8. No Rest for the Wicked... or Was it Weary?
So I guess long update times are just gonna be kinda standard ^^; sorry about that. Also wanna give a special shout out to CNelson117 for reviewing and providing input, you rock man.
When Link's eyes opened next his vision was blurry however he knew where he was but still had no idea where 'it' was. The scent of burnt wood hung on the air somewhere between a fireplace and a scorched forest. The feel of something warm and soft laid beneath his head while he felt fingers brushing through his hair and warmth radiated from every instance of contact. Link's hearing came through next as the sound of a woman's hum filled the air, a steady tune with one note as a base that alternated with a few lower notes then a string of higher notes and rocking back and forth, the closest he could describe it would be a lullaby played with a drum.
Finally, the blonde's vision cleared and he saw the flame kissed woman from his dream before leaning over him and running her fingers through his hair while he rested. Her red painted lips spread into a smile when her crimson eyes met is blue and she touched a finger to his lips. "Wisdom is searching but she is blind."
The words were cryptic to say the least but before he could say anything the woman leaned down to kiss him. The act made his eyes widen and time seemed frozen for that moment. He could see her flawless gold skin, ruby red hair, gold paint over her eyelids. Although her image was extremely enchanting he saw that the forest that had once surrounded the clearing was charred black and the sky above was black and gray from the smoke that had blotted out the heavens.
Then she, like the fire, devoured his breath...
~X~
Once more, Link's eyes shot open as his body shot up sitting upright while he sucked in a breath to fill his lungs again. However, that sudden action made Link cry out in pain and his hand shot over grabbing his left side where he felt bandages wrapped around his torso covering a particularly sensitive wound that under normal circumstances would've torn open again.
"Wha?... What the hell happened?..." The blonde's breath came in ragged bouts between the ache of his body, the pain of his wound, and the over all fatigue of his body. Though his reverie was at an end the moment Rodana came running through the door with a worried look painted across her features. That look made him feel so much; guilt, worry, sorrow, he knew that look from his mother.
"Link what is it? What hurts?" Her voice came out with a tremble as she reached his side but they were tempered by a steady tone as she touched his side studying the wound before her brown eyes met his blue. That quiet resolve silenced him as he stared into her eyes until a faint blush colored the girl's olive skin. "Link?..."
"Oh s-sorry... I... I guess I just say up too quick... Sorry to worry you..." Link said quietly before looking down at his side. Rodana nodded slightly while slowly releasing a breath she had been holding looking down at it as well. "I can't remember what happened."
"You saved us..." The words slipped out with a smile while Rodana brushed her dark hair behind her ear and gently moved Link's heand away from the wound her tender touch grazing over the area making Link wince faintly but only enough that he would notice it.
"When that man came out screaming I ran for my grandfather... He has looked over Kakariko for so long I thought he would know what was going on. When we came out and the man told him a youth clad in green had gone into the gorge my grandfather seemed to calm down and we gathered our herbs just as the young boy you saved ran into the village calling for help. After he told grandfather everything he coordinated everyone and they went into the gorge to save the others..." Rodana's voice trailed off as the memories danced behind her eyes. "After everyone had been safely checked on grandfather took supplies with him and sat beside the spring outside. I didn't understand what he was doing and almost ran into the gorge but... the spring erupted with light and when it was gone you were floating there... You were badly poisoned, a piece of something was lodged in your side and we weren't sure if you were going to make it."
As she told the story bits came back to him, saving the boy, fighting the arachnid, coming back to find the people gone, and seeing the wound he had suffered. Reflexively Link reached toward the wound again touching her hand although the hylain's gaze moved to the table at his side where a metal tray sat with medical supplies including gauze, alcohol, thread, needle, and the gold fragment of Scorgoh's stinger. Link's gaze narrowed in a faint glare and his hand tightened slightly causing a soft gasp from the girl beside him which drew his gaze back to her. Rodana's face was blushing again and looking down, confused Link followed her line of sight to see that he was holding her hand, firm but not harmful.
"Oh sorry." The blonde said quickly letting go with a nervous smile, while she didn't say anything Rodana simply smiled and nodded her head as her hand returned to her lap. While the moment was cute and innocent a sudden deep cough shattered it turning both youth's attention to the door where a tall man stood with similar olive skin and long alabaster hair stood.
"Now I'm not one to intrude on young love but I don't believe our young hero here is up to any sort of rigorous activity." The older man chided nonchalantly which instantly turned Rodana beet red and made her stand bolt upright.
"I-It isn't anyt-thing l-like th-that!" The girl sputtered as her blush even reached her ears which made the older man smile big obviously just teasing her.
"Now now no need to get flustered, it's not everyday we get a hero in these parts, who wouldn't try to snatch him up?" The man continued while striding along the room and guiding Rodana to the side so he could sit in a small chair beside the desk and bed.
"for Hylia's sake, can't you act like a normal grandfather?" Rodana chastised him not giving him an answer to his teasing. It seemed that Link's suspicion was confirmed as she addressed her grandfather though their relationship was somewhat abnormal.
"Hm... I could, but no, it's no fun, now leave so I can check on Link now that he has woken up." The man ushered tapped the back of his hand against her arm which earned him a glare from the girl as she spun on her heel and exited the room making the man smile and shake his head. "So easy to mess with, so innocent."
Link watched the man as he went over the tools at his side briefly before leaning over Link, the action made him freeze but he relaxed once he felt and heard the gauze being unwrapped from his torso. After a few more moments Link's torso was be exposed with a patch over the tender area while faint lines spread out form it reminding him of the dark lines that had been there in his memory. With a gentle but firm touch the elderly man slowly peeled the patch from the hylian's skin causing him to wince while the wound was exposed. The faint lines lead to what looked like a stitched spiral pattern where the wound had been closed after the fragment had been taken out from what Link could tell.
"Hm... healing well enough, the bruising is gone and your blood just needs to flush your veins then they'll look normal again. How do you feel?" The man asked as his eyes met Link's, they held a certain spark, like they had seen so much that Link couldn't fathom his experiences.
"I... I feel alright just really sore." The blonde answered looking down at the wound again. "Nothing else really out of place."
"That's good, nothing strange means the poison has been cured, just hard to tell without any feedback from the victim." The man said with a light smile before turning to pick up the gold shard and hold it out to Link. "Scorgoh got you good but considering you walked away, you probably did better."
"Wait you know it's name?" Link asked remembering that the arachnid had said it had been trapped for ages.
"Of course, I've known it's legend since I was a boy but as long as he was trapped I never saw any reason to worry the people who live here, why worry generations of children about a possibility they may never see?" the man said and while Link understood he still felt something could have been done to make it safer. "That gorge had only opened a few days ago and I had forbidden anyone from working the fields or going into it. However, people are won't to give up their livelihood and went regardless."
"Guess it was a good thing I came through when I did, no one else was hurt right?" The blonde asked while relaxing against the headboard.
"That is correct on both counts, Though I had a feeling if anything went wrong you'd find your way here Link." The old man responded with a knowing smile that Link wouldn't see as he dabbed a cloth in alcohol before dabbing it against the wound making him hiss slightly. "I suppose you wouldn't recall but my name is Renado and I knew you long ago, or more accurately another you."
"Wait what? What are you talking about?" Link's shot to the man confused as he cleaned his wound before applying another patch of gauze and leaving it be.
"I have been around a long time, I say it's because of a good diet and exercise, and I've experienced many things. Including the time of the Hero of Twilight, Ordona's Champion." While Link had no concrete reason to believe him it was what the old man had called the hero, Ordona was the name of the spirit which protected Ordon, and wasn't the name of the province itself.
"You know about Ordona, guess that's enough reason to listen..." Link said quietly trying to understand that he was the descendant of some hero. "What did you mean when you said I'd find my way here?"
"Well to put it simply, you have always ended up in the right place when people were in trouble and when I heard that young man say a youth clad in green ran in to face the danger I knew it couldn't be anyone other than you." The man responded in kind before handing him the gold fragment.
"But I'm no hero... I'm not fearless or unstoppable... I almost died down there if it hadn't been for you, Rodana, and... I'm guessing the spirit which resides in this province, Eldin?" Link responded without meeting his gaze but accepting the stinger shard.
"Ah so she told you before I got here, yes Eldin brought you to the spring after you had passed out it seems. Also two quotes spring to mind when you said those words," Renado spoke as he stood up and moved over to a dresser that sat beside the desk and began to pull out Link's clothing and his bag. "Bravery isn't acting without fear, bravery is acting despite your fear, and you don't need a reason to help someone."
The words echoed in Link and he touched his chest feeling as if a cord had been struck within him. He had never felt like a hero, he had never had the drive to go join the royal army or fight for them. So why was it now that he was out traveling, searching for a way to find his brother that he was willingly diving into danger to help people he didn't know. As those thoughts raced across his mind Renado stood next to him and placed his hand on Link's shoulder.
"You're young and while I may say you don't need to run head first into your destiny, it seems destiny has it's way of finding you, so be careful and don't forget that fear keeps you moving and alive." The man's words sank into the blonde as he stared at his lap, even the thought that he could be related in any way to a hero of the past just seemed wrong but it seemed fate would tell. After a quiet moment Link nodded before moving the blankets aside.
"Got it... Thank you Renado." The words felt like an echo as they left his lips and the older man smiled quietly before setting a red potion in his hand. Link stared it briefly before looking up at him and Renado nodded as he began to make his way toward the door.
"An empty bottle rolled out of your bag while you were unconscious, I thought it best to give you something to help you along." The medicine man said in good faith before leaving the room so that Link had privacy to get dressed although that thought instantly made his eyes narrow.
"Why do I keep ending up in situations where I'm shirtless around older men..." Link muttered under his breath to himself knowing better than to ever let his brother know that this thing had happened twice now. Silently Link drank the red potion tasting berry in the more watery elixir compared to the blue one, he flet like he had more energy but his pain hadn't completely subsided.
"At least Rodana was around this time, she's cute..." Link spoke quietly while pulling his pants on leaning back against the dresser for support while the moment they shared hung in his mind. After a faint blush had formed on the hylian's face he let out a sigh and grabbed his shirt and tunic then pulled them on over his head before a thought occurred to him and he reached down to touch his side where there should be a hole but there was nothing but the faintest line of stitching. The thought of Rodana fixing it for him brought a light feeling to his heart but that was for later, he was keenly aware that his chain-mail was missing.
Knowing that one or both of them had... tended to him while he was out Link grabbed his bag and hat before he made his way over to the door to go ask Renado or Rodana where it was. As he turned the handle and stepped out into the hall way he saw multiple doors on the same side of the hall as his spanning the length of the hall reminding him of an inn. That thought was then reinforced as he heard people talking downstairs along with the faint thunks of mugs hitting wood, guess that explained why the bed was so nice.
As he made his way down the hall he could see that one side was mostly open with a rail before continuing further with more doors like the side he was on. As he reached the rail Link could see what he thought looked like a bar and a lobby which wasn't surprising it was just kind of large for an inn. Although from the rail Link saw Renado go into a room opposite of the desk which he assumed was his area of the building. Link took the steps slow not sure of his coordination though he didn't fall his body still felt sore as the downward motion sparked small jolts of pain. After reaching the floor Link glanced around seeing people eating around the bar area a few with bandages but none looking any worse for wear than he did. A faint smile cracked across his face before he turned to duck into Renado's room not wanting to bring attention to himself while a small bell rang atop the door.
"Hello welcome to The Apothecary how can I- oh, out of bed already?" Renado began his greeting after he heard the bell but transitioned as he saw link in front of him clad in green. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised."
"Yeah I wanted to ask around town about something, also I noticed my chain-mail wasn't with the rest of my things." Link said evenly not trying to sound accusing even if the question came off that way.
"Ah yes, it was damaged like your clothes were, I had sent it with a Goron friend of mine, he does exquisite metal work and should have it back here by the end of the day." The elderly man responded with a smile, Link appreciated it even if he was without his gear and smiled back nodding.
"Ah right guess it was damaged too... Thank you I hadn't thought of getting it fixed." Link replied while rubbing the back of his head a bit embarrassed by the kind gesture although Renado didn't seem to mind in the slightest.
"What do you plan to do next?" The elder man inquired while leaning back against his counter.
"I'm probably heading to Solvale next, I need to get to Castle Town and I heard that someone there can get me past the blockade." Link said quietly tired from just thinking about the journey. "Um is Rodana around? I wanted to thank her first."
"Ah, Magus, yes he can probably get you in but you'll have to do something for him. He is a very quid-pro-quo sort of person." Renado mused quietly before glancing out toward the town beyond his glass window. "Well it seems she stormed out while I was checking on you so she probably went to see Baris at the emporium, careful with your wound."
Link bowed his head with a quick word of thanks before Renado got back to his herbs and mixtures and then proceeded to make his way out still keeping his head low so he didn't draw attention from the patrons. As he slipped out of the front door his gaze carried along the street as he got his bearings slowly recognizing where he was from Rodana's tour earlier. As he made his way down the road toward the emporium he saw that the usual street life was active with people ducking in and out of shops along the way. Something about everyone just going right back to their normal lives after a crisis both bothered and amused Link, bothered by their indifference but amused that they bounced back.
A few stores seemed normal enough, clothing, ironworks, jewelry, it seemed like they had a shop for anything someone could want although none of them particularly interested him. Until he saw a small shop at the end of a short road off the main street, the road had few people on it and they didn't seem too interested in the building. Thinking it was strange, Link turned down the road following it to the shop until he could make out the sign over the door.
"'Curios and Curioser'? Well I appreciate the pun." Link mused seeing the sign was imprinted with gold with purple swirls spanning out from it. The front of the store was rather unassuming with a simple wooden door, clay walls, and purple diamond shaped windows. With a shrug he opened the door stepping inside the dimly lit store.
"Ah welcome welcome how may I help you sir?" A voice reached him from his right where a counter stood built into the front wall of the shop. Link almost jumped as he saw a man with a wide grin black hair and very tan skin.
"H-hi I'm just look-" Link began but was quickly cut off by the shop keep.
"Look at this! Yes! Heh, heh. Combination hookah and coffee maker, also makes julienne fries. Will not break!" The man said quickly grabbing a golden object from the shelf behind him that had a long shaft, a wide spherical base, and a tube as he began to tap it against the counter.
"Will not-" The merchant was then silenced as the spherical part came loos bouncing on the table once before falling behind the counter. "It broke..."
"It's fine really I just wanted to see what your shop is like." Link responded quickly so he could get a word in before the shopkeep continued on again.
"Oh well I stock unique items though there isn't much of a market for it, go ahead and look to your heart's content." The man informed Link matter-of-factly before bending down to throw away the object he had leaving Link to wander the store. Each item he saw had a small tag beside it with a description though most were non-sensical.
On the wall opposite the counter an ornate mirror hand with an off-blue stone making up its composition. Link gently lifted the mirror from the wall turning it over to see the back which was decorated with rings and wavy fire like patterns between each ring. On the tag beside its placement it read: 'The mirror of a Goddess. One of five.' While it was impressive Link couldn't imagine something so ordinary belonging to a god so he returned it to its place.
Next in the middle of a display set along the center of the room Link found a small red and white ball with only a black strip dividing the two halves and encircling a small white circle at the front of the sphere. It felt rather light and almost hollow in his grasp as he turned it over and set it down before reading this item's tag: 'used to hold monsters. Caution advised.' Link couldn't begin to fathom how a monster could fit within such a small ball so he shook his head and moved further down the shelf.
Near the edge was what looked like a scarf folded over, it had a simple rectangular pattern ending in a tassel while being solid white. It felt warm to the touch and smooth but not like any material he had ever felt before. As he set it back the tag read: 'Dragon scale scarf. Beware of pink fire breathing monsters.' Link couldn't help but crack a grin at the absurd line before moving along.
On the back wall a massive weapon caught his attention and Link stood staring at it for a minute. Half hanging from the wall and half propped against it the massive blade was thick with and edge running down one side which abruptly turned to create the top edge leading to the back of the blade, the handle seemed to be criss-crossed leather with a metal pommel while the guard had a gold design with swirls spanning he width of it. Although what confused Link were the two holes set just above the base of the blade in a vertical orientation, if he didn't know any better they were some way to hook the massive weapon onto the wielder rather than using a sheathe. The blade itself made him grin thinking of his brother wielding such an unusable thing like a toothpick. As Link leaned in he saw its tag on the wall beside it: '50,000 rupees? Not interested...' the price alone made Link take a step back before he agreed with it.
After that Link promptly turned on his heel heading back toward the door as it opened and two women entered. The first was roughly half a head shorter than himself and wore a simple off white robe with the hood up which was relatively common in these parts since they protected from the sun and dust on the winds, from what he could tell the girl had fair skin flawless features and locks of blonde hair bordering her face beneath the robe's hood. The second was roughly a head taller than her and a wore a similar robe in blue with red markings dipping in between the folds of fabric, the woman however had her hood down revealing a striking face with silver hair pulled back into a low pony tail. Along with her striking features she had three red dots under her left eye which Link couldn't tell if they were tattoos or some kind of paint.
Dumbfounded Link stood there as the shorter woman walked up to him with a smile before pulling down her hood, in the moment that she did Link was aware that the shopkeeper was tinkering in the back judging from the sounds coming from the curtain that was behind the counter. The young woman was beautiful in a very classical sense as Link saw her golden blonde hair and her perfect sapphire eyes looked into his own like a mirror.
"Excuse me, where are the books?" Her voice came out like silk while her pink lips moved as she spoke.
"U-Um right back here." Link answered after a moment as he collected his thoughts and he stepped back leading them to the back corner where he had scene a book display though none had really interested him. The young woman followed him until he reached the location where she slipped past him with a smile across her lips.
"No... It's not here." The young woman sighed while the older woman leaned back against the center display. The blonde woman's mirth drained and a pout sat on her lips before turning back to him and offering a small smile. "Is there any chance you'd be willing to help me find a book?"
"I don't actually work here actual-" Link began before the blonde cut him off.
"Oh no no, I knew that you don't look the type, no offense, I've been coming to Kakariko a few times in the past week looking for a specific book but no where seems to have it so I would like to commission your services." The woman explained while reaching out to hold Link's hand as her cheery demeanor returned.
"I... Maybe I can help, where is it supposed to be?" Link asked while a faint blush came over his face from being approached by such a beauty.
"PERFECT! It's supposedly up in Dragon's Keep it overlooks the crater of Death Mountain~" the blonde said happily while the older woman shook her head with a sigh.
"I'm sorry but unless you're Princess Zelda and can get me into Castle Town without any problem than it's not happening." Link responded before turning away from the hylian and began to make his way for the exit however a firm grip shot out and caught a hold of his wrist. As Link stopped he slowly looked back at the young woman who was hastily looking around the store before pulling him back.
"Shhh... As a matter of fact I am." She whispered and before Link could scoff and walk back out she pulled her robe aside showing her attire beneath. She was clad in white material that looked similar to silk with golden accents such as her belt. "This is Impa, my bodyguard."
"How do you do." The silver haired woman finally spoke, deep and powerful as expected from her stature while waving her hand in a dismissive hello leaving Link confused about why such people would Kakariko.
"Is the book really that important?" Link questioned looking between them both.
"Yes." "No." The women answered in unison causing Zelda to stare at Impa with a slight glare. "The book holds knowledge about my family line which I need in order to find something lost to me."
"So if I get you that book you'll take me to Castle Town?" Link asked so he could clarify the terms of the deal while looking to Impa who was just as dismissive, seeing no worth in the princess's desire for the book.
"That's right, it's a promise." Zelda said happily before leaning in to peck his cheek. Impa rolled her eyes and sighed while moving around to head back outside allowing Link to see a handle sticking out of her robe and over her shoulder.
"I-I-I You got it..." Link answered unused to attention from the fairer sex while Zelda giggled again and began to make her way out of the store with Link's hand in hers pulling him along.
"Hehe excellent!" She laughed seeming genuinely happy as they passed the shopkeep who silently watched them both ho out the door. Once the door closed he stood there for a moment and shrugged before lighting up the hookah to take a drag. Once outside the blonde woman stopped beside Impa who had been waiting for her charge although the momentum from being pulled swung Link forward slightly putting him in front of them towards the street.
"Then I'll get on that right away, will you be here in Kakariko?" Link asked still a bit stunned by meeting the princess. As he turned to head down the short road.
"Yes that's right we will be here waiting for you." Zelda replied with a big smile on her face. Link responded in kind with a smile while waving bye to her before running down the road to the main street.
However what Link didn't see was that innocent smile twist into a smirk that was followed by a haughty chuckle. "Fool, so easily manipulated."
As Link stepped out into the street he saw that business was still booming and took a moment to look up at the volcano he had just promised to climb. With a deep sigh he took his hat from his pocket and slip it on his head. "I can't believe what I just agreed to..."
"Hey hero!" A somewhat familiar, feminine, voice rang out from the opposite direction he was facing and as he turned a hand slipped past his neck and pulled him in filling his vision with blonde hair and tan skin. In that moment Link had no idea what was happening but he felt her warm lips on his and slowly kissed back leaning into the woman's embrace. The woman held the kiss for a long moment making Link's face red while she stole his first kiss. As the two slowly parted Link saw her come into focus and it was none other than Cindy with a large grin on her face. "You are of age right? Hehe"
"Cindy?.. Y-Yeah I am... What was that?" Link asked dumbfound by the beauty who had just liplocked him out of nowhere.
"Just a thank you for what you did for the town, take care of yourself." The woman responded with a playful wink stroking her cheek before moving along with the reigns to a large gold haired horse in her other hand.
Link stared after her for a few moments before he finally let out his breath and looking back to the mountain before heading towards it. "Stupid volcano..."