Void blinked his eyes open against the light streaming in through the open window. He groaned and raised his arms to block his eyes. It had been a good three months since he'd been brought wounded to Ordon. Since then, he'd recovered fully and found a place in the village. He sighed and rolled over to see Link sleeping peacefully. The blonde was breathing deeply and evenly, something Void had found he'd latched onto in the days following his encounter with the Hero in the village.
With a groan, Void stood up and padded across the lowest floor of Link's house. He dressed quickly before the Hero woke and pulled his black hair back into a short pony tail, most of it falling free to hang in his face. He heard Link stirring and turned to look at where Link slept across the room from where he slept.
Link sat up slowly, blinking tiredly. His blue eyes weren't as fierce when he was tired, nor as intense. He looked blurrily around, a very different side of the Hero who was always alert and ready. Void said nothing as Link stood up and dressed quickly without a word. He watched Link futz with his unruly hair to at least get it out of his face. It was mildly amusing to watch, but Void felt a sigh rising in him. He felt the keening of his soul grow more persistent ever since their first shared kiss, but they'd never moved beyond stealing fierce, bruising kisses from each other.
Void and Link didn't trust each other. Link didn't trust Void to keep his violent rage under control and Void didn't trust Link to not follow in the last Hero's footsteps. The Shadow and the Previous Heroes had always fought to the death—or as close as Void could get to death—and this new relationship made him wary. He moved cautiously around Link's home and village. He knew he didn't belong here and everyone else knew it too. The villagers watched him with wary eyes and kept their distance from him, all except Uli and Rusl. They watched him like a hawk when he was near their children or livestock, as if they expected him to last out and kill them. It made Void's blood boil and his guts churn in unease at always being watched.
Now, Void watched Link ready. The Hero moved with the grace and precision of a swordsman, his movements purposeful and fluid. The two of them had shared almost no words since the first evening and Link never spoke around the villagers. Link glanced at Void and smiled slightly, his blue eyes warm. Void didn't return the smile, but nodded curtly. They had work to do, going down to the farm and herding the goats. It was mostly just watching them to make sure they didn't escape the paddock and run wild in the village.
For the most part, herding the goats was easy and they were able to more or less relax, but Void was always wary when it came to the goats. Link was easy and relatively carefree when it came to them. The goats seemed to be able to sense the anger and darkness in Void, charging him and attacking whenever he came close. Link had taught him how to wrestle the goats when this happened and throw them down on their side so they'd sulk back to the herd and abate for at least a while, but it wasn't always helpful. The animals automatically liked Link, but Void was quick to anger and didn't have the patience to work with the beasts. He was a fighter, not a farmer.
Link saw the distasteful expression on Void's face and guessed what he was thinking about. With an inward sigh, Link walked over to Void and placed his hand on the other's shoulder. Void halfway glared at Link before looking away and shaking off his hand. He walked out the door to Link's house and jumped off the ledge rather than taking the latter. He rolled about a meter and landed on his feet, sanding as though at the ready for an attack.
Link followed more slowly, taking the latter. Epona whinnied at the sight of Link and plodded over to him. She nosed him in the shoulder with his velvety muzzle and snorted. Link smiled and stroked her faced between her eyes. There was an undeniable connection between Link and Epona, Void knew. The way the two interacted was remarkable. A flash of jealously passed through Void. It made his blood burn in his veins. The way Link treated his horse was more than how Link and Void interacted. Of course, Link and Epona had been together for years, both reincarnated—Why the horse? Void wondered—when the time came.
Epona looked over at Void with bright, knowing eyes and nickered. She turned her chestnut heat to look at him and trotted slowly over to him. She was magnificent horse, strong and beautiful. With a snort she slowly lowered her head to eyelevel and gazed into his eyes. Void slowly raised his sword hand. Uncertainly, he placed his hand lightly between her eyes and scratched. His expression softened and he tilted his head slightly in contentment.
Link watched the affair quietly. Excitement rose in him at seeing Void acting to gentle. The Shadow was rough by nature, usually without realizing it, but he was making an effort now to be gentle as he caressed the powerful horse's muzzle.
"Hey Link!" The yell cut through the contented silence and Void froze. The voice was Fado's, the man who ran the ranch. He was a big man with short brown hair and a nose that had been broke one too many times by the goats. He had a good heart, but didn't get on well with Void. He was just as wary, if not more so, of Void as the goats were.
Fado ran down the path to Link's house and stopped when he saw Link alert and Void froze. Epona bumped Void's hand to get his attention. Void gave her muzzle a single pat before he turned to look at the flustered Fado.
"Link, you've got to come to the ranch," Fado said, out of breath. Link and Void exchanged a quick glance before Link ran after Fado. Void felt something seize his heart, fear. The emotion was strong and chilled his blood. Link had run after Fado, the man's urgent tone cutting into the Hero's blood in Link and making him jump into action. Link and Fado had already vanished around the bend in the path; Epona whinnied and butted her head against Void's shoulder. He knew things were urgent and swung up into Epona's saddle.
Void had never been much of one for horse riding and hadn't in well over a century. He fell heavily into Link's saddle and took up Epona's reigns. However, Epona took off towards the ranch, Void gripping the reigns so hard his knuckles turned white. Epona thundered through the village, hooves kicking up dirt. The mare tore past the houses after Link and Fado. The two had gained ground and were already up by the entrance to the ranch. Feeling the urgency, Void urged Epona on, leaning over her neck and holding tightly to the reigns as she galloped towards the mayor, forcing him to leap out of the way. Void didn't look back as Epona cleared the fence to the pasture in a single high leap.
Link and Fado were already there, leaning over a goat. It lay on its side, its bloated flanks heaving as if in pain. Void swung clumsily down from Epona and stood beside her. It took him only a moment to realize the goat was trying to give birth. He had seen it growing fat over the weeks he's been here and had thought little of it other than Fado and the goats wouldn't let him get near her.
The goat's blue-grey flanks heaved in pain. It bleated helpless, its head raising and falling onto the grass. Epona whinnied helplessly and stamped her hooves. Void looked from her and quickly back at the goat. It was then he realized something was wrong. Link and Fado were crouched over the goat, spasms running across her sides, but nothing happened. She bleated again, desperation in her helpless cry. Something was very wrong.
Void moved quickly forward. A ram goat bellowed angrily though, charging him. It lunged at him, swinging its head from side to side. Void leaped clear, rolling out of the way. He ran around behind Link and Fado, another ram charged him. Epona galloped forwards, rearing and neighing. She pawed the air, stopping the ram in its tracks.
Void ran to Link and Fado's sides. He stooped down to look at the goat. Fado was running his hand across the goat's side, trying to push the lamb out while Link smoothed the goat's fur, trying to calm the panicking animal. Void shook his head sharply, what they were doing was useless. At this rate, both the female goat and the unborn lamb were going to die.
Another ripple passed across the goat's side and she bleated pathetically, her head falling weakly back. The commotion Fado had raised getting Link's attention and Void riding Epona through the village to the ranch had drawn attention and the Mayor, Rusl, and Ilia had come running. The mayor stopped and stood in astonishment, Ilia at his side as Epona held the goats back, stopping them from charging Void. Rusl ran forwards when Void pushed between Link and Fado, crouching beside the goat. He screwed up his face, but refused to shed his resolve.
Void closed his eyes and clenched his teeth as he plunged his hands into the goat. The sound and feel were sickening, but he knew the unborn lamb was stuck, trapped inside its mother. He reached in, searching for the lamb. And then he felt it, the foul, slick embryo surrounding the lamb. The poor thing strained against the embryo and its mother's insides. Void closed his hands around the lamb, trying not to wretch with disgust at his own actions and pulled on the lamb. He could feel its legs were twisted under it, holding it in its mother. He clenched his eyes closed and maneuvered his hands to grip the lamb and ease it out. He pulled sharply back, the lamb spilling onto the ground before them. He pulled out his hunting knife and sliced the embryo around the lamb, its head raised weakly as it drew in its first breaths of air.
The others stood back in shock and watched as Void discarded his knife and supported the lamb's head. The goat bleated, raising her head exhaustedly to look at the lamb. It was tiny and a blue-gray. Its fur was soaked from the embryo. The goat shifted with the help of Link and Fado and Void tucked the lamb against its mother's side. When the work was done, he sat, his hands shaking and his crimson eyes wide. He couldn't believe what he'd done. Closing his eyes again, he felt the world pitch sharply, his mind reeling.
Link saw Void pitch forwards, his hands flew around his stomach as he curled forwards. Sweat had broken across Void's cold, pale skin. Placing a hand on Void's back, Link smoothed his black hair and ran his hand across Void's back. Rusl approached Link and Void. Fado was staring wild-eyed at Void who clutched his stomach, looking as he was about to vomit. Rusl crouched beside Link and Void. Fado moved over to crouch beside the goat and the lamb, but watched as Link smoothed Void's hair.
Rusl placed a large, reassuring hand on Void's back and looked up the mayor. The mayor stood back looking shocked. He shook his head, trying to regain his composure, but Ilia ran to Epona, holding the mare's muzzle and soothing the horse that'd reared to keep the goats back.
Void kept his eyes closed when he felt Link's hand on his back, though, he tensed when Rusl's strong, yet gentle hand was placed on his back. He shakily raised his head, his crimson gaze meeting Rusl's kind blue eyes. The man smiled sympathetically at him. Void looked away again, shame burned in his veins at being seen like this, but the anger didn't rush up like he expected it to. Instead, Void pitched forwards again, his roiling stomach clenched and he gagged painfully. Void, his hands feeling grotesque from the goat, shoved Rusl and Link away. He crawled helplessly away from the goat where he promptly began retching heavily.
There was nothing Void could do to stop his stomach from emptying itself as he fell forwards. Link rushed to his side, supporting his shaking shoulders. Void wanted to shake him off, but fell against Link's side, his eyes squeezed shut. Rusl watched sympathetically. He had known from the moment he'd seen Void that he was a warrior, hardened to death and gore, but this was different. The young man couldn't stomach what had just happened, whatever the reason. Now Rusl moved to support Void from the other side and looked at Link.
"Let's take him back home," Rusl told Link. He and Link stood up, Void supported between them. Void stumbled shakily along as they supported him down the path the village. Ilia, her father, and Fado looked silently after them. The display of Void's actions had left them with mixed feelings.