THE BARD OF THE RYŪ
Shapes and shadows walked to and fro. Time seemed to pass slowly, though it left no impression upon Link's memory. Everything was a blur. There was pain, but in his stupor, it felt almost as though it belonged to another. Light was followed by darkness and replaced by light. He dreamt of things long past – of times and places he had never seen. Was there someone speaking? He could almost hear his name coming to him as if through a long tunnel.
"Link..."
Light coalesced above him. The voice seemed to become louder. It was almost recognizable.
"Malon...?" Had he spoken? The light grew painfully bright.
"Swordsman!"
Link's eyes opened. He was lying in a large bed, covered by several soft fur blankets. Next to the bed sat Kin.
"You're awake!" Kin shouted, nearly tackling him in an embrace.
"Yay! Not dead again!" Navi bounced around the large room happily. Link groaned and tried to sit up, but was pushed back onto the bed by Kin.
"Healer Pashli says you aren't to move yet," she said sternly, a relieved smile on her face.
Link weakly pushed against her once, then gave up. Navi floated over and landed on his chest as if to pin him down.
"Where are we?" he managed to ask after a few deep breaths. He felt like his energy had been drained away.
"Ryū Island," Kin replied, suddenly stoic. Her abrupt attitude change seemed odd, but Link didn't comment on it. The room they were in was simple, yet Link could see hints of what could only be called tribal decoration. Most of the walls were made of artless uncut stone, but the wooden door was carved into intricate patterns and designs. Along the wooden beams that crossed the ceiling were hung a string of small pieces of cloth – almost like flags – that draped down lazily. Each had a different design painted upon it. Out of the corner of his eye, Link could see a large woven rug that lay upon the stone floor. Light emanated from odd glowing orbs that were perched upon wooden stools in each corner of the room, and the entire chamber smelt of candlewax.
Returning his wandering gaze to Kin, Link noticed that she was clad in new garments – a light blue dress and a crimson apron that hung out from beneath a white scarf that wound around her shoulders. The change the outfit had upon her appearance was drastic, and for a moment Link didn't believe she was the same boyish bard who had followed him halfway across the world.
Link smirked. "You look...different," he teased, poking fun at the bard. "What a surprise, I had no idea you were a girl!"
Kin blushed fiercely and gave him a scathing glare. "Oh, shove off. I hate these clothes, but I was informed that I had to be agreeable," she said the word with unexpected malice, "if we were to be welcomed into the village." She snickered. "At least I have clothes."
Link was suddenly made aware that he was in his smallclothes beneath the blankets. His tunic was nowhere to be seen. It was his turn to blush.
"Well played," he muttered. A moment passed. "What happened?" Questions bubbled on Link's tongue, though he thought he could guess the answers.
"You didn't wake up," Kin replied. There was a thinly veiled sadness in her voice. "The wound in your leg was infected. I rowed us the rest of the way to the island. You've been asleep for nearly three days." She was silent for a moment. "Why didn't you say anything on the boat? It must have been at least painful enough for you to realize what was happening."
Link shrugged. A full minute passed in silence. Kin seemed to study Link, her eyebrows furrowed.
"What?" Link finally asked.
"You almost died, Link." Her use of his name unsettled him. "How can you just shrug that off?"
Link didn't mean to laugh, but a snide chuckle escaped nevertheless. "Death comes to us all. It is neither kind nor escapable." He looked into Kin's eyes and saw that he was upsetting her. He calmed his voice. "Look at the life I lead. My fate is not, I think, to pass away of old age. At some point I had to either make peace with that, or go mad. Besides," the corners of his eyes drooped, "my family waits for me in that darkness, and it would be dishonest to say I do not ache to see them again."
Kin's hand slipped beneath the heavy blankets and found his. For some time they remained like that. "Life is not meant to be lived alone, Swordsman. Do not too easily forfeit hope for a kinder future."
There was a sharp rap at the door. Kin's hand instantly disappeared from where it had been holding his.
A rather large man entered the room. He didn't seem surprised to see Link awake. Or perhaps he just didn't care.
"Supper is being set. We have prepared an extra portion for you, Swordsman, if you are capable of coming to the table."
Navi took flight as Link struggled to prop himself up on his elbows, noting both the formal manner in which the man was dressed and the large amulet around his neck.
The man grunted and left without once looking at Kin.
"He's mean!" Navi said, fluttering around Link's head.
"Our host?" Link asked.
Kin nodded. "The chieftain of the village – Bruchis. He's..." she trailed off.
"He's what?" Link prompted.
Kin shook her head. "Unpleasant," she finished. Link got the feeling that hadn't been what she had been about to say. Something was itching at the back of his mind – something that Kin had said earlier – but he couldn't put his finger on it.
"I'm hungry!" Navi squealed, breaking the silence.
"You eat?" Kin asked, confused. "How? I mean, why? I thought–"
Link elbowed her in the ribs, cutting her off. "Goddesses Kin, you can't just ask how somebody eats," he whispered with mock severity, bringing a look of chastened horror to Kin's face.
"Oh! I'm so sorry Navi! I didn't—"
Link broke out in laughter, rolling over on the bed as his side began to hurt. On the other side of the bed, Navi broke into a fit of high-pitched giggles. He was still chuckling as Kin punched him in the gut.
Coughing, he wiped tears of mirth away from his eyes. "Come on, help me up. I'd like to meet our host."
Kin turned around as Link painfully dressed himself in the brown trousers and shirt that had been left for him. His entire leg was bandaged up, and he could barely hobble to the dining room, even with Kin all but carrying him.
The house was not very large; Link spied three other doors as he slowly made his way to the large dining area. It seemed that the rear half of the house was carved into the ground, and the front half, which was covered in tightly sewn animal skins, was used for meals and small meetings. In the center of the space, a rather small woman was bent over a cooking hearth, stirring a pot of stew. The smell set his mouth drooling, and Link brought his hands to his stomach, suddenly aware that he hadn't eaten in almost a week.
With excruciating patience, he allowed Kin to guide him to the curved table that surrounded the hearth. At the table were already seated a young girl who looked to be in her mid-teens and Bruchis. Something about the teenage girl seemed familiar, but Link couldn't imagine how. His stomach growled.
"I still don't know the entire story of what happened," Link said, drawing three pairs of cold eyes. "But it seems as though I owe you and your family thanks for sheltering us." He addressed himself to Bruchis, though the man's scowl seemed to draw deeper with every word.
"I would not allow you to inconvenience any others within the village. You will remain here only until you are in fit health to travel," Bruchis replied curtly.
Link nodded gracefully, unsure as to how he had earned the man's enmity. "Of course. On my word, we will trouble you no longer than is necessary. Already, we are indebted to you." Link frowned at the chieftain's sour look. Likely, they would need his help to leave the island. "Perhaps, if she is amicable, Kin might entertain you with a song after supper?" Link ventured, hoping to earn some good will. Kin shot him an alarmed look, but he continued anyway. "I'm afraid I cannot offer much service until my leg is healed, but it would do us ill to not repay your kindness is some small—"
"No!" If anything, Bruchis seemed poised at the edge of fury. At the hearth, the woman had stopped stirring; her hand was trembling. Across the table, the girl glared at the floor with a look of pure hatred. Link fell silent. Clearly something had happened to skew the situation, and he had gone and put his foot in his mouth.
Next to him, Kin's head was drooped to her chest. He reached over and squeezed her hand apologetically.
The rest of the meal was mostly silent, though delicious. Link struggled to not ask for a third bowl until everyone else had finished their second. Through it all, Link searched in vain for any clue as to why they were being received with such hostility. Nothing came to mind. Seated next to him, Kin seemed...morose. It was odd, but that seemed to upset him more than anything else.
After what seemed like an hour, dinner concluded. The woman, whom Link had come to identify as Bruchis' wife, began to package the remaining soup into small skins. Kin helped Link rise unsteadily to his feet.
"Thank you for the delicious meal," Link said, bowing once more before being quickly herded away by Kin. She tried guiding him back to his room, but he stubbornly turned her toward the entrance to the hut. "I want some fresh air," he insisted, earning a frown. "And to see where we are."
Begrudgingly, she helped him push aside the sheet that served as a door and step outside.
A cool breeze brushed across Link's cheeks, and he inhaled deeply, drawing as much of the salty sea air as he could into his lungs. Before him was a wide grassy plain that ran a hundred feet slanted downhill until it hit the ocean. Dotted around the field he saw dozens of other huts half buried into the rocky terrain that enclosed the green flatland. Pigs and sheep ran uncaged through the fields, and around many of the houses he spied small gardens of vegetables and plots of wheat. Here and there people scurried to and fro. It seemed everyone was dressed in clothing similar to what Kin was wearing.
Turning around, he was surprised to see a great mountain rearing up behind him. A feeling of familiarity washed over him, and in his mind he could nearly see a narrow stream of fire shoot into the sky. The sensation quickly passed, but the image remained.
Slowly, Kin led him over to a bench that sat against the house.
"What was all that about in there?" Link asked as he sat down. His leg throbbed painfully. "Did something happen?"
Kin hesitated for a moment, then shook her head.
There's something she isn't telling me, Link thought to himself. He almost pressed her, but decided against it. I can wait for now. "I don't know anything about this rock," Link continued, changing the subject. "Will we be able to barter for passage on a ship?"
Kin shook her head again. "Few trade ships come through here; we could wait for months and not see anything, especially with how dangerous the Great Sea has become recently."
"How about the local ships? Are there any people here friendly to the crown that might lend us a boat?"
Kin only thought for a moment before answering, "There are a few larger fishing boats that might be big enough for what we need, but no one here will sell them to us." She thumbed back through the entryway. "He might give us a ship just to see us gone, but I can't be sure. He was always unpredictable."
Link blinked as a piece of the puzzle clicked into place. He glanced sideways at Kin, but didn't say anything. Her shoulders drooped, yet there was a fire in her eyes.
"Come on, Swordsman; you need your rest."
Link grudgingly let Kin support him back to his bed. When she pulled out a rolled up mattress from the chest in the corner, he argued that she take the bed and he sleep on the floor, but she quickly stifled his protests with a few choice words and a throaty growl.
That was how he found himself falling asleep on a feather mattress, listening to the sounds of his friend's slow breathing and watching Navi's soft light dance around the room.
Link didn't wake until midday, though the pale light of the room never changed. Groggily, he pushed himself up on his elbows. Kin was gone and the mattress had been stored back in the chest. It seemed as though Navi had left with Kin as well. He was alone. For the first time in months, he was alone.
He sighed. Once upon a time, he would have cherished the solitude, but now he just felt lonely without the feeling of his little fairy in his hair. It was an odd sensation, Link thought, knowing that who he was – even his personality – was changing. I wonder who I'll be by the time this is all over.
Slowly, he worked his legs over the side of the bed. Already he felt stronger, and his leg seemed to throb less. Standing up took a bit longer, but he felt steady on his feet. He tried to walk, and found that if he moved slowly, he could manage on his own.
Before he could think to head outside, however, the door burst open. "No, no, no. Come now boy, get back to bed and let's see that leg of yours," the man said in a maelstrom, nearly throwing Link back onto his blankets. The man was dressed in a long pale robe, and a pale red cloak wrapped around his shoulders. He looked to be quite old, though Link could see the energy that still burned beneath the surface. "My name is Pashli. You can thank me for keeping you alive by not fidgeting so much," he continued without pause, fingers dexterously unwrapping the bandages around Link's leg.
Link tried to keep still, but as his leg was exposed to the open air, it begun to itch terribly. "Thank you, Healer Pashli," Link said, remembering how Kin had referred to him the day before.
The man waved his words aside. "My wife berates me for uselessness. If she had not swatted at me with the broom I likely would have ignored you altogether."
Link chuckled; he could hear the lie beneath the old healer's words. Looking down, he saw his leg was still flushed and swollen, though it seemed the gunshot wound had been sewn together masterfully.
Pashli must have seen the distress in his eyes. "Worry not, young swordsman. You will be fit again to travel within the week. Truth be told, you could likely travel sooner, though I would not reveal that to the chieftain."
Link frowned in thought. "Do you know of any way I might deliver a message to Castle Town? Messenger pigeons or—"
The healer shook his head. "We are, by choice, a secluded tribe. We have little interaction with the outside world." He eyed Link curiously, then sighed. "You have the look of destiny about you. I do not know if you are truly the Hero of Time, as Kin claims, but I fear for what your presence may bring to this island."
"I mean no harm to the—"
"I believe you," Pashli interrupted, raising his hands defensively. "Yet you cannot control the destiny that swirls around you. That is one part, I think, of why Bruchis wishes you sped on your way. The other..." the old man trailed off, eyes hidden behind his white hair.
Link opened his mouth, but before he could press the healer for more, Kin entered through the open doorway.
"You're finally up, swordsman? I thought—" Kin's voice cut off as soon as she noticed Healer Pashli. Link watched in fascination as, flushing, Kin averted her eyes and stepped to the side of the room without saying another word. The old healer's eyes seemed sad as he stood and brushed off his robe.
"The bandages do not need to be reapplied," Pashli told Link as he started toward the door. "Call for me if something unexpected occurs, but I will leave you to heal on your own for now." Pashli lay a wrinkled hand softly upon Kin's shoulder for a moment, then turned and left the room, pulling the door closed behind him.
Link itched his leg furiously in the silence that followed. Vainly trying to piece together the rest of the puzzle that surrounded him.
"How are you feeling?" Kin asked, finally pulling her mind away from whatever thoughts had so distracted her.
"Better!" Link replied honestly, pushing himself to his feet once more. "Though I've had enough of sitting around. Care for a walk?"
Kin eyed him skeptically. Link tried his best not to wobble. Finally, she sighed. "Fine, but I refuse to carry you around like I'm some sort of pack animal."
Link laughed. "Until we find you a saddle, I think my feet should do well enough. Where's Navi?" Link asked, curiously.
"Here!" the little sprite said, bouncing out from beneath Kin's hair. "The crazy bard took me to find some butterflies!"
Kin grinned. "There are some more fields if you follow the beach south a ways. Would you like to see?"
"I would, but not yet," Link replied, grinning at the thought of Navi chasing butterflies around a field. "For now, let's just wander the town; I'm not sure I'm up for a long hike."
The sunlight felt good on Link's face as they left the house. For a while, they walked the cobble paths that circled the field and enjoyed each other's company, but Link couldn't help but notice that each of the villagers they passed would look away when they walked by.
Bruchis was waiting for them as they returned to the house. As they approached, Kin silently fell in behind Link. Oddly, it made him feel like her shield, and even more oddly, he didn't mind the sensation.
"It seems that you are healing well," Bruchis said, blocking the door. "Pashli says you should rest for yet another week, but I disagree. You will leave tomorrow."
Link frowned. He could feel Kin stiffen behind him. "That is your decision, and I thank you for your hospitality." He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts, then continued. "I'm afraid we will need to make use of one of your boats, though I assure you that the castle will reimburse you for the vessel as soon as we can return to the mainland."
"No," Bruchis said forcefully. "I would not give you a ship, even if I trusted your word."
"Then how do you expect us to leave?" Link asked, trying to keep the frustration from his voice.
"That is your issue, not mine or my people's," Bruchis said with a sneer. "Perhaps one of the fishermen can put you to use." His gaze slid over Kin. "Though I doubt it."
Link's clenched his fist. I suppose there's only—
"That's not fair!" Kin's sharp voice drew Link out of his thought. He glanced at her over his shoulder, surprised to see fire in her eyes; since coming to the island, she had seemed almost...meek. "The princess is in danger! Your princess is in danger, and you are too stubborn to see further your own little world!" Kin's voice had risen to a yell. She stepped out from behind Link, planting herself firmly between him and Bruchis. "If we fail, you will not be safe here! You damn our people by your own pigheadedness!"
Link barely saw the fury in Bruchis' eyes. The world became sharp. Quicker than most eyes could follow, he flew forward, only just catching Bruchis' fist as it swung for Kin's face. Ignoring the pain in his leg, he skillfully twisted the chieftain's arm, forcing the man to the ground. Above him, Kin gasped. Tears began to form at the corners of her eyes. Tears of fright and, surprisingly, horror.
"You bitch!" Bruchis spat into the dirt, eyes bulging outward in frenzied rage. "How dare you speak to me! How dare you return to this village!"
Angry voices were starting to appear as all around villagers began to notice the commotion. They were drawing a crowd. Cautiously, Link released Bruchis and stepped away, careful to keep himself in front of Kin.
Bruchis' wife appeared out of the house, screaming obscenities as Link as she ran forward to help pull Bruchis from the ground. In the shadow of the door, Link could see the girl from dinner the night before, her eyes full of malice.
More and more townsfolk were beginning to appear. Link slowly backed Kin and himself away. The situation had escalated dangerously, and by the look of it, no few of the villagers were ready for violence.
"Father..." Kin pleaded. Link blinked in shock as more pieces of the puzzle clicked into place.
"You are not my daughter!" Bruchis screamed. "Not my daughter!" Quivering in rage, the chieftain appeared to Link like a rabid animal, frothing at the mouth. The man growled something unintelligible to his wife, who disappeared into the house.
"You are leaving tonight, and you will never return to this place," Bruchis hissed through clenched teeth. "If you ever step foot on this land again, I will draw the noose around your throat myself."
There was a loud noise as, from the house, their belongings were unceremoniously thrown onto the lawn. Link cringed as Kin's harp bounced along the hard ground.
As quickly as he was able, Link collected their items, including, he was relieved to see, the master sword, and herded Kin away from the crowd. Navi, who had hovered above Link's head for most of the altercation, floated forward to guide the way.
They continued down the field to the beach, then followed the beach south until they came to a small grassy alcove. Nobody spoke as they walked. Link, his leg throbbing painfully from all the activity, let Kin settle her thoughts. He did, though, lay a comforting hand on her shoulder, unsure of what else he could do for her. Navi, for her part, glided over to rest on the top of the bard's head.
Link collapsed onto grass as they reached the alcove, tenderly minding his leg. Kin sat next to him. Out of the corner of his eye, Link could see the tears in her eyes.
With a shake, Kin mopped her cheeks dry and tried to put on a smile. "I guess we're camping tonight!" she said with a forced chuckle. "You shouldn't have walked so much on your leg. I'll go find us some firewood. Thankfully it's the warm season, since we don't have bedrolls or blankets. We should have stolen some food at least, I'm starving." She seemed to realize she was rambling and bit her tongue. Jumping to her feet a little too vivaciously, she nearly fell on her face. "Whoop! Alright, I'll be right back. Don't you be getting in any more trouble while I'm gone," she winked, then turned and disappeared down toward the beach. Link watched her go with sad eyes, knowing the pain she was trying to hide. He motioned his little fairy to follow the bard, a request to which Navi complied without hesitation.
They were gone for some time. Link had just begun to worry that something might have happened when they appeared again, strolling back up the beach with an armful of driftwood. He didn't ask what happened while they were gone – or what they had talked about – but Kin seemed almost back to her old self by the time they got a fire going and the sun began to set.
"How is your leg?" Kin asked as the crackling flames began leaping toward the twilight sky.
"I'll be fine," Link assured her. His leg did, in fact, feel better, though it still throbbed occasionally.
The sun fell below the horizon, and for a moment, it seemed like the entire ocean had burst into passionate golden flame. Beside him, Kin sighed.
"I grew up on this island," Kin spoke heavily into the silence. Link had guessed as much soon after coming to the island, but he didn't interrupt. "As the daughter of the chieftain, I was trained for a religious position from a young age. Since I can remember, I was taught how to act and how to speak. I was taught my letters and histories and, most importantly to me, music and storytelling." Kin smiled at a fond memory. "I fell in love with the craft of music – the movements of the melody, the feel of the harp on my fingers. My teachers encouraged my passions. They thought that I had finally warmed to the job I'd never wanted."
Kin absently ran a finger over the cool curves of her harp as it lay beside her. "But they didn't know that each step I took as a bard was a step away from what they wanted." She clenched her fist. "I never asked to be his attendant! I never wanted it!" Her eyes fell to the fire. "I...quit, I suppose you could say. I was only sixteen, but I knew that I couldn't continue on, or I would never escape from that path."
Navi floated over and bounced against the tip of Kin's nose. The bard giggled quietly, but the weight of her memories muffled her delight.
"My father didn't take it very well. He...well, you saw. He raged, said I was selfish and vain and that I no longer had any place within the village." A deep breath. "He exiled me. I was banned from speaking to anyone within the village, or to owning any land or selling any wares or providing services. I was treated like a lecher, shunned by even my friends." She glanced at Link. "You saw my younger sister, Shay, at supper yesterday. After all this happened, she took over my duties at the temple. We—we used to be so close, and now..." she trailed off sadly. "It was unbearable, being alone even among those I used to care for. So when the next trading ship came to port, I bartered for passage to the mainland. I've been wandering ever since."
The fire flashed in her eyes. "Over time, I came to realize how pathetic those old geezers were, performing for no one in their little temple. I vowed to compose an epic that would last a thousand years and show them, show my father, how wrong they had been to exile me." Kin's voice fell quiet. "And maybe, a little, I wanted to prove to myself that what I'd done was right."
Kin fell silent, her story finished.
"I know well the feeling of being forced to a path you did not choose," Link said after a moment. He hesitated, then continued, "It is not fair, and it is not right. You should be the master of your own destiny!" He could feel his voice become heated. With effort, he calmed himself. "But I believe it isn't what you cannot control, but the decisions you can make that define who you are." He caught Kin's gaze and held it. "You took charge of your fate in a way I never could. You know the cost of freedom, and that will make you great." Link looked down, suddenly conscious of how much he had opened up to the girl seated next to him. "And I—I look forward to hearing your epic."
They were both silent for a moment, then Kin broke into a fit of giggles. "Oh, swordsman!" she laughed. Link grunted as she lunged over and tackled him to the ground. Kin embraced him for a moment, then leapt to her feet. "I think when I recount this part of our adventures," she said dramatically, "I shall title it, 'The Oaf with a Heart of Gold.'"
"Hey now..." Link said with a huff.
"I like it!" Navi chimed in, bouncing around the fire.
"As do I," a voice called out from the darkness. Link dove for his sword. "Peace, children, I mean you no harm!" Pashli said, stepping into the light of the fire. "Goddesses if you aren't both as jumpy as a feastday cucco!" He said gruffly. "You," he said, gesturing to Link, "clearly have no regard for your own health. Now, sit yourself down before you ruin all I've done to keep you alive."
"What are you doing here?" Link asked, not quite dropping his guard.
"Ah, well you are still my patient, you see," Pashli said, suddenly uncomfortable. "And I won't have you waste all my hard work by dying of the cold." As he spoke, the healer swung down a large pack from his back and began to unload it onto the ground. There were several blankets, a poultice and dressings, and what looked like a week's worth of dried food.
Link watched the healer return the empty pack to his back with newfound respect. "You have my thanks yet again, Healer Pashli," he said. "It seems we are in your debt."
"Ah," the healer waved aside his gratitude. "My wife, you know. She threatened to starve me if I didn't deliver all this."
Next to him, Kin opened her mouth, then shut it again.
"Come now, girl," Pasli said to Kin. "I won't have any more foolishness from you than I will from him. If you have something to say then say it."
Kin grinned. "Thank you, Healer, but won't someone have seen you leave? I do not want you to be shunned for helping us."
Pashli laughed scornfully. "I do not think anyone saw me, but what if they did? They may not talk to me for a while, which would be a relief in several cases, let me tell you," he added with a wink. "But they'll all forget that foolishness and come running right back to bother me next time a sickness runs through the town."
Kin chuckled. "You were always a crazy old man!" she teased. "Truly, thank you."
Pashli grunted. "I too, wish to see the princess safe," he muttered.
As he turned away, Link burst out suddenly, "Forgive me, Healer, but have you ever heard of the Sands of Time?"
The old man shook his head. "I'm afraid not, boy." Pashli paused, then gave a meaningful look to Kin. "But...if what you seek is important enough, there may be one on the island who can help you. Ryū no yobidashi," he said, twisting his hand oddly around his heart. Then, with a grunt, the healer disappeared into the night.
"What do you mean?" Link called out, with no reply. "Dammit," he muttered, turning to Kin. "Do you know what he was talking about?"
The bard was silent, staring off after the old man with a quizzical look on her face. "I don't know," she finally said. "What he just said...it's a secret message only known by the priests. It's a call to the temple. Honestly, I can't even imagine how he knows of it."
"I don't remember any temples or priests in town," Link said, confused.
Kin shook her head. "It isn't in town. It's hidden near the top of the mountain, far away from the eyes of any visitors. I don't even know if most of the villagers could take you there."
"Okay," Link said, still confused. "So why did he do the call thingy?"
"I—does he want us to go to the temple?" Kin muttered to herself.
"Is there someone at the temple who could help us? One of the priests, maybe?" Link prompted.
"No, there isn't," Kin replied forcefully. "The priests took my departure as a personal affront. I heard that they even called for my execution rather than allow me to leave the island with temple secrets. There is no love between us."
"Then who?"
Kin was silent. "He couldn't—no, he couldn't mean..."
"He probably wants you to meet Valoo!" Navi sang out, still happily bouncing around the campfire.
Kin's head spun so quickly Link worried she would snap it. "How do you know that name?" the bard asked sharply, her eyes bulging out in surprise. In a moment, she was on her feet. "Navi, how do you know that name?!"
Navi continued to bounce around the fire, clearly not paying attention. "Valoo, Valoo, woohoo, achoo, Valoo," she sang. "He's warm, I can feel him!"
Link shook his head. "Valoo," he muttered. The image of fire bursting from the top of the mountain came unbidden to his mind. "Who is Valoo?"
Kin fell back to the ground. "He..." she began hesitantly. "I—well, I suppose you need to know," she said. "But you must understand, what I'm about to tell you is the most closely guided secret of our tribe – the very reason we exist, though most of us don't know it."
Link listened quietly.
"How do I even begin? This is a secret that has not been told to an outsider in over four hundred years, not since Impa Shadowhand led the royal army to our shores during the War of Agression." Kin glanced upward, gazing at the night sky for a while. Eventually, she pulled her harp onto her lap and begun to play. "Every person in our village, from the moment they can walk, are taught to hide the existence of the mountain temple. They do so, believing that it is a sacred part of our heritage that should be protected from outsiders." Kin shook her head. "They do not know what we really guard. In the depths of the mountain, we shelter a deity almost as old as time itself – a dragon by the name of Valoo."
Link realized his mouth had fallen open and worked to close it. "A dragon?" he stammered. "Like, an actual dragon? Goddesses!"
"He is old, and supposedly very wise, though I have never heard him speak. He sleeps for years at a time. I once read that in ages past he used to fly from island to island and use his magic to gift wings to those he found worthy." Kin's eyes sparkled. "To have wings! To fly! Can you imagine?"
Link's mind raced. "So you were being trained as..."
"As the next attendant to Valoo," Kin finished for him.
"Goddesses."
Kin grinned cheekily. "I don't know how Pashli learned of Valoo, but he's right. If anyone could help us unravel the mystery of the Sands of Time, Valoo could." The bard bit her lip, clearly deep in thought. "Fate has an odd sense of humor, I think."
"What do you mean?" Link asked.
"Just this: I believe I can sneak us in to see Valoo," Kin announced. "It's been years, but I still remember the layout of the temple. We should be able to avoid the guards no problem."
"You sure?"
"Positive," Kin assured him. "I can take you tomorrow, if your leg is healed."
Together, they watched the fire slowly die away as they ate some of the food Pashli had brought. Soon enough, only embers remained. As Link rolled out a blanket to sleep on, Kin took again to her harp. The music shifted as Kin fell into a chant.
"Three three and three,
Goddesses, Guardians, and heroes be.
Goddesses give life and heroes give strife,
but Guardians for our welfare seek.
Praise to the guardian of water
for he is the warden of the waves.
Praise to the guardian of earth
for he shelters life in the trees.
But more praise even still to the guardian of air
his realm is as wide as the world.
The protector of man.
The shield and lance of our race."
Kin finished, letting the chant fade into the crackling of the fire. Glancing over, she chuckled at the snoozing form of Link huddled under a blanket. With a sigh, she rolled out her own blanket and lay down.
As Kin fell asleep, she looked over at the swordsman, a soft expression on her face. "Goodnight, Link," she whispered to herself.
The young bard fell asleep with a smile on her lips.