*This chapter is quite a bit longer than the other two, and the next ones from here on out will likely be lengthy too. Just a heads-up!*
Chapter 3
The quilt and soft mattress of the bed seemed to grasp Leda tightly, and refused to let her go. She sadly had to pry the quilt off from her and tie her cloak around her head as she looked over to Link's bed only to see he was gone already. With a shrug, she grabbed her satchel and changed into a clean tunic and redid her braid while she had the privacy. With a happy yawn, she gathered her things and left the room after tidying the beloved bed.
The village was peaceful in the early morning sun, only a few residents tending to their livestock or buying ingredients at the small market near the inn. Leda decided if Ampi would ever allow her to live her own life, she would love to live in a small village such as Mabe where the people were all friendly and the atmosphere was peaceful. Plus, it was close to Castletown so if she whenever she needed excitement she could travel there.
"Good morning, Leda."
She turned to see Link pouring a bucket of water into the trough for their horses with a content smile on his lips and hair still messy from sleep. The sight made Leda's heart flutter. "Good morning," she replied, patting her horse on the neck. "Shall we head out already?"
Link watched as the horses dipped their noses into the water to drink. "Of course, if you are ready. Though I think I might freshen up in the creek really quick."
A nod bobbed her cloak. "Great idea. I may do the same when you are done."
"Oh," he looked at her. "No; ladies first." His hand gestured to a small huddle of trees at the end of the village. "It's just down there, behind those trees."
Leda appreciated his gentleman-like behavior and appreciated the offer. "Thanks, Link."
After both taking their turns to freshen up and pack their horses, the two set off south out of the little village. The day was clear and warm, the beginning of summer caressing its sunshine and mild weather on the land. Leda looked forward to traveling again all day, and hoped to see some landmarks of Hyrule. From what little of Hyrule Field she had seen yesterday, she was elated to see more.
As they rode, the forest was beginning to thin; the trees no longer shaded them from the gentle morning sun. Leda watched as the green grass transformed into a red and rocky landscape, and the two pulled their horses alongside a giant ravine with a rapid river churning at the bottom. "You definitely don't want to fall down there. Be cautious," Link warned her, and she nodded in assurance. She didn't have any interest in falling into the violent waters below.
Leda pulled her map out and peered at where she thought they were. "I guess we should head to this village for tonight," she pointed to a village on the map called Kakariko. "It's closest by and on the way to our destination."
He nodded, then gave a thoughtful look as he stared at her map. "Where exactly is our destination? I haven't even thought to ask."
With closer inspection, she read the name of the woods that the circle was pinpointing on her map. "It says 'Lost Woods'," she explained. "I've never heard of that, though it sounds rather eerie. That's where we're headed."
"Really? The Lost Woods, huh? It's not particularly pleasant place," he muttered. Leda raised her eyebrows in concern.
"What do you mean?"
"Well," he explained, "There's a reason they're called the Lost Woods. It's apparently an enchanted—cursed some people would say—forest that makes it nearly impossible to navigate. There are records of people going missing in it throughout all of Hyrule's history."
Leda's eyes widened nervously. "That sounds rather unpleasant…"
He nodded in agreement. "I'm surprised you're headed there. And that you didn't seem to know where you were even going to before just now," he inspected.
"Uh," she began sheepishly. "To tell the truth, I really didn't. I was more sent on this journey by someone more than anything. I didn't even know I was leaving on it until yesterday." She picked at the fraying saddle beneath her.
"That's a rather big last-minute decision."
"I know. Now I'm questioning if I will even be able to make my way there without getting lost."
Link turned to her and tried to see the details of her face under the cloak, but the fabric blocked all but the tip of her pale nose. "I have been in the Lost Woods before."
A spark of hope awoke in her. "You have? Can you navigate them?"
"Likely; I traveled there a while back to escort the King on business with the sage of the woods. I remember them pretty well," he bit his lip, trying to recall each detail possible about the visit.
A sigh of relief pressed out of her lungs. "That's wonderful." She turned to look at him under the shade of her hood. "Link, I really cannot tell you how grateful and lucky I am to have you on my journey. You're a hero."
He simply shrugged. "Happy to assist in anyway."
The pair continued onward, enjoying the faint sound of the rapids echoing from the ravine and the earthy smell of the red soil. Leda kept her map in one hand at all times, trying to match what she saw in her surroundings to that depicted on the paper. The sights never ceased to put her in awe; every inch of Hyrule seemed to be beautiful in its own way. Hyrule Field was lovely with its rolling green hills and swaying pine trees, and this drier area was stunning with its white waters and deep hues of reds and sunset orange rock formations.
She discovered a small, leather book with blank pages in her satchel with a small charcoal stick tied to its cover. This book became her log of all the sights and landmarks she discovered, each page filled with a rough sketch of things like the distant mountains, flowers, and pillars of rock towering into the blue sky. Link asked frequently to see her most recent sketch, smiling fondly as he flipped through the charcoal-smeared pages depicting all the scenery. He was joyous to see that Leda was loving the land so much.
"Is that the Gerudo Desert?" Leda pointed to the distant expanse of pale sand in the horizon with her charcoal stick, then continued sketching the landscape in her small book.
"Yes," Link squinted to where she pointed, trying to see it better. "It's much larger up close, however."
"Have you ever been there?"
He nodded. "Yes. It's very hot and sunny, but the ruins are very interesting."
Leda looked up to stare at the faint horizon. "Have you met any of the Gerudo people?"
A nod bobbed his blond locks once again. "They're very interesting; much different from Hylians, but very kind and outgoing. The war left tension between us two races, but they have been very welcoming to visitors and are attempting to make an effort in building trust again, as are we."
Her attention turned to him. "That's wonderful to hear. Though I know very little of Hyrule, I have heard of the tension between us. I've seen their trinkets being sold at Castletown, so that must mean we are trading goods with them."
"Indeed. They are quite constructive with jewelry and architecture." He looked at Leda, trying to gauge her expression once again. "Did you know they're a race of purely women?"
"Really? That's odd," she mused. "But…"
"They find 'husbands' outside of the desert," he answered before she questioned. "Though they aren't very fond of us 'voes'—men—and are a bit hesitant in permitting us into the cities."
A chuckle bubbled from her throat, and he smiled with her. "Well, I can't say I blame them. Men are rather…difficult at times. No offense to you, of course."
He joined her in chuckling and didn't argue. "It's true; we are. But the Gerudo do have a man born occasionally, but apparently only once every century or so. I don't think they currently have a living male Gerudo, so they're likely expecting one soon."
"Do they exile their own male children?" She snickered.
"Actually," he smiled, "quite the opposite. The man becomes their king once he is of age."
Leda was even more curious about the Gerudo now. Once this trip was over, she hoped to convince Ampi to allow her to travel Hyrule in leisure, and perhaps she would be able to visit the Gerudo along with the other races speckled across the land.
"Leda? May I ask you a question?"
She turned to him. "Yes, of course."
"Why do you wear that cloak?" He looked at the fabric hiding her features. Curiosity was slowly consuming him over the time he had been around her, and couldn't help but ask.
"Well," she turned away and began picking at the threads of her saddle again. "It's because-"
Very suddenly, Link whipped his head around to look behind them and his eyes widened. "Leda, look out!" He maneuvered his horse so it blocked hers from behind, and before Leda could try to understand what was happening, an arrow flew from a rock behind them and hit Link in his right shoulder and he clenched his teeth in pain.
"Link!" She gasped and frantically reached for him, but he pulled his horse away and they galloped to the rock where the arrow originated from. Swiftly, he grabbed a bow from his back along with his own arrow and notched it, aimed, and released. A flinch of pain distorted his face, but he looked relieved as he saw the arrow hit home. He spotted the masked man that fired at them wearing worn clothing and sporting a poorly-carved bow. A lone bandit, Link assumed. Or at least he hoped he was lone.
Leda was frozen in her place on the back of her horse, staring wide-eyed at Link as he rode back to her side with his hand cupping his shoulder gingerly. At the sight of his injured state, she snapped out of her frozen trance and climbed off her horse and ordered Link down as well.
"What happened?" She demanded.
"A bandit," he breathed. "I took care of him."
"He could have been using unclean arrows," she assessed. "We need to clean and dress that wound at quickly as possible." She instantly took charge and pulled supplies from the pack on her waist and pulled the unsteady Link to a sitting position with her. "This isn't going to feel pleasant," she muttered and took hold of the shaft of the arrow, and quickly yanked it from the spot in his shoulder. No yell of pain escaped his lips, though he breathed a quick breath outward. "It doesn't look like it hit anything serious. He aimed poorly, thankfully," she was talking more to herself than Link. He only nodded groggily, the pain distracting him.
"You're going to need to take your tunic off." Despite the seriousness of the situation, she couldn't help the blush from reaching her cheeks beneath her hood.
"Are you flirting with me?" He teased in his uneasy state.
Her blush deepened. "Link, shut up and do what I said."
"Are you ordering me around again?"
"Yes."
He obeyed, wincing as he pulled the sleeve off his broad shoulder. She bit her lip, nervous to see so much blood. But she knew that she had to put her nervousness aside for the sake of aiding Link. As she worked to clean the wound, Link handed her the supplies he knew she'd need from the small pile she had made on the ground. He sat still, not flinching nor saying a single word as she did her best to tend to the wound. After it looked as clean as she could manage, she tore the hem of her cloak and tied it across his shoulder tightly, nodding in relief to see the blood wasn't seeping through.
"There's a red potion in my pack," Link said suddenly.
"Red potion?"
"Yes, it will heal it quicker."
Quickly, she jumped up to his horse and found a clear bottle of red liquid and handed it to him. He grimaced slightly, then gulped half of it and replaced the cork. With a sigh, he attempted to relax, his face set in a grimace. "That was a close call," he breathed; Leda only nodded with relief. He had saved her without a second thought, and she could have very likely died. The bandit was clearly aiming for her. Her respect for Link grew even more, and she stared at him with thankfulness swelling in her chest. But as she stared, Link suddenly sat rigid again. Leda stiffened as well, fearing that more bandits had arrived to attack and steal their things. But Link only shoved himself forward with his good arm toward his horse and inspected her hind leg with a concerned expression. Leda peered over him and saw that his horse's leg had a gash near her thigh.
"Oh, Epona," he breathed. He inspected it closely. "An arrow must have grazed her. She won't be in any shape to ride with that." Without a second though, Link uncorked the potion again and poured the remaining directly on the wound. Epona gave an uneasy whinny, and was clearly shifting her weight off the wounded leg. Surprisingly, the horse didn't get spooked nor even show any sign of true discomfort other than the soft whinny.
Leda could hardly believe her eyes; the gash suddenly seemed to heal right before her eyes until there was only a faint purple mark left. "There you go, girl," Link smiled. "It should be fully healed by tomorrow morning." He turned back to Leda. "We're going to have to camp out tonight, I'm afraid. Epona can't go very far while her leg is still trying to heal."
Leda simply nodded in response, unnerved to think of sleeping out in the open especially after being attacked. "We should find a spot less revealing."
Link nodded in agreement. "It is clearly unsafe. We should set up over there," he gestured to a huddle of boulders a way off the dirt path they were following, looking like it would offer a decent amount of shelter. Leda helped Link up and kept a hand gently on his shoulder, feeling strangely frustrated when her heart began to beat quicker from the contact. It seemed her senses went awry whenever she touched him, and it irritated that her that he had such an effect on her. She ignored it, however, and led both her horse and his to the rocks where a small overhang was hidden from the boulders. It would have to do for the night.
"How are you feeling?" Leda peered at Link, who was leaned against the rock wall under the overhang, staring thoughtfully into the fire Leda had made. The sun was starting to dip lower in the sky, and the temperature was dropping with it. He was drawing mindless circles in the sandy soil beneath him.
"I am feeling very well, thanks to you." He looked from the fire and looked at Leda sitting to his left. "You seem to have quite the experience with dressing wounds."
"I am glad to hear it's feeling better," she replied, ignoring his observation. Living in such poor conditions as she caused plenty of sickness and wounds to be seen around her community, and she often offered to help tend to their ailments. She had dressed more wounds in her life than she could count, but she didn't say so to Link.
A sigh pushed out of her lungs. "It seems our luck ran out today."
"Yes," he nodded. "But we were still very lucky that this was the worst that happened."
She nodded too, admiring his positive attitude after having been shot in the shoulder. She couldn't help but feel a mixture of guilt and gratitude battle in her mind. "Link, I owe you my life," she said softly. "If you hadn't blocked that arrow…" she trailed off. "But I must admit, I feel terrible."
Link raised his eyebrows in confusion and waited for her to continue.
"Your kindness…all you've done for me so far in my trip—and it's only been two days—I really cannot express how grateful I am. I don't know how I can ever repay you. I don't know that there is any way I can." She suddenly felt that he deserved to see her, after all he had done. The least she could do was allow him to truly see her, and the cloak restricted that. After all, this man saved her life. Even Ampi couldn't scold her for revealing her identity to him. With that, she reached up and pulled the cloak from her face, her golden hair spilling down over her back in its messy braid and revealing her features. She met his gaze shyly with her shining violet-blue eyes, fair skin and delicate features defined in the evening sunlight.
A blush—that was returning much too frequently for her liking—creeped into her face and long ears as he stared intently at her with his own sapphire eyes, expression awed and curious. They sat in silence, simply gazing at each other, and truly seeing one another for the first time now that her cloak was removed.
"Leda," he finally said softly after some time. "You don't have to thank me. You deserve every bit of my kindness." He reached his left hand forward and grasped her right. However, the moment their bare fingers brushed, a sudden bolt of energy erupted from the contact and shot up each of their arms. They both shouted in surprise and yanked their hands back. Leda cradled her hand in her other, staring between Link's own fingerless-gloved hand now clutched near his chest and his shocked face that stared back at her.
"What in Hylia's name was that?" He was the first to voice the confusion.
She shook her head. "I-I don't have a clue."
Leda could feel the Triforce resonating underneath her glove. Was that caused simply because he touched her hand? Sure, it reacted whenever she did the same, but not quite so much as it did just now. Would it do that with anyone that touched her hand? She didn't want to have to explain anything, for she knew very little herself and knew Link would ask her more questions than she could answer even if she did want to tell him. Though she trusted Link, she thought she would obey Ampi at least by keeping the sacred secret from him.
"Strange," he eyed her hand suspiciously, and she quickly moved it in her lap so he couldn't see it. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but instead closed his mouth and rubbed his injured shoulder through his tunic. As he felt it, his eyebrows furrowed, then raised. "What?" He said quietly to himself. As Leda stared at him, he reached his hand into his collar and felt the back of his shoulder and looked even more shocked. "There's hardly even a scratch left," he said, shocked. Leda joined him in his pleasantly confused state. "It's almost completely healed. I didn't think red potions were quite so effective," his confusion returned to suspicious as he glanced toward Leda's hand again. "Very odd," he muttered.
"That's wonderful, even if it is quite odd," she said, excited. Though she mused over what he had said that the potion normally didn't work such wonders. Perhaps the weird occurrence from moments before had something to do with it. Her eyebrows furrowed in thought. Did the power of the Triforce have healing properties? She had no clue if it did, but it seemed that was the case. How else would his wound have healed so abruptly? The list of questions to ask this "Great Deku" person was slowly getting longer as the days went by. Leda suddenly thought of something she had not considered before. What was she going to do when they finally arrived to the person that was supposed to explain everything to her? Link would be right there by her side, unless of course she asked him to give her privacy. But, she felt like he deserved to understand what was going on. Once again, he saved her life. She owed him so very much; hopefully Ampi would understand and not be too upset. But for now, Link would have to wait to know the details.
"From all my injuries, though," he mumbled, dropping his hand in his lap, "I've never healed quite so quickly." Link stopped and stared into the crackling flames in deep thought for a moment, then shook his head and shrugged. "Must have been your handiwork, Leda." A grin spread across his face as he gave her a sidelong look, admiring her features once again.
She shrugged and hoped that the heat on her face wasn't noticeable. "It was the least I could do."
Each sat and stared into the warm fire, thinking about the many things that had occurred in only two days. It seemed that everything had changed at once for Leda, starting with the Triforce on the back of her hand. Even Link was in awe of the eventful two days, and hoped that everything would run well from then on out and they wouldn't run into any more violence. Though his wound was pretty much healed, he still couldn't say he was particularly fond of getting injured—understandably so.
The sun gave its good-byes to the land and slipped behind the horizon, masking the land in the cool darkness of night. Almost instantly the air became rigid and they could see their breath creating small puffs of cloud with each exhale. During the daytime, the weather was pleasant and warm, but as soon as the sun disappeared the warmth always left with it. The two scooted closer to the fire.
"We ought to get some rest," Link sighed, still distracted. "We will have to wake early to make up for lost time. I'm sure you are probably anxious to get where you're headed."
She offered a nod, and watched as Link tied the horses to a dead bush and laid out his pack on the ground to lay on it. A sigh escape her mouth—tonight would be quite the downgrade from their comfortable beds yesterday. But they didn't have much of a choice. She mimicked him, laying close to the fire with her head on her precious satchel. The cloak was the closest thing she had to a blanket, so she pulled it up and over her shoulders as she curled up in attempted to stay warm.
Leda had a feeling tonight would be much less restful. Sleep refused to take her consciousness, and she simply drew mindless triangles over the back of her hand, imagining the Triforce was shining beneath her glove. There was so much she had to learn about this strange symbol that had so suddenly appeared on her. With its arrival, her life changed more quickly than she could comprehend. She very possibly could be the reincarnation of Hylia herself—her mind could hardly wrap around the thought. Though she apparently bore the Nayru's Triforce of Wisdom, all the abrupt events were nearly too much for her head.
She rolled over and peered at Link, who had his broad back faced to the her and the fire. His breaths were slow and even, and she assumed he was asleep. There was so much she wanted to learn about him, and she knew so little. It amazed her to think that the Royal Family's appointed Knight was traveling with her, a poor street girl with hardly a rupee to her name. And almost worst of all, she could feel the flutter deep in her stomach as she gazed at his messy blond hair and strong shoulders rising and falling with each sleepy breath. She knew her heart felt for him much stronger than just a companion to travel with, and that scared her the most. Leda knew that with such different classes as theirs that her could never be hers. Silently, she scolded her rebellious heart for becoming intrigued in such an impossible soul that she could never have as her own. The very thought made her chest throb. How inconvenient this infatuation was. She could only hope that she would learn to push her feelings away to save her from becoming completely in love with him, lest she be inevitably heart-broken.
If only love was ordered around so easily.
The familiar dream tossed her out of her sleep again, the faint memory of pain throbbing at the back of her head. Though this time it was different: she could make out some closer details. She remembered feeling grass underneath her in the warm environment, and the faint sound of humming. But those details were still very unclear, and Leda had the frustrated feeling of trying to recall something she knew existed in her brain but couldn't quite grasp it has it fell between her fingers like a sieve.
"Leda?" She felt gentle fingers press against her shoulder, and her eyes fluttered open to see Link sitting on his heals above her with a concerned look plain on his face. "Oh, good, you're awake." His expression softened, and she sat up while rubbing the scar above her neck while trying to blink sleep from her eyes. The sun hadn't risen yet, and their surroundings were washed in a deep blue hue that promised the sun was coming soon. "You were mumbling something while holding the back of your head in your sleep, I wasn't sure if it was a nightmare or not. Did you hit your head yesterday?" His bright eyes wandered to her hand above the back of her neck. She quickly dropped her hand and gave a sleepy smile to assure him.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. And no, I didn't hit my head. It just…" she tried to think of how to explain. "It just hurts faintly. I must have dreamed I hit it."
Link nodded, though the unsure look remained in his eyes. "As long as you're alright."
"I'm fine, thank you for your concern," she offered. Now that she was more awake, she noticed his closeness only a few inches from her and red pooled in her cheeks once again. He grinned mischievously at her flushed state as she leaned back. "Are you blushing, Leda?"
She turned her head away slightly tried to will the red away. "Shut up."
"No wonder why you wore that hood," he teased, amusement clear in her voice. "It must have hidden your flushed face."
At that comment she turned back to him and shoved playfully against his chest, sending him off his heels and onto his backside in the dirt. A surprised bought of laughter bubbled from his chest as she shook her head at him with a smile spread on her lips. "Remind me not to mess with you," he chuckled.
"You'd be best off not to," she warned teasingly. Link stood and dusted the red dirt from his loose shirt and turned to unload his clothing from Epona's pack, a charming smile still spread on his face. The grin made Leda's heart flutter and want to smack it off his face for teasing her. He stirred so much emotion in her, and it drove her nearly mad to have such little control over herself internally when he was around. These odd movements in her chest were completely foreign to her, and she was having a difficult time naming and handling them.
"Let's get going," she stretched and dusted herself off as well, grimacing at ache in her body from lying on the hard ground all night. "We have some distance to make up. How is Epona?"
Without waiting for his response, she walked over to his patient horse and inspected her hind leg. The scratch was even better now, only a faint pink line against her chestnut fur. Leda smiled in relief and patted her on the back, happy to see it was healing nicely without infection. They didn't need any more delays. "Her wound is nearly gone," she said aloud as Link packed up his things into Epona's saddle bags. He smiled, watching Leda stroke his horse fondly. Link related to her fondness of Epona; she was a loyal horse that he had practically grown up with. She had never let him down to this day, and fought through every tough battle and long trip with him without a moment's hesitation. She was truly the horse fit for a champion.
"That's wonderful," he said, now looking at the wound himself. "Looks like she'll have no problem getting back on her hooves and traveling again today."
The two finished packing their things after shaking the red film of dust that had settled on everything, then left the safety of the overhang to proceed south. The day still had not arrived, and even the birds were still huddled in their nests fast asleep and waiting to begin their morning twittering. A serene peace was settled among the towering rocks, and hardly a sound echoed around them despite the soft clomping of their horses' hooves and the river rushing far away. Despite the peaceful scene, Leda couldn't help but feel nervous and as if someone was peering at them from behind the rock formations. After yesterday's attack, she was skeptical of the quiet land. This entire trip so far had seemed so wonderful and beautiful with the sights to see around them; she foolishly thought in the back of her mind that no wrong could possibly occur in such a pleasant land. But she now knew not to be so naïve, and the thought kept her jumpy at each small sound as they walked.
"What are you going to do when you return to Castletown?" Link broke the still silence. His voice seemed to cut clean through it like a sharpened dagger.
She hadn't thought that far. "I really don't know," she admitted. A half-hearted chuckle shook from her mouth. "You probably think that I am the least-prepared woman in all of Hyrule. I hardly knew where I was going on this trip—and still really don't—and I haven't a clue what I plan to do when I am done."
Link only shrugged and smiled softly at her. "Sometimes that's the best way to take on life: just plan as you go."
"Yes," she agreed. That's what she had been doing this entire trip, and so far, all had run well—except for the mishap with the bandit yesterday. But even with thorough planning they couldn't have avoided that. "Plus," she added, "this trip could very well change my life. I really don't know what to expect in that forest."
He nodded, not asking what she was needing to see in the Lost Woods. He seemed to sense that she was asking the same thing in her mind as well, and assumed that they would both find out in time. "Is there anyone in Castletown waiting for you?" Link turned to her with curious blue eyes. "Parents? Siblings? A lover?"
Leda felt her face heat at the latter. "None of those," she replied quietly. "I don't have any family that I know of. There's only one person that even know or cares that I am gone, and she's practically my aunt or mother. She's the closest to family I have."
His blue eyes continued to gaze at her with genuine curiosity and care for her. "I'm very sorry to hear that, Leda. At least you have her waiting for your return." They were quiet for a moment longer.
"I have never seen you around Castletown before," he broke the silence once again. "And I grew up there. What area do you live in?"
She turned her face away, pretending to be distracted by the small sagebrush she was passing by. "My 'aunt' is very protective of me. She would hardly allow me to go to central square without giving me grief. I stay rather isolated in my community." Leda blatantly ignored his question, still hesitant to tell him of her living conditions. It brought her a weird sense of shame to think of telling him, perhaps because he held such an honorary title and class in comparison to her. Surely the people of Castletown would frown upon such different people from opposite communities traveling together, one that lived in the castle itself and the other in an ancient and abandoned building in the slums of town.
To her relief, he didn't press anymore about where she lived. "You grew up in Castletown too?" She turned her amethyst eyes to meet his as he gave a nod.
"Yes," he replied, a happy look of nostalgia on his face. "My mother was a maid to the hidden child of the King. I practically grew up in the castle, though in the servants' quarters of course. I never got to meet the child, though my mother did tell vague stories."
Leda's eyebrow rose. "So, you knew whether it was a prince or princess?"
He nodded. "Yes." Link gave her a teasing smirk. "Though, I cannot tell you. It would practically be against the King's orders."
"That's hardly fair," she gave an exaggerated sigh. "Now you're made me unbearably curious."
The blond locks of his hair swayed as he shook his head, the smirk remaining plastered to his charming face. "I'm afraid my lips are sealed."
Another sigh pushed its way from her lungs, but she refused to beg for him to tell her. She wouldn't allow him that humor. "Very well. Is your mother still a maid for the castle?"
"Indeed, though she only works as a laundry maid now. She was relieved of her previous job after the King's child disappeared. My mother was quite heart-broken when the kid did go missing; she said they had the sweetest nature she had ever seen such a young soul. Then again," he grinned, "She was used to me: a rambunctious child that loved to prank the other servants at every chance."
Leda chuckled, remembering her prank from a few days ago. "We are kindred in humor, I see. I 'accidentally' bumped a castle guard into the moat the other day," she made air-quotes with her fingers when she said "accidentally", and began to giggle harder. Link gave a surprised laugh as well.
"That was you?" He grinned. "I had heard that a guard fell into the water. I didn't realize it was some innocent townsgirl." He laughed harder with her as she nodded.
"I must admit, I can't help but tease the guards whenever I get the chance to go to central square. And the snobby upperclassmen as well. Their noses don't stick as far up in the air when they trip over apples."
Link laughed harder and shook his head. "I didn't realize you were such a prankster. I definitely can't get mad at you for reminding those snobs that they're Hylian just like the rest of us, not deities."
She nodded, glad to hear that he agreed that the higher classmen were rather prideful. At least that meant he wasn't one of them himself, one that persecuted those such as her for her poor status. The idea of telling him of her living condition didn't seem so intimidating anymore, especially since he came from a rather humble background himself growing up in the servants' quarters of the castle.
The sun finally awoke the land, the amber rays stretching across the ground and touching their faces with a gentle warmth that thawed them from the early-morning freeze. Birds were beginning their waking songs now, their proud voices echoing through the ravine beside them. The rocky terrain that they had been traveling was beginning to change again, looking much more open and grassy, minus tall trees and hills in Hyrule Field. Thanks to the flat expanse, Leda could faintly see what she thought might be Kakariko Village in the distance up against the foothills. "That must be it," she verbalized, pointing to the faint smear of brown houses on the horizon. She pulled her map from her satchel and checked to confirm.
"We're making good time," Link responded. "We could very likely reach the village by noon."
Leda was happy to hear that they were making up the time they had lost so quickly, as well as glad to be in a more open area so she could see her surroundings more and there were less places for enemies to hide. However, that meant they were out in the open as well and easy to spot. She frowned, hoping to avoid any violence. In addition to the terrible panic it had struck in her, she had felt awfully helpless as Link had to shoot off the bandit alone. Perhaps when they arrived in the village, he could teach her some basic archery. At least enough for her to defend herself and Link if she needed. Her eyes moved to Link, and she made note of the bow and simple sword strapped to his back. He shouldn't have to carry the full burden of protecting both of them.
By the time the sun had risen fully from the cover of the mountains, the two travelers were stopped, sitting in the tall grass as they peacefully ate a breakfast of dried berries and bread. So far, the day was continuing to be peaceful and smooth, and though they didn't voice so, they each were relieved for the safety. Although, Leda noticed, Link seemed to have a musing expression on his face as he chewed on a berry. She looked at him, waiting for him to voice his thoughts, but he kept silent. Eventually she couldn't wait to hear what was on his mind, and asked him directly.
"Link?"
He continued chewing. "Hm?"
"What are you thinking so deeply about?"
"Hm."
Link looked down at his pack of water, his expression unreadable. His quietness was beginning to make her uncomfortable. She stared at him expectantly.
He finally gave in. "I was…just thinking about yesterday evening." Bright blue eyes met hers, and he gave her an intense stare that made her ears heat. "When I touched your hand…"
The spot on the back of her hand seemed to buzz as soon as she thought about it, and her heart quickened. She had hoped it slipped his mind, but it seemed Link forgot no details.
"What about it?" She asked gently, trying to refrain from looking away sheepishly.
"Whatever happened," he continued, "was beyond anything I've ever felt. It was almost light lightening had shot up my arm."
She recalled the same feeling, remembering how sudden and nearly painful it was.
"Then, right after my wound was almost completely healed," he touched his should gently. "I…It seems you are in just as much confusion as I, but I can only wonder what on earth happened."
Her eyebrows furrowed, and she allowed herself to look away now. "I wish I could answer you," she said honestly. "But I don't know what happened either. It was very queer. That's never happened to me before."
"Me neither," he looked away as well, glancing at her right hand rested on her leg. The thoughtful expression remained on his face for a moment longer, then he stood to his feet and stretched his arms. "Shall we continue?"
She nodded and stood quickly from the grass, anxious to move on from the conversation. Leda only knew slightly more than him, but she'd rather let the person in the Lost Woods explain to both of them first, assuming she decided to allow him in on the conversation. She had yet to decide for sure. The two proceeded their ride to the village in comfortable silence.
Link predicted correctly: the two rode into Kakariko's gates when the sun was high in the sky. This community was much larger than Mabe's, with more people bustling about and travelers much like themselves passing through. There were banners hanging from the wooden homes and shops, each with a sun embroidered in the center. It looked like they had arrived in the middle of a festival of some sort. They both climbed from the saddles of their horses, and looked curiously at the scene of people moving about and rolling squat tree logs around and setting them up around what looked like a bunch of fire pits. Leda was sure to tie her cloak back around her face before approaching too closely.
"Hello, travelers," a friendly voice said from behind them, and the two turned to see who the sound belonged to and spotted a tall, older man with a sweeping white beard standing behind them with twinkling eyes. "I assume you're here for the annual summer festival? Though you're a bit late; it started two days ago. Tonight is the final night. But no matter, we're happy to have people join either way," his beard lifted as he gave a welcoming grin.
"Oh," Leda said first. "No, we're simply spending the night here and plan to continue onward tomorrow. We don't want to impose on your tradition."
"Nonsense," he chuckled. "The festivities are open to all-It would be rude not to attend. It will begin this evening. Oh, but look at me," he gave another hearty grin. "Here I am rambling and soliciting again. The inn is that large building just right there. Please enjoy your time in Kakariko, and if you need anything just see me, the village elder." He bowed slightly, and sauntered off to welcome another traveler that had just walked under the wooden gate.
"Friendly," Link smiled and began guiding the horses and Leda towards the inn. "The festival sounds fun; we should attend."
A festival? Leda had never been to one. Castletown had several during the year, but Ampi never allowed her to join them. She never questioned why—Ampi was simply being her protective self, she assumed. "Yes," she said nervously. She had no clue what to expect.
This inn was significantly larger than that of Mabe, and much busier as well. People were scattered all around the front room, each with a traveler's bag upon their back as they chatted with other visitors. The poor lady at the counter looked exhausted, her head slumped in her hand on the wooden desk as Leda and Link approached. She sighed at the sight of them.
"Hello and welcome," she said in a monotone voice. "We only have one room open. Hope you don't mind sharing with your boyfriend," she rolled her eyes at Leda. Leda's heart quickened. "O-oh, no we're just travel c-companions," she quickly stammered and Link chuckled by her side.
The lady gave them both a quick once over. "Uh-huh," she said, unconvinced but shrugged anyways. "Well, lucky for you there's two beds in the room. I assume you'll take it?"
Leda nodded and waited as the lady rummaged in a drawer for the keys and handed them to her. "That'll be forty rupees," she held out her hand and Leda quickly sifted through her satchel. Link beat her to it, however, placing the red gem in her extended hand. Leda huffed at him. "Aren't you going to let me pay for something this trip?" She grumbled, but he simply smiled sweetly at her. "Nope," he said simply, turning away and heading up the staircase on the far wall with the grin still clear on his face. Behind her, Leda could hear the lady mockingly mutter "just travel companions, huh?". Leda shook her head and sighed, and followed Link up to their room.
Their stomachs were filled with fresh pumpkin soup and were talking over their travel plans for the next day when the upbeat sound of live music sneaked through the warped window of their room. Leda stopped midsentence, and headed to the window to peer out and spotted a swarm of people jumping around and dancing to the music, laughter heard all the way from where she was standing.
"Looks like the festival has started," she stated. The sun was rather low in the sky, and long shadows were being cast across the green grass and wooden buildings. "They're very energetic," she smiled as she watched the rapid movements of dancing skirts, the moving colors reminding her of flowers in the wind.
Link peered at her from his spot on the wooden floor where they had sprawled the map out. "Would you like to go?" He asked, curiously.
She turned and looked at him shyly. "I've never been to a festival…nor danced before."
His eyes widened in disbelief and he scrambled to his feet. "How have you lived, my poor girl? I'm taking you right now. Plus," he added, "local festivities are always the best since you get to see all their traditions and culture. I guarantee there will be a whole assortment of food." A grin spread even wider on his face at that, and Leda laughed at his apparent interest in the food.
"If you insist."
Link insisted on taste testing every single food that was being advertised around the square of the village where the festivities were taking place. Leda could only laugh to see him so excited, though she was pleasantly surprised to taste such flavorful and delicious culinary as well. She found herself to be particularly fond of the lemon tarts, a dessert she had never tasted before. All the food was so exquisite and nothing like she had ever tried before, and she felt a strange sense of sadness as she joined in tasting such food that would surely cost her more than she could afford with her few rupees in Castletown. Though she knew money could not buy true happiness, she realized how much she was missing out living her isolated life. She pushed the sadness aside however, and simply tried to forget of her poorness as she rushed around the stands with Link in tow as she excitedly consumed the energy of the people with her eyes and bright smile.
She had found a simple cream-colored skirt and red blouse in her satchel that was perfect for the occasion. Ampi was not lying when she said that everything she would need would be in the pack. Though she normally wasn't fond of dresses, this skirt was light and flowing only mid-calf in length, and swished behind her had she bustled around. She blushed anytime she thought of Link's reaction when she returned from the changing room, when his eyes widened with his smile and he simply muttered "beautiful". But he wasn't looking the dress, she had noticed, but rather was staring directly into her eyes.
The pair were at a small temporary booth laid out with a number of jewelry, and Link smiled as Leda touched the gems gently that were set out on the wooden counter. Her eyes came across a simple necklace with a sapphire the size of the pad of her index finger hanging at the end. It was the brightest hue of blue, and it reminded her an awful lot of Link's shining eyes. They were just like his, beyond any color of blue sky or clear water she had ever seen. Her finger tips brushed it fondly, and she lifted it up for closer inspection. The gem was jagged and still in a natural shape, completely unrefined with a roughness that only extenuated its luster and beauty.
Behind her, Link tossed a couple red rupees to the booth's owner while she was turned away and distracted. He then turned to her, gently taking hold of the necklace, and sliding his fingers past the hood of her cloak and tying the necklace around her neck with a smile shining in his eyes. She glanced down at the sapphire, then up into his eyes of the same color with a confused expression on his face. "A festival gift," he smiled.
"Oh, Link," she breathed, touching the gem gently with her fingertip. "You didn't have-"
"Don't worry about it," he brushed her off. "It's a sparkling gem for a sparkling lady."
The familiar red touched her cheeks. "Thank you so much," was all she could manage to respond. Her heart swelled with gratitude, and she was beyond flattered. Link seemed too perfect for the world. Leda simply stood and held the sapphire in her fingers, a smile hidden under her cloak. It was the most valuable thing she had ever owned, not only rupee-wise, but sentimentally. She vowed to never remove it from its spot over her heart.
The sun was touching the horizon now, and the village was bathed in a mix of orange light and shadow. Night was soon to come, but the festivities were still going strong. Though, many people had retired to either their homes or inn, likely resting for the day ahead. The small band was playing slower music now, resembling the tranquility and calm of the setting sun. The energy of the dance was much more mellow now, people swaying slowly with their partners over the now-stamped down grass in the open area. Link reached a hand out to Leda as she admired her sapphire necklace. "Would you like to dance?" He gave a lopsided smile.
Her eyes widened. "O-oh," she stuttered, flustered once again. "I've never d-danced before."
Link cocked his head. "No? Well, it's not that hard. As quickly as you picked up horse riding, I'm sure you can do the same with dancing."
She shrugged and placed her hand in his, making sure to use her left one in hope of avoiding another energy surge like yesterday. Link led her to the now-thinning crowd of people swaying to the calm music, and turned to her. Her heart began to hammer in her chest, standing at such close proximity to him. He didn't notice her nervousness thanks to her hood, and simply guided her right hand to his shoulder, making sure to only touch the leather of her glove and continued to hold her other in his hand. After placing his hand lightly on her hip, the two began to sway along with the crowd, Link leading her patiently as she tried to follow his steps.
The dance seemed to have no specific guidelines like Leda had imagined many formal dances would, but rather seemed simple in spinning in slow circles to the beat of the song. She guessed that the humble peasants of Hyrule were likely like her with limited knowledge on dancing, and simply went with their own rules.
During the entirety of several songs, the two swayed silently as Leda's heart continued to beat rapidly her chest. She could practically smell him, a faint scent of leather and pine needles that fit him so well. It made her delightfully dizzy, and the few times she stumbled over her own feet she knew wasn't caused by her unfamiliarity in dancing. Once again, she felt faintly frustrated that her senses went to out of control by Link without him even trying.
"See? I knew you'd get the hang of it quickly," Link smiled later in the night when the sun was almost completely gone.
Leda returned the smile, though he could not see it under the cloak. "Thankfully, there seems to be no pattern to the dances. That makes it much easier to follow."
He nodded, then furrowed his eyebrows. Very suddenly, he let go of her and reached to her hood and pulled it back, seeing her face fully in the dying light. "There, much better," he gave another lopsided grin. "There's not enough people out here to pay too much attention. Plus, it's getting dark. I'm sure you'll be safe."
She gave him a shy grin and tried her hardest not to blush, but to no avail. He chuckled as he held onto her once again and began dancing. "I'm beginning to think more and more that you wear that cloak for the sake of masking your shyness."
Leda huffed at him and stepped on his toe teasingly. "Oh, my bad," she retorted sarcastically, flaunting a mischievous grin. A chuckled slipped through his lips. "Oh, don't be so offended. It's quite adorable," he responded. He laughed harder as Leda's blush deepened.
The night continued on, the stars over time shone through the dark blue sky. The pair enjoyed their dancing for quite some time, retiring later around one of the fires that had been made and sat upon the logs that had were set up around the pits earlier that day. They were two of only a few dozen people left outside, sitting a ways off from the rest of them while laughing and smiling together as they tried to fight off the night's chill by leaning toward the dancing flames. The dark sky echoed the sounds of their chatter and chuckles, and Leda's fingers held tight to the sapphire hanging around her neck, all while staring into sapphire eyes that reflected the flickering orange light. Her face hurt from smiling so much, and every time she closed her eyes the only thing she could see was the color of bright blue behind her eyelids. She sighed contently, never wanting the night to end. All her answers and worries could wait; for now she wanted to live in this perfect moment for the rest of her life.
As Leda lied her comfortable bed that night, hair smelling of campfire and festival food, she decided she had never been happier in her entire life.
A/N: Woohoo, chapter 3! I hope you all enjoyed. Thank you so much for the follows and favorites! Shoutout to EmeraldRhino for leaving a review-I appreciate it! And I try to edit and reread my chapters thoroughly several times to avoid errors, but I do tend to miss some, so, sorry about that:)
The next chapter will have a little more story to it, and some hopefully exciting and surprising moments, I promise. Until next time.
-Ximnah