Authors Note: Here's the edited chapter 3! Hope you guys enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything…

Zelda

I wake up to birds chirping happily. This would be nice on any other morning, but this morning, all I want to do is go straight back to sleep. Traveling for an entire two days at once is not easy. My muscles are stiff and my brain is groggy for not having much physical activity.

I open my eyes half way, but am greeted with the blinding rays of the sun, and quickly shut them again. For a minute I wonder where I am, because I can't quite remember what happened last night. I think I was so tired that I fell asleep while riding Epona.

I take in the feeling of the soft bed under me and the slight smell of pumpkins and pine trees. I must me in Ordon, specifically in Link's house.

After debating in my head weather I should get up or not, I slowly open my eyes all the way and take in my surroundings. The first thing I lay eyes upon startles me.

Six eyes stare back at me. The first pair belongs to a girl, probably about thirteen. The second belongs to a boy, who is no younger than nine. The last pair belongs to a small child, who looks to be about five or six, with a disinterested look on his face.

I lay there in shock as the children stare at me. I assume they are children from the village as I glance at their slightly dirty clothes and faces. Thousands of questions race through my head as I wonder how they got into Link's house, and that brings me to wonder where Link is.

Before I can glace around the house to see where he might be, he walks through the front door in a loose shirt and pants, barefoot, his hair dripping wet.

He finally notices the three children huddled around me and seems just as confused as I am.

"Beth! Talo! Malo!" he says, stepping toward us. "What are you doing?"

The three children disperse from their huddle and walk toward Link.

"Well," the girl whom I assume to be Beth speaks up. "We were walking, and we saw Epona, and we figured you were home, and we got really excited, and we came in here to see you, but instead of you, there was this girl in here, and we got really confused, and Talo said she might be your girlfriend but I was like 'No way Talo! She's not his type!', and then she woke up, and you came in, and here we are now!" she runs on, all in one breath.

Link lets a small smile cross his face and sighs. "Okay guys, calm down. This is just a friend I met while in Hyrule. Her house burnt down and I'm giving her a place to stay until they rebuild it, okay?"

"Then why is she sleeping in your bed?" The littlest one questions.

"Chivalry." He states simply. "You two might want to take notes." He points at the two boys, a slight blush covering the older one's face.

Beth chuckles at his embarrassment, then says, "Well, since you're here and all, you might want to know something." Link gives her a questioning look. "Rusl's sick. And I mean really sick."

I see a brief flash of fear cover Link's face before he returns to his strong demeanor. Whoever this Rusl is, he must be someone important to Link.

"Alright," Link says, eyes focused on the ground. "Why don't you three go ahead and tell everyone I'm home. I'll go see Rusl in a minute."

The children nod and head out the door.

When they're gone, I turn to Link. "Who's Rusl?"

"Pretty much my father. He raised me when my parents died," he responds, putting his boots on and running a cloth through his sopping hair.

I'm not really sure how to respond to that, so I just mutter a quiet "oh" before he opens the door to leave.

"I should be back soon. If you get hungry, just help yourself to whatever's in the cupboards," he says, walking out the door.

After he leaves, I awkwardly sit on the bed, quietly observing his home. It's a cozy little place, with several pictographs hung on the walls. Some are of Link with a few goats and a man that looks to be about Link's age. Others are of the children, Beth, Talo, Malo, and a fourth I don't recognize.

As if on cue, my stomach starts grumbling, and I wonder if I should really go through Link's cupboards and get something to eat. After another grumble, I decide to do so, and I'm pleased with what I see. Stacks of cheese, bread and preserves line the cabinet shelves. Simple food. Not prison food, which I had gotten so used to over the past months, and not royal food, which you have to have a very sophisticated pallet to enjoy. Just nice, home-made, simple food.

I grab a few slices of bread and cheese and sit down at the table. The bread is soft on the inside and a bit crunchy on the crust, and the cheese melts in my mouth.

Wow, I think to myself, I could really get used to this.

Link

I walk swiftly to Rusl's house, afraid of what I might see. What did Beth mean by "really sick?" Those kids do tend to exaggerate sometimes… maybe it's just a little cold that he caught while in the city. I hope for the best as I knock on his door. Uli answers it with her newborn baby in her arms.

"Oh, Link!" he exclaims. "It's so good to see you!" She pulls me into a tight hug. I hug back, careful of the baby in one of her arms.

"It's great to see you too, Uli," I say, a bit off-handedly, as I try to look over her shoulder at Rusl lying on the couch. She notices this, and steps out of the doorway to let me inside.

"I'll give you some time alone," she says and heads out the door. "I have a few errands to run."

I give her a nod goodbye and turn back to Rusl, lying on the couch looking extremely pale and sweaty.

"Rusl," I begin, and set a chair from the table next to the couch. "What happened? When I saw you last you seemed fine."

"Oh, Link," he says, his eyes looking a bit glazed over as he turns his head in my direction. "It's nothing but a little cold. It'll blow over soon enough."

I give an exasperated sigh. "Rusl, this is more than 'a little cold'. Look at you, you look awful. Maybe we should take you to a doctor. I know a shaman who lives in Kakariko, maybe he could treat you."

He sighs, and looks distantly at the ceiling. "No, there will be no need for that. Traveling would just put me in a worse condition. I suppose all we can do is just pray to the Goddesses."

"Rusl…" I trail, not wanting to leave this issue to something that we cannot control.

"Link," he says, as sternly as he can muster. "I don't want you worrying about this. I'll be fine. Besides, you just got back. You'll need to relax. Don't fret about me."

I sigh and run a hand down my face, seeing no point in arguing. "Alright, I'll check on you later. But just stay in bed, will you?"

He chuckles a bit. "Yes, father," he says mockingly.

I laugh half-heartedly and see my way out the door.

As I make my way back to my home, I think about what Rusl said. 'I suppose all we can do is just pray to the Goddesses.'

I immediately think of Zelda. She's known to have prophetic dreams… maybe she would have a better chance of talking to the goddesses than I would. I pick up my pace a bit as I walk.

I open my door and see Zelda looking with great interest at the pictographs on my wall. She turns around when she hears me walk in.

"Hey," she greets me with a concerned look on her face. "How is he?"

I shake my head. "Not well. He looks awful."

She bites her lip. "I'm sorry," she says. "Hopefully he'll get better."

I shuffle my feet awkwardly and run a hand through my hair nervously, deciding whether I should say something or not. "Actually, I have a small favor to ask."

She gives me an inquiring look. "Of course. What is it?" she asks.

I take a deep breath. "I was wondering if you could ask the Goddesses what's wrong with him, and maybe how to fix it."

She nods. "I can't promise it will work, but I'll try my best."

I breathe a sigh of relief. "Thanks," I say, giving a half smile.

Zelda smiles back, sits on the bed, folds her hands and closes her eyes.

Author's Note: Well there you have it! Please leave a review!