It was the dawn of a new day. The rain had finally cleared, and Lookout Landing woke up to glowing sunshine. By the time Link woke, the Emergency Shelter was already a hive of activity. The camp's cooks were already finishing serving breakfast, monster control HQ was planning the day's raids, and the Zonai Survey Team were putting together a crew and their equipment for the latest expedition. Quiet chatter, rustling pots and shuffling footsteps echoed on the stone walls of the shelter, betraying the sense of quiet calm everyone felt after passing the second night after a Blood Moon without incident.
Link sat up in his bed and flittered his eyes, slowly becoming aware of his surroundings. It was later than he would normally wake, but today, he didn't feel like doing his rounds. Not after he recalled the events of yesterday. He didn't want to recall yesterday's events. Was it a dream? He looked to his side, and saw his sword. No, he concluded. It wasn't. It was terrible. Whatever he had planned for today didn't matter. He realised that for the first time since becoming a Royal knight, he was lost. Utterly, utterly lost. What was he going to do? What would it all be for? He didn't have an answer, and no-one would give him one.
If he stayed here thinking about it, he wouldn't be able to contain his emotions. With a heavy sigh, he swung his legs out of the bed and rubbed his eyes. He swore he was just getting used to the light. He reached for the half full vial of Enduring Elixir on the bedside, and swallowed the rest of its contents. Feeling the surge of energy through him, maybe now he might find the motivation to do something…
The man dressed as normal. Common Hylian trousers and boots, his Champion's Leathers, and Royal Guard's Cap. He kept the cap as a memento of the (now distant) past when he was the Princess' bodyguard roaming the castle.
He picked up the Master Sword resting by the bed and drew it from its sheath. It was a beautiful sword, even more so to Link now as he looked at it with sad eyes. He could feel a familiar power resonate through the blade. As he examined it, his whole being seized as he realised something vital was missing.
Where was the blue fabric?
He tied it around the handle and wrapped it around his hand yesterday, he could guarantee that. He would never lose something so precious like that. Anxiety began to fill Link, eyes scanning the bed and floor in case it had fallen off. But it wasn't there. Sheathing the sword, he carried the blade in his hand as he urgently walked to the nearest unfortunate person to interrogate. He caught Gralens' attention.
"Ah, Link. Good to see you up." Began the monster-control commander. "You know, you caused quite a commotion yesterday evening. So, in Faron - "
"Where's my hair band?" Link interrupted.
Gralens blinked. "Your… hair band?"
"My blue hair band that was tied around my sword yesterday." he showed the naked handle of the sword. "Where is it?" Link quickly said.
"I don't know, I haven't seen it." Gralens replied, a little taken back. "I'm sorry, why is this so important? I'm trying to talk to you about the recent monster sightings from Flaxel's team, and you're worried about a hair band?"
Link stared at the other Hylian, giving nothing away.
Gralens huffed. "Well, if it's that important to you, maybe speak to Harth or Numien. They're the ones who brought you down here. Now, an encampment has been - hey wait! Where are you going!?"
Link ignored the complaints from the commander as he climbed the ladder out of the shelter, single-minded in his quest. Where was Numien or Harth? A quick scan of the camp found no Zora training or about, they must have been out on a mission then. So, where's the Rito then?
Harth was in the watchtower south of camp, keeping a lookout as most Rito do. Looking outwards to Hyrule Field, of course, leaves a blind spot behind you for your assailant. One that he wasn't expecting. Link climbed the ladder to the battlements.
"Harth." He called out tersely.
"Oh, hey Link. You're back on your feet." The Rito chirped.
"Where's my hair band?"
"S- sorry? Your hair band?"
"It was on my sword yesterday when you took me into the shelter. Where is it?"
Harth's eyes danced left to right in thought. And then it hit him. "Oh! You mean this old thing?" He reached into his belt pocket. "It was hanging loosely on the sword as Numien and I were told to make you comfortable." He said as he handed back what could be easily confused as an old cloth. "Yeah, I didn't think it was part of the sword when we took the sheath off your back yesterday…"
Link's whole demeanour changed as relief surged through him. That "old thing" was cut from the same piece of cloth his first Champion's Tunic was made from. The tunic made and sewn by the Princess herself. Not that he told anyone of its significance, but it was one of the most valuable things he owned after he had rediscovered it in… in a non-descript well.
Hurriedly taking it from Harth, he tied it back in a spiral around the handle of the Master Sword. "Thank you." The swordsman replied simply.
"So, uh… is it important?" Harth queried, trying to break the awkwardness.
Link wasn't about to share the significance of this item. "No, not especially." He fastened blade and sheath on his back.
Defeated, Harth decided to get back to lookout duties. "Well, er… I'm gonna get back to it." He turned before stopping. "Oh, Purah said she wanted to see you as soon as you were up. She was quite concerned about you."
"Thanks, I'll head there now." Link's head was in a better place now, as he processed he was a little sharp. "And sorry."
"Don't worry about it, you've clearly have a lot going on up there." Harth perceived. "Keep well, Link." He said as he flapped off.
Link was not looking forward to his next appointment. It would probably entail reliving the past couple of days, emotions, failures and whatever else he was trying his damnedest to suppress.
The swordsman walked slowly along the battlements, trying to distract himself. Watching the Rito sentries flying over the camp, horses whinnying in the mini-stable, the hum of power from the skyview tower... Goddesses, anything please!
Even that was too much to ask for, as he arrived at the deck in front of the office.
"Link! Finally, you're up." Came the voice of Muzu. "I've been wanting to talk to you."
Link carried on slowly walking towards the office door with his head down.
"Don't ignore me!" Muzu continued. "Much has happened since you were last here. A roar came from the sky, followed by a dragon emerging from the clouds!"
Link's heart pulled.
"We already had three dragons flying in the sky. Fortunately they're quite passive, but I've never seen this new one! We don't know what it's like!"
Careful, Muzu…
The Zora advisor was oblivious to the Hylian's troubles. "We should be showing more concern about this. We know how dangerous the other dragons can be! We need to react to this new potential threat. Why, Princess Zelda would – "
Link shot him a thunderous glare, and the Zora was abruptly silenced. How dare he talk like that!? Of course, he couldn't possibly know what had happened, but it didn't lessen Link's anger at the mistaken advisor. Muzu stumbled over words, but could not overcome his shock at such as response. Link wouldn't give him a chance, as he continued walking to the office door. With a shake of the head and a deep sigh, he slid the door open, and entered.
Inside were all the Sheikah authorities. Purah did a good job getting them all in one place, as he had requested. Sensing they were deep in conversation, and not quite calm from the misguided words of Muzu, he closed the door behind him, and listened.
"…any of the other spirits that we know of. We don't know it's flight patterns, we don't even know if it traverses the Depths like the others do. There just isn't enough knowledge to make a call about this." Came from the voice of an exasperated young researcher.
"Well, apart there is a new, inconspicuous puddle that has appeared just south of my old Akkala lab. One veeery similar to the sort Lady Impa has been investigating…" An older, masculine voice responded. "But what's interesting, Josha, is that this puddle doesn't have any of those shimmering swirls like the others do."
"That's right, Robbie. My grandmother was investigating them with Dorian and the help of Link." Paya confirmed with a nod to Impa. "She believes there is a strong connection between their appearance, and Princess Zelda's disappearance. But… why did this one appear later than the others that have been reported?"
Link then spoke.
"It… poses no danger to us."
The room fell silent. All attention was on the blonde champion. Her champion.
"Link." Purah said gently. "How are you doing?"
"Did you finish investigating the geoglyphs?" The elderly Sheikah asked.
"I'm fine, Purah, thank you for looking after me yesterday." Link responded, downcast. He turned to Impa. "I've finished looking into the geoglyphs, and…" he grimaced. This was too much.
"…and into Princess Zelda's whereabouts."
Gasps filled the room.
"You mean you know where she is!?" Josha asked, relief in her voice.
Purah, ever quick to put pieces of information together, stopped Josha in her tracks. "But the Princess isn't with you, Link."
The atmosphere changed drastically. Gone was any sense of hope, replaced by wary trepidation.
"I think I'd better start from the beginning." Link's voice started to crack.
Purah, Josha, Robbie, Impa and Paya looked at Link in anticipation of what would come next.