They wouldn't miss him.
They wouldn't miss him.
They wouldn't miss him.
He repeated the thought as he galloped down the path, pulling the Wolf Mask atop his head down across his face, hiding his red face and teary eyes. He'd push them away, so they wouldn't suffer, like he had.
Epona whinnied as Link guided her down the hill, barreling past the gate posts and the Mayor's house. He gave a grunt when he pulled back on the reins when they came to the small bridge crossing the creek flowing through the center of the village.
He gave barely a glance at the house he'd spent the past week at, tucked away in the corner of the valley the entire town sat in.
Link tugged the reins as Epona turned sharply and continued along the creek towards the village entrance, where he'd often retired to for silence.
He noticed, with great interest, the figure seated on a stump alongside the stream. It was a man, or what once was one. It's skeletal figure was protected by a bronze-colored armor, the chest piece in the shape of a hawk's face. The helmet reminded him of tales and pictures of the Samurai from the Far Lands.
It sat on the stump, facing up the path towards the village exit. It's head was low and it held it's sword out, with the tip resting in the ground, both hands sitting on the pommel. A shield sat propped up against it's leg as well.
"What an interesting set-piece." Link noted dryly, looking away in feigned disinterest.
His sapphire eyes flicked to the building just down the path from said entrance, a sign that defined it as the Village's store hung above the door. The owner, a portly woman with a child about three years old at her side, stood at the door, muttering and shaking her head to herself.
She seemed distressed and, while he could hardly care about other people's problems, having plenty of his own, he couldn't help but inquire about it. Call him a hero, but he'd just pass it off as being nice. It's what his parents would've wanted, anyway.
Across from her was a man with a slouch, gazing up a massive tree that dominated over the village itself. He held a bunch of rocks in his hand, spinning them around in his fingers absently.
Epona nearly reared up as he tugged on the reins, bringing her to a stop just beside them.
"Oh, hello." The woman greeted, sounding annoyed. "How're you, deary? Aren't you the boy who Rusl and Uli took in?"
He gave an affirmative nod, discreetly glancing about, hoping that Rusl wouldn't show up and stop him again. A slight grin spread on his lip, he honest-to-Farore wished the man luck, stopping a horse at full gallop sounded quite daunting.
The toddler at her side had a smattering of red hair on her head, fashioned into twin ponytails, similar to the other girl, at the back. She looked up at him a top his horse with a reverent awe shining in her eyes. Link mentally laughed at the thought, he must look like a Knight riding into battle.
"Did you stop to say hello?" The woman asked. "Why that's mighty kind of you, deary. My name's Sera and this is my little girl, Beth." Her expression became flat. "And that fool of a man is my husband, Hanch."
"Only a fool for tryin to get rid of that nest." Hanch replied, motioning to the tree. "Can't have one of those bees sting Fado in the morning. Or worse, Beth and any of the other kids."
Link looked up the tree Hanch referred to, noticing the house built into the base, as well the Bee nest at the top of a long string of vines. Not just any bee nest either, Hylian hornets.
"I'd reconsider if I were you." Link said, careful with his tone. "Those are Hylian Hornets, they protect their nest religiously and sting like the devil, heard they're related to Courser Bees."
Both looked surprised, either from his knowledge or him speaking. Given the few times he'd done the latter, it was never to either of them.
"You want my advice? Leave it be." He said, rolling his shoulders. "They won't bother anyone, especially up that high in the tree. Maybe a hawk or something, but that's about it."
Hanch blinked, then nodded, the rocks in his hands falling to the ground as he turned tail from his goal. Sera seemed a bit relieved, turning from her husband back to the boy atop his horse.
"Thank you, deary. Now he won't get himself stung to death." She said gratefully. "Pardon my curiosity, but what's your name?"
"Link." He nodded his head a bit, reaching up to adjust the mask on his face. "No problem at all."
"Well, it's a pleasure, Link." She smiled.
He returned it, happy that there were some people who weren't as nosy as the girl, or overbearing like Uli or Rusl. He really didn't mind the latter though, Uli reminded him of his mother.
"Say, that's a funny accent you have, where are you from?" Sera asked suddenly. "It's sounds northern."
"Uh...Yeah..." He replied, eyes widening in a panic. "I...Er...worked on a ranch for a little-"
"Oh, you mean Lon-Lon Ranch? In Hyrule Field, right?" She guessed correctly. "Are you a ranch hand? It would definitly explain your knowledge."
Ah, Damn. it. all.
Admittedly, that came out on accident. He'd rather nobody knew where he'd grown up, but apparently his attempts at hiding his accent were for naught if she was able to pick up on it so easy.
If they figured out that his home was long gone, burnt away until nothing was left but stone foundations and a couple of fences dotting the field it sat in, it wouldn't take long for them to spill the beans that a boy from that same ranch had passed through Ordon.
"For only a little bit." He replied quickly, scratching his head. "I'm...Uh, heading to Kakariko Village right now...my family lives there."
"Well, I wish you luck on that journey. Although, you're not really leaving without Rusl or someone to watch you? You're a bit young to be traveling that far."
"I'll be fine." He said gruffly, snapping the reins and trotting off.
"Hold on a minute, deary!"
Link huffed, reluctantly tugging on the reins and looking back. "Yes?"
"If you don't mind, can I ask you for a tiny favor if you're heading out?" She said, pinching her fingers close together. "I'd appreciate it."
His eyes could literally not roll any harder, they'd pop right out of his socket before they did. A long suffering sigh escaped from his lips before he graced her with a nod.
He was pleasantly surprised when she deposited a large sum of rupees into his palm. He gazed blankly, not quite registering the fact.
"Thank you kindly, deary. Now, I need you to travel down the road to Coro's house, you know who that is right?"
Link promptly shook his head.
"No? Okay, at the end of the province, just before you go out into Hyrule Field, there's a house that should be just before the gate. That's Coro's house. He sells Lanterns and Oil. We need to restock on both, but it's quite the order to carry on foot." She smiled. "But with that horse, it shouldn't be any bother."
"Yeah, no bother." Link murmured, pocketing the Rupees. "I'll see to it then."
He was about to snap the reins, but stopped and glanced over at the Skeletal Warrior seated not to far away. It was watching him with one beady, red eye. After a moment, the eye vanished and it dropped it's head once more.
Link gulped, slightly weirded out by that. He spurred Epona along, quickly galloping down the path.
He had always admired nature for it's beauty and the peace it brought. Growing up on a ranch, when not tending to the horses, cows, or the garden, he'd spent his time just lying in the grass and watching it flow. The bugs that lived there fascinated him and he'd even begun collecting them.
Little that mattered now, given that they'd probably been burnt along with his room, and house for that matter. Link sighed internally. His outlook was much too bleak and his way to cope was starting to frighten him.
His hand ran through the Faron Spring waters, a faint healing effect taking root in his bruises, scrapes, and scars. Soon, they had faded nearly all together, except for the bigger ones from when the ranch was attacked.
"Interesting creature, you hylian." A bulbous voice nagged him. "Disgusting too, especially cubs."
A snort of air escape his nose, one of agitation and anger. Kicking his feet in the water, he stepped out and pat Epona's mane. She gave a whiny in response as he mounted her again, turning about and heading through a small cave.
The road split ahead, one way blocked by a pad-locked gate, the other open. Obviously, he took the latter, although he did cast an curious glance at the closed off section.
Sure enough, he came upon an open area with a house on the right side, a gate leading to Hyrule Field just across the way.
The Gate was wide open too.
Link's heart leapt in his chest and he almost jumped at the chance, but eased himself back. It'd be wrong to just up and leave, with the woman's rupees no less.
With a great sigh, he brought Epona alongside the house. There, sitting on a stump next to a firepit that held a pot of bubbling, black soup, was a man with quite the interesting hair style.
"Does he..?" Link blinked in amazement. "He has birds in his hair, he has a Bird Nest in his hair."
The man, Coro if he remembered correctly, seemed to have dozed off, head drooping to show the display atop his head.
"Ahem." Link cleared his throat loudly, waking him with a jump.
"Wah! Huh..?" He looked around in fright, resting on the boy atop a horse just in front of him. "Oh, hey guy, er...kid!"
"...Coro, right?"
"Yes indeed." He leaned forward. "Say, that's quite the menacing mask, guy! It's got a glare like my older sister, very scary!"
"Thanks...I guess." Link fidgeted in the saddle. "I was asked to get a shipment of lanterns and oil for those lanterns."
"Oh! From the Ordonian right? Sera?" He frowned. "Say, are you an Ordonian? You don't look it, with those pointy ears and that accent."
"No, I came here via unfortunate circumstances." Link hummed. "Thinking about it, should've passed by this place when I came in. Guess you weren't out here."
"Probably wasn't if it was in the past week." Coro remarked, standing up and walking off to collect the order. "I was out visiting my sisters, just got back today."
Coro entered his house and returned after a few moments with a large box. He pulled it open, revealing a few rows of neatly organized bottles and Lanterns. Carefully, he sorted out a select amount of each, filling the former up with oil.
He put both in bags and, with Link's help, secured them onto Epona's saddlebags. Link deposited the rupees Sera gave him, before bidding the odd man farewell, trotting back the way he came.
"Take care, kid!" He called after him.
Link smiled inwardly at that.
Patting Epona's mane as they rounded the corner and began to go through the tunnel. Stepping out beside the spring, he was surprised to see Rusl sitting at the water's edge.
Link pulled alongside him, gazing down with a mixed expression hidden behind his mask.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" He asked, nodding to the spring.
"Wouldn't know really..." Link half-lied calmly. "I'm used to open fields."
"...Do you still seek them?" Rusl inquired quietly, stroking the stubble along his jawline. "Those fields you grew up roaming? Guiding cattle with your father and planting food with your mother, I would assume?"
"It'd be obvious." Link snorted, leaning forward in the saddle. "Thank you, for taking care of me. But there's no place for me here, never was."
"You're welcome. Colin seems to have taken a shine to you." Rusl glanced at him. "So, where will you go? Will you travel away? Roaming in search of adventure?"
"No." The boy shook his head.
"Then, why not stay?"
"Because, I don't want the Bulbins to come here too. What if they attack this village and burn it to the ground, just like my home?" He frowned. "And what if they kill all of you?"
"Bulbins aren't that smart, Link." Rusl sighed, standing up and brushing off his lap. "I doubt that they would hunt you down for the sole reason of no witnesses, that seems far too detrimental, and thought out, for their tastes."
"Maybe, maybe not." Link closed his eyes in thought. "I heard one speak, you know. That is unheard of, if I'm correct, so I think if they have the smarts to do so, they might as well hunt me down."
"A bulbin speaking, you say?" He crossed his arms, eyebrow raised. "You sure you weren't hallucinating? You were pretty beat up when you got here."
"Positive." Link nodded. "It even had a weird accent when it spoke. Poor grammar too. But it won't matter when I hunt it down."
Rusl stared for a moment. "Please don't tell me you're that naive."
"I'm not-"
"Yes." Rusl stopped him instantly. "Yes, you are. Even worse than Illia."
Link shrugged. "Fine, perhaps I am." He pointed a finger. "But my first plan still stands."
Rusl looked at him for the longest moment, sighing and shaking his head. "And what, pray tell, is that?"
"I want to find my mother. She's still alive, I know so. She escaped on another horse, headed up north." He said, flipping his mask up to show the determination in his eyes. "Tell me, will you stop me then? Is it too much that I want to look for her? To find her and see that she is safe? Is that too much to ask?"
Link leaned back in the saddle, eyes narrowed.
"...Well?"
Rusl looked up from the ground with a soft look on his face.
"...Not at all." He said, dropping his arms. "You should have just said something and I would've allowed it..." He smiled a bit "Tell you what, if you stay and help around a little, I'll even accompany you. It certainly would help your search."
Link glared for several moments, then gave a groan. "And what does that detail?"
"Nothing hard, of course." Rusl replied. "Just farm work, tending the ranch, and whatnot."
"But why?" Link inquired. "Why is putting me to work in your best interests right now?"
"Because, it'll help calm you. Your mood has been hard locked into stoicism these past couple of days and I plan on breaking it, so that you can at least see reason before you head back out."
He smiled again. "Besides, I can give you something to defend yourself with, a sword about your size."
"Really?" Link looked at his lap in contemplation, before giving a flat look. "Wait, you're...not gonna let me go otherwise, are you?"
"No." Came the equally flat reply.
"Of course not." Link blew a breath out between his lips, running a hand through his hair.
He couldn't help but grin though. Keeping his emotions hidden for this long seemed to be grating at his true personality, leaving him open to the occasional break. But, hopefully, some downtime outta help with that.
He really did need to talk to the girl.
"Fine." He sighed. "I'll spend some time here, but the moment we can depart, we go find my mother, got it?"
Rusl smirked. "Of course."
Wow, getting bossed around by a Nine-Year old and taking it in stride. Rusl knows how to deal with kids, especially the bossy ones.
TP!Link is mature for his age, given his background and up-bringing. Though, all Links seem to be very mature for their ages...well, most of the time.
Rusl notices this and treats him like an adult as well, but he never misses the chance to point out that Link is still a child and has the naivety of one.
All in all, it only gets more interesting from here.