Ilia woke up to the sound of someone shuffling around. It was then that she noticed that Colin wasn't in his makeshift bed. She saw him kicking some stones around by the door. Ilia sat up and wandered over to him.
"What's wrong?" she asked him.
"I heard something groan outside, but I'm too scared to go out!"
"Let me grab a lantern and I'll come out with you." Ilia grabbed a lantern off the table and dragged Colin with her through the door. The sight that greeted them shocked them into near silence.
A boy of Ilia's age was slumped against the outside wall, his hat covering his head. He wore a sword and shield over his shoulder, brown leather boots on his feet and a tan cowskin bag at his side. Colin gasped in shock. It took Ilia a minute to take it in and piece it together, but when she did, she nearly cried.
"Go inside and get someone, whoever. Get Bo or your dad. Just hurry!" she whispered. When he had left, she approached the body slowly, trying not to alarm the possibly sleeping body. As she got near, his hat fell off, revealing a face that she didn't recognise. His blonde bangs half covered his eyes. Such a piercing blue colour...
"What did you want?! It better be important for you to get me up at this time, madam, or there'll be trouble!" Bo hissed. Ilia stepped aside to reveal the boy. When Bo took this in, his face softened. "What's he doing here?"
"Who is he?" Ilia asked. Bo froze.
"You don't know?" Ilia shook her head. "You really don't remember him?"
"I get the feeling that I know him, but I don't know where from, or who he is," she explained. Bo was about to reply when Rusl and Colin came outside. The surprise on Rusl's face reflected Bo's. The two men lifted the unconscious body and carried him inside.
By now, the whole village was awake, including Telma and Renado. "You weren't joking," Telma whispered to Colin as they passed. The body was placed on the table, and hushed voices filled the room.
"Will someone please tell me who he is?" Ilia cried in exasperation. Everyone looked at her. Bo sighed.
"That boy, that is Link," he sighed. Ilia froze. Why hadn't she recognised one of the people that filled up most of her memories? This was just getting more and more confusing, she thought. This boy was supposedly her best childhood friend. And she could remember the man who had escorted them, but he looked nothing like that.
Bo understood her blank face. "Don't you remember him?" he asked.
Just as Ilia was about to reply, Link's motionless form groaned, and all attention turned to him.