill voice, but only saw a little sales stand and a very colorful bird with a rather strange 'hairdo'. There was no one else.
"Now just buy something! Hey!" said the bird. "Welcome! Hey! Buy something! Anything!"
The young hero walked towards one of the containers and filled the lantern with the liquid that it contained. Once full, he approached the bird and deposited a fist full of rupees in a box below.
"Hey! What a generous young man! Thank you! Hey! Thank you! Come back sometime! Hey!"
"You have been complimented by a bird?" Zelda asked, amused. She was trying to contain her laughter with all her might.
"It's Coro's. I suppose he taught it to play up to people to obtain more customers."
"Well, it hadn't told us nothing that we didn't know already."
Link's cheeks became an intense red color and Zelda giggled at seeing him. It was so adorable.
"You get embarrassed when I compliment you, but not when a bird does it?"
"It's different," he answered, still visibly embarrassed.
"True," she said with obviousness. "He is just flattering you while I mean it."
She looked at him and grinned. He was blushing even more, if that were possible.
They kept advancing, heading towards the great tree that was in front of them. The ground ended a small distance from the tree, giving way to a deep precipice, however, a narrow and winding path crossed the precipice up until a hollow of a tree, in which there was a door. Link had told her that that was the Forest Temple, home of a group of monkeys and the place where he found the first fragment of the Fused Shadows.
Along the path, they could see a succession of bridges that connected parts of the tree and small chunks of land and strayed off towards the left.
"This is new," said Link as he walked towards the first bridge. "I suppose this is Shad's doing. He said that he had been researching around the grove."
"What's at the other side of the bridges?" the princess asked with curiosity.
"The Sacred Grove, and beyond that, the ruins in which I found, and now lays, the Master Sword."
Link had answered with a somber tone in his voice and a feeling of nostalgia etched on his face. Zelda remained thoughtful a few minutes. She had read things about the ruins that guarded the sword several times and felt curious, she wanted to see them with her own eyes, even if she had to cross that deep precipice. She indicated her desire to go to the hero and both headed towards the grove.
The Sacred Grove was a dark forest, the trees were so leafy that light filtered scantly through their branches. Even so, it was a beautiful place. It was composed of small areas connected with each other, in which there were small ponds and waterfalls. Walls and stone columns evidently made by man could be noticed on certain areas, they seemed like the remains of a large building now in ruins.
Despite the beauty of the place, Zelda felt restless. She could hear, in the distance, feeble music played in what seemed to be a trumpet, music that, once in a while, was interrupted by a high-pitched, childish giggle. She held to Link's arm, tightly, who looked at her with a calming smile. It wasn't that she was scared, just that that giggle caused her anxiety.
They arrived at the end of the road. In front of them, several meters below, was an ample, circular area, surrounded by tall stone walls. Link moved away from her and jumped. Zelda observed how he landed on the ground gracefully. Was he expecting her to jump from up here? No way could she jump that and not hurt herself. If she didn't have the heart to jump from the platform of his house, let alone that.
"You have climbing ivy at your feet," Link shouted from below. "It reaches to the ground."
"Are you mad?" she yelled, horrified. "Do you want to kill me?"
"Don't worry," he replied with a smile. "I'm here in case you fall."
She looked at Link, the ground, the ivy at her feet, and finally at him again. The way in which Link looked at her gave her the certainty that, no matter what happened, he was there to help her. She sighed and began descending. The branches of the ivy crunched at as she passed, making her even more nervous, and making the descent more difficult than it was. There weren't many supports for the feet, so she had to do all the effort with her hands. It was moments like these that she wished to have the agility and skill of the hero. When it seemed like she could arrive without trouble, at scarce meters form the ground, when she wanted to support her feet on the ivy, she slipped and fell. Link didn't waste time to place himself under her and catch her in his arms.
"Are you all right?"
She breathed deeply, trying to calm the strong and fast pounding of her heart. Lifting her gaze, she saw how he looked at her with obvious concern. She nodded as a response to his questions and he placed her gently on the ground. Zelda sat over a rock to rest, feeling her arms and legs sore.
"And to think that we will have to climb that damn creeper later to return," the princess said with plain irritation.
"For cases like these I carry this," Link told her, rummaging through the contents of his bag. After searching carefully, he took out one of his claw-shots and grinned. "Thanks to this, we'll arrive at the top in no time, and without effort from your part."
"Do you think I will know how to use that contraption?"
"No need to, you only have to hold onto me and I will take care of getting us up there." He offered her a hand to help her get up. "Come now, we're almost there."
They went through an arc, and after climbing a small slope, arrived to what seemed to be a large building of old, from which only a small portion of wall remained. They could see in front of them the ruins of a stairwell and an opening in form of an arc on the wall at their left, guarded by two large statues covered in moss. She followed Link through the opening and walked through a hallway with stairs to another room, which also had its remaining portion of walls. In the middle of the room, fixed in its pedestal, was the Master Sword. They walked towards it, but once beside it, Zelda noticed that Link had stayed behind. She turned and saw him standing still at several meters of distance.
"Something wrong?"
He shook his head.
"It's just that I don't want to be tempted to take it from the pedestal again," he replied crestfallenly, with a bit of a sad smile.
Zelda stared at him inquisitively, cuing him to keep talking. The hero sighed.
"The first time I came here it was because you told me that this sword could return me to my original form, wasn't it?" The princess nodded. "No one told me to take it from the pedestal, but from the instant that I stood next to it, I had the feeling that I had to wield it, as if my head urged me to take it from there. When I closed my fingers around the handle, I felt the touch surprisingly familiar, as if I had it in my hands all my life." He paused and sighed again. "I know that if I come closer to the sword, I will have the need to wield it, and I don't want to do it."
Zelda gave him a comforting smile. She looked at the sword and placed her hand over the pommel. Although she knew that it wouldn't react with her, she had the small hope that by touching it, she would feel a current travel her body, just as Link had told her. She closed her hand over the handle and pulled upwards, trying to take it out. It was obvious that she wouldn't achieve it, but now that she was there, she wanted to try. As expected, the sword was firmly tacked and did not budge a millimeter. After all, the Master Sword only had one owner and answered only to him.
She turned towards the hero and approached him. She intertwined her right hand with his left.
"Come now," the princess said, guiding him out of that place. "Let's eat something and return."