Chapter 6 – Every dog has its day
"So this is where you disappear off to..." Zelda said with a satisfied sigh, glancing up at the blonde walking by her side. The dogs had scattered; sniffing anything they could find amongst the undergrowth and fumbling around in the flower fields until only the tips of their tails could be seen above the ocean of petals.
"Disappear? You make it sound like I'm hiding." Samus threw back with a sceptical raise of the eyebrow, "Or that you look for me." She added slowly; taking note of Zelda's guilty, widening eyes.
"Well, I would be lying if I were to tell you that I have not been curious." She said in hopes of justification, but Samus' cocky and lopsided smirk quickly drained any anxiety dwelling behind her words and prompted her to throw back a retort of her own.
"How could I resist the allure of the mystery that is Samus Aran?" She lowered her voice, wiggling her fingers in Samus' direction.
The huntress rolled her eyes. "Ohh, so that's why you've been following me around." Brow quirked inquisitively, she dropped her voice an octave. "Mysterious."
Zelda brought a hand to her mouth and covered a wide smile.
"Quite. I mean," She hesitated, gesturing with her free hand towards their surroundings, "This is not exactly where I had expected you to be."
Samus only shrugged in response, casting a glance down at the tan and brown dog that had joined her side. An older dog, one that could not run with the pack like it used to. Her mouth faltered in a frown, and she reached down to pat its head. Samus, Zelda had noticed, had a distinctly noticeable soft side for animals (and Pokémon for that matter) – and Zelda knew first hand to trust an animal when it came to judgement of character.
The dog looked up at the huntress with wide, brown eyes, and as its ears perked sleepily Samus gave off a soft coo of adoration.
"This is Binky." She declared very suddenly, looking over her shoulder back at Zelda who looked to be a mix of pleasantly surprised and confused. "He's the main reason that I take them out here. The ground is flat, and Binks can't walk too good."
Zelda's smile only grew. How thoughtful.
As she opened her mouth to speak, the old dog flopped down to sit – and it took Samus less than a moment to stop too.
"Hold that thought." She murmured sheepishly, turning to face Binky with both hands on her hips. Zelda giggled; it was quite a sight to see Samus Aran pouting at a stubborn dog.
"What're y'doing, buddy?" She knelt down to get nose to nose with Binky, who only grumbled in response. She sighed and shook her head before scooping him up into her arms, turning back to Zelda with an apologetic, lop-sided smile. "Don't mind his lazy ass. You were saying?"
Zelda merely giggled in response, shaking her head. "I never thought that I would see you cradling a dog as though it were your own child, Miss Aran."
Samus' eyes dropped, and Zelda's smile faltered when she realised that the same dull sadness she had seen before had returned to azure eyes.
"...Quite." Samus answered finally, turning her eyes back to the pathway as Binky settled quietly in her arms. She held him a little tighter.
"So," Zelda cleared her throat nervously, hoping to shed some light on what had become a painfully heavy atmosphere, "I hear from the Mushroom Kingdom princesses that there is a party the upcoming weekend for participants of the tournament."
"A party?" Samus groaned, casting her a stare of dismay, "You mean loud noise and drunk strangers. No thank you."
Zelda returned the stare sympathetically, taking the moment to take in Samus' peculiar pupils as they dilated very slightly, and did not break the contact.
"I hear that it is also mandatory." Zelda added carefully, gauging an immediate response.
Samus threw her head back and growled from the back of her throat; startling Zelda in the process. "You gotta be fucking kidding me! All that ever happens if Wolf yaps his shitty mouth off, someone spills their drink on me and I spend the night sat in the corner with Pikachu."
Zelda, to Samus' surprise, did not flinch. She clasped her hands together, and smiled quite calmly.
"Well, perhaps I can keep you company this time."
Samus fell silent for a long time. She cast her eyes back up to meet Zelda's unwavering stare, and nodded simply in response.
"That'd... be alright, I think."
Zelda beamed, and for a brief moment Samus saw a glimmer of hope in her eyes. It felt familiar; the same look she'd given when first accepted into the galactic federation. What a mistake that had been; and she quickly shook the similarity from her mind. She didn't want this to be a mistake.
"So, Samus.." Zelda's voice snapped her from her thoughts, and she cocked a brow with artificial disturbance.
"Yeah?"
"...When are we going to turn around?"
Samus flushed. She'd been so distracted that she hadn't realised how far out she'd taken them – and although the dogs appeared absolutely enthralled in their walk, they also looked rather perplexed as she slowed to a stop.
"Shit. I mean, uh-" She fumbled, trying to gather her cool as Zelda began to giggle behind her. Binky began to squirm.
"It is quite alright, I am sure that the dogs are enjoying a little extr-"
"I didn't mess up!" Samus blurted quickly, giving a huff as she started up walking again. Play it cool, Aran. "I was just... taking us to a spot where we can sit down or whatever." Placing Binky down and waving her hand dismissively, Samus shook her head.
"Samus... You need not cover up that-"
"I'm not covering-! Urgh!" She snapped, grabbing ahold of Zelda's wrist and leading her much quicker after Binky as he bounded down the path as though he were a pup again.
Zelda felt an all too familiar heat rush into her cheeks, and she fell silent; Samus clearly had something in mind, or at least somewhere, and she wasn't one to argue.
With the sun beating down on her back, Zelda sighed very softly. Samus had lead them to the top of a hill, 'nowhere special' the huntress had said, but Zelda had little concern over how 'special' a place was. She was happy to be there, and Samus was her company – that made it beyond special to her.
"Do you come here often?" She asked quietly, shuffling to sit closer to the blonde who was staring out across the view of the smash city below. She looked troubled, although this was nothing new. Samus' eyes often flickered as though she were deep in thought, and her brows seemed almost permanently furrowed with frustration, but as one cocked up to cast Zelda a questioning glance, she found it rather sweet that Samus' gaze softened – even if only very slightly.
"Not with the dogs. Sometimes with the ship when I get all..." For a brief moment, sadness flashed in the blonde's eyes, and Zelda's smile faded. "Ugh. I dunno, just... sometimes." She muttered, casting her eyes away and letting her hair fall over her face.
Zelda pursed her lips, and she dared to move a little closer; resting a hand on Samus' shoulder. She tensed immediately, but did not pull away.
"I will not force you to talk." She assured, voice delicate and careful, "But I understand why you would choose here."
As Samus met her eyes once more, the melancholy in her stare was questioning, as though urging for her to continue.
"It feels very free compared to our combat grounds. Not like the walls of a building, or a ship, or a castle. There is nobody here to question you or your actions. I imagine it is rather soothing."
Samus raised her head slightly, searching Zelda's eyes. They had a familiar ache burning beneath the surface; a need for freedom that Samus knew all too well whilst she was young. It hadn't slipped her mind that Zelda was a princess; a lifestyle that surely took toll on what risks and adventures she could take, if any at that. They weren't so different in that sense, Samus thought, and she swallowed thickly.
"Castles look dull." She said, more bluntly than expected, and Zelda's eyes widened.
"Excuse me?"
"Castles. They look dull. Like there's nothing to do in them. Nothing changes, or grows, and it looks so...dead. Like anything that walks in dies with time, or whatever."
Zelda's expression faltered, and for a moment Samus worried that she'd gravely insulted her way of life, but as she laughed sadly and looked back to the view Samus knew she had hit home.
"I love my subjects, and the kingdom they live in. But I do believe that Link has more fun than I." She confirmed, and Samus felt her voice seemed too small and lost for a woman that claimed to love her home. If anything, it felt as though she dreaded return.
"Look, uh, enjoy your time here." Samus replied, not meeting her eyes this time. "I know how you feel, wanting to leave everything but having too many responsibilities to do it. Too many people depending on you."
Although Samus' gaze did not waver, Zelda stared up at Samus hopefully. Throughout the day Samus had gradually been speaking more and more, consciously or not she couldn't tell, but it was happening far quicker than she had expected.
"I get you, Zelda. But you gotta listen to me." Their eyes met at last, and Zelda was taken aback by how firm the Blonde's stare had become.
"Don't let them own you."
Zelda shivered at the ice in her words. What could have possibly contained Samus? Would that explain her strict, battle hardened way of living?
With little thought, Zelda reached out and squeezed Samus' hand. At first she had flinched, and Zelda worried that she had crossed a line, but Samus began to relax even though she did not let go.
Samus was frozen despite the warmth that gleamed in Zelda's eyes, and the patience that Zelda had given her in not having to talk had not gone unnoticed. If Zelda could put up with her stalling and conversation dropping all day, then she could return the favour... And although she didn't want to admit it to herself, this felt easier that it had that morning in the hallway.
"I trust you, Samus."
"You shouldn't."