Hey!

Sorry about the long wait… I got sick and I kinda still am… I didn't want to write while I was in a foul mood, or I might do something I'd later regret. So, writing went painfully sluggishly. Originally I had more planned for this chapter, but I felt I had to cut it off here before I lose my mind, trying to find creativity when none would come. I hope it isn't too drastic a change in quality. If it is, tell me and I might rewrite it once I'm better, we'll see…

Anyway, have fun!

Chapter 38

Zelda

Her awakening was slow, gentle and infinitely sweet. Even before consciousness had truly returned she felt him by her side, felt the warmth of his body, his breath on her skin and the matchless comfort they both bestowed. Zelda shifted just a little, exceedingly careful not to wake him from his slumber and to enjoy the few remaining moments of waking up a little while longer.

She dimly remembered briefly stirring from her sleep and finding him gone, somewhere in the middle of the night… but just before her exhausted mind could rise in alarm, she had felt him delicately cover her with a blanket. The last vague memory was a feeling of calm and a satisfied smile on her own face as he had crawled under it himself and had snuggled back up to her.

Slowly, almost regretfully, she opened her eyes and felt herself smile once again. His face was right there, just centimetres away, blissfully asleep. A smooth, warm, wonderfully pleasant symphony of emotions hummed inside her… yesterday night might not have changed anything… but it definitely amplified everything! The memories of their sublime experience, shared in all senses, flooded through her mind, enveloping her in soft, pink clouds of sleepy contentedness.

She felt weightless… she felt happy…

She couldn't really recall when last she had felt just… serene like this. Maybe never quite like now… It wasn't that mindless state of ignorant elation that was so often craved by people who had no real hardship in their lives anyway… no… It was the incomparably more powerful joy that existed despite their looming fate… persisted through all adversity, stronger, more meaningful, making all problems feel small… She knew it couldn't last forever, but it didn't have to… the simple knowledge that there was something, something so close, that could make her feel so perfectly, blissfully happy was enough.

She wanted him to open his eyes, couldn't wait for him to look at her… maybe show her that lovestruck expression again that had sent electrifying shivers through her entire being… He was lying so close, their knees were touching just barely… His mouth was open just a tiny bit, those sensual lips that had explored her body only hours ago looking so ready for her own… weirdly, she also noticed his eyelashes, curved and long… thousands of girls would probably kill for a chance that theirs could look like that… they too gave his handsome face this cute, noble appeal that had made her weak from the start… although he probably would object to 'noble', she added in her thoughts.

Zelda couldn't resist. Leaning forward just a bit, she allowed her own lips to touch his, tantalizingly gently, merely the barest brush. Another tiny kiss for his nose… one more for his cheek… she still didn't want to wake him, but… she also felt like she might burst from overpowering affection if she didn't shower him with it right now. She loved the soft feel of his skin against her lips as she did another round over his beautiful face… tenderly, still just the lightest contact, despite her wanting more. She stopped her barrage for a moment, resting her forehead against his, nose against nose… just touching him was… inexpressible… not just in a sexual way, although she had to admit that, well, that had gained quite a lot in importance since last night… no, but also just being this close… naked under a blanket… all barriers shed… alive, hylian, womanly, safe, wanted… loved… they were only a fraction of the emotions that caressed her mind and made her tummy feel bubbly. The urge to wake him with an endless shower of kisses was nearly imperative… for a third time she let her lips touch his, hovering there, debating whether she should go in for it, let him wake up in such a sensual way…

Link's breath was calm… he must still be fast asleep. No wonder, she thought… Not only had he had his almost deadly battle against this abomination, this corrupted un-life, but then had exerted so much energy being near crazed with concern for her… and, last but certainly not least, he had carried her to a hitherto undiscovered plane of delight. He had every right to be exhausted.

Zelda felt something brush against her thigh… leaving his lips, she looked down and couldn't suppress an impish grin. 'Now look what you have done!' she chided herself playfully. Even in the gloom under the blanket she could clearly see what had just woken up. Maybe he wasn't quite as deeply asleep as she had thought? A part of him certainly wasn't…

At least a dozen ideas sprang forth in her head as she gazed upon him, each more naughty than the last, all mouth-wateringly alluring. Should she…? Was that not too much? This was all so very new, to both of them… she simply couldn't say, whether he would be startled or… intrigued…

'Let him sleep…' her rational voice told her softly. 'There will be time for all of it…'

How can we know that? How can we possibly know that there will ever be a time like this again?

'…If there isn't, we'll just have to make the time…'

Still grinning, she looked back from down there to his angelic face. 'How quickly my thoughts can turn from innocent to… decidedly not…' she thought, stifling a giggle. But it was for the best… slowly the sleepiness faded and as her senses returned fully, she noticed that she felt rather… sticky… in places… Thankfully the little creek was just next to their sleeping place…

Reluctantly and careful not to disturb him, she peeled herself out from under the blanket and its comforting warmth. The morning was cool or her naked skin. Reflexively she covered herself with her hands from… from what actually? The horses? Grass?

Zelda briefly looked around, trying to remember where she had placed their stuff. She grinned amusedly and shook her head slightly. No fire, no dinner, their saddlebags in a pile… they hadn't even fed the horses in all their excitement! Thankfully they were in a clearing with lots of grass for them to feed on… it would have been most unfortunate, had they been interrupted again by their equine chaperones. Link probably would have carved them into provisions… and frankly, she might have helped him…

She silently walked over to her bag, shivering slightly as the cold morning dew on the field flowers brushed against her legs. She wanted her soap… and the other thing. Lady's Blood… what a cynical name… probably a man had been sniggeringly proud of his naming of the plant. It hadn't been hard to procure… It's blossom was indeed a beautiful red, which made it popular as a decorative plant… though most likely many women kept it more for the reason Zelda had brought it with her…

A brief search later she had the thin metal box in her hands. Inside were 16 tight bundles of rolled up, sticky leaves, the size of a candy. She picked one, and tentatively smelled it on her way back to the stream. The stickiness apparently stemmed from honey, though whether that was to preserve it or to aid the taste she wasn't sure. She sat down by the rivulet, letting her feet dangle into the water and, after a second of hesitation, put it into her mouth and started chewing.

…definitely for the taste, she thought, scrunching up her face involuntarily. It was mostly just bitter, but quite potently so. She cupped her hand and scooped a mouthful of water to allow her to swallow without retching. The honey's sweetness was quite powerless there… maybe you weren't supposed to chew it but swallow it right away? Shouldn't make too much of a difference…

'Well…' she thought to herself. 'That was decidedly not the most pleasant part of this whole new adventure… but still very much worth it!' She couldn't think of a less opportune time to get pregnant than in the middle of an endeavour such as theirs… not to mention that she absolutely felt too young to go down that path… So, there was really no alternative, if you excluded just… not doing it. So Lady's Blood was actually quite the blessing. And a little bit of bitterness was a little price to pay for… well… being able to experience yesterday's incomparable enjoyment again without needing to worry.

…at least it left no aftertaste…

Zelda had just finished cleaning herself, which, given the icy cold of the little stream and the body parts involved, had been uncomfortably refreshing. It was still early, eight in the morning at most. She was sitting at the water, letting her feet be washed around by the crystal clear water, enjoying the warming rays of the sun on her face. Link had been stirring right behind her for about a minute… She suspected he was watching her… She had put on some clothes to, well, at least show some semblance of decency… and by some, she meant panties and bra and nothing more. She certainly didn't want to be too decent, now did she? You have to keep things interesting…

She heard him stand up, walk the two steps towards her, slowly and a little uncertain… then, when she didn't react, she felt his gentle hand on her shoulder and felt him sit down right behind her so she was trapped between his legs. His arms snaked under hers, met right below her chest so he could hug her close. She felt the naked skin of his arms on her belly and of his chest on her back… the feeling was still electrifying, his touch had lost none of its fascinating, exciting quality, despite her having tasted it maximally yesterday. That relieved her… and pleased her to no end. She felt his hot breath on her ear, then a tender kiss behind it, another one on her neck, a third one on her shoulder. Those delightful goosebumps returned, together with a slightly fluttery shiver and an involuntary intake of air… goddess, she hoped she never got used to this… hoped that it would always feel that way, that he would always feel that way… she wished he would never stop…

"Good morning, Zelda…" he whispered, his voice both calm and vibrating with so many emotions… the same ones she felt upon hearing it, she hoped… no… by now, she didn't really need to hope any longer… more and more, certainty was taking hope's place…

"Good morning, Link…" she breathed back, lightly brushing her head against his, slightly regretful that, in this position, she couldn't kiss him back. Instead she leaned back into his embrace, allowing him to support both their weight. "How was your sleep?"

"Wonderful…" he whispered.

"Mine too…" she replied, smiling softly. It really had been… dreamless, deep, peaceful… she had awoken early, completely refreshed, despite the considerable exertions of the last day.

They were quiet for a while, barely moving, just enjoying the sun, the light gurgling of the water and, most of all, each other. She sensed that something burned on his mind… She suspected that he, too, had no idea what to say, though. What do you say? How do you say it? Do you just go on as if nothing happened? That somehow felt wrong… Do you talk about it? That… might be fun… but also severely awkward…

"How are you feeling today?" he tentatively asked.

"Very good… and you?"

He hummed affirmatively. "Me too…"

Then they were silent again… 'Goddess above!' she thought, not without amusement. 'It already is awkward!'

They were back to their quiet, odd status quo of not wanting to move on yet, but unsure of how to go about talking about this. To Zelda it was like wanting confirmation that this particular chapter of their togetherness had indeed been concluded as pleasantly, as wonderfully as she had experienced, so they could begin writing the next enthralling part of their story.

Maybe this time she had to say the first thing, show him that she most likely felt the same way… "It's peculiar, isn't it? How something as… marvellous as yesterday night can make some things more awkward…" she spoke, a little warily.

He gave a single, heartfelt laugh, which almost sounded more like a relieved exhalation of tensely held air. "You have hit the nail on the head…" he answered, which alleviated her worries that she might have misjudged the situation. "Still… with you even being awkward is lovely…"

She snorted and giggled, feeling herself blush ever so slightly. The way he had said it was joking, but she could still tell that he meant it, behind the façade. "Well… that was just a tiny bit corny…" she teased smiling impishly over her shoulder at him.

"True." he replied and kissed her cheek. "But maybe I just feel like being corny today…"

Link proceeded to kiss the back of her ear, humming in obvious satisfaction. His hands, previously resting against her hips now moved to grab them ever so gently. Harmless gestures still, but the message was quite clear to Zelda… he wanted her… she felt his desire burning on her skin where his lips touched her… sensing that, her own wants reared up again… it wasn't like they had ever been gone anyway… barely dozing if anything… Din's fire, the raging inferno of wriggling pleasure beckoned terribly strongly at each of his touches…

She was torn… on one hand she already felt herself melt into his strong hands, couldn't wait for the next time his hands, his mouth, all of his skin flowed over hers… what little resistance she had was fading dangerously quickly… on the other hand…

"Link, I…" she sighed, almost involuntarily… the sensible part of her mind had made a decision that all the rest of her body and soul raged against. "I'm… a bit sore…" she whispered with a tiny voice. It wasn't a feeble excuse, she really was… a tiny bit of dried blood had come off during her wash and, well, she felt rather… abraded inside.

She felt a jolt run through him and he immediately released her from his embrace. She lifted her legs out of the water so she could turn herself around until she sat slightly sideways, her right leg brushing against his side. Even before she saw his face she had sensed the horror in him and the expression he was making now made her wish she hadn't said anything. His eyes were wide, terrified… she could almost see the myriad of thoughts that forced him into this shocked speechlessness. Dear Nayru's wisdom, why did I say that?!

"Link, no! It's fine, really, it… was to be expected…" she stammered, unsure what to say to stop him from blaming himself for essentially nothing.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, his voice slightly jittery. Heavens above he looked so miserable! She reached for his head with both hands, grabbed him so her thumbs were on his cheekbones and pulled him closer ever so slightly.

"Listen, you! It doesn't hurt, not really… I didn't even feel it yesterday while we…" she trailed off, feeling her cheeks grow warm. He swallowed heavily. His gorgeous eyes had lost their utterly mortified look, but she still saw the doubt in them. "It's just… you know… the first time…" she finished a bit weakly.

He kept quiet for a few seconds, gazing into her, probably desperately trying to convince himself that she was telling the truth. "I… I hoped that it would just be… short… damn it all, I'm such an idiot…" he growled at himself and smacked his hand in front of his eyes.

Goddess, she wanted to shake some sense into him! "Stop that right now!" she said in a stricter tone. "There is no need for drama! It's like picking your nose too much until you bleed, it's nothing! I'll not have you blame yourself for this tiny insignificance, do you hear me, sir knight?"

He lowered his hand until he could look at her over it… it looked like he was hiding his face, like a child, ashamed that it had been naughty. 'Farore's mercy, you can be adorable, you dolt…' she thought, and the sternness in her voice withered away as quickly as it had appeared. "Besides… the only alternative would have been, well… not to… and that would have been a shame…" she mumbled, unable to keep a slightly mischievous look from her features.

He was silent again, but only for a few seconds. She could sense that he was having an internal battle, fighting for courage to say something that was stirring in his mind. "So… you… liked it? Despite…" he asked cautiously.

Zelda nearly broke out in giggles at his cuteness, but held herself back… his high, almost pleading voice told her just how unsure he was… like a worried child, hesitantly hoping for praise that it had done something right… or at least not caused damage… She could feel how tense his muscles had become all of a sudden. All his defences were down, his heart completely open to her, taking the nerve-splitting risk of potentially hearing something that might severely hurt his spirit. Laughing now would be catastrophic; even the possibility of Link understanding it as her laughing at him, now, in this moment, was just too dreadful to bear thinking about.

But what to answer? Truthfully, of course… but how? …honestly, even if she hadn't liked it much, she would probably still want to do it again, if only to see those delightful reactions on his face again, to feel the electricity course through his body again at her every move… to see him look at her like that again… But she had liked it… a lot…

"I did…" she simply said in the end, softly, smilingly. She heard him swallow heavily and exhale… only now did she notice the slight nervous tremble in his arms.

"Were you so unsure?" she genuinely wanted to know, a little surprised. He had seemed so firm yesterday… had known what to do so well…

"I… fear that I was so… preoccupied with myself… that I now feel that I was only mindful of my own desires… at least at the end, when we… and then I fell asleep immediately without making sure… I'm sorry if I did something wrong…"

It all bubbled out from him now, seeming like a dozen thoughts at once, the only connection between them that they were all about her… He looked almost frightened… as if he truly believed that he might have done something bad. This infinitely brave boy who she knew would face an entire army of monsters to see her safe… now she saw him so intimidated by his unfounded self-doubt… which only stemmed from the perceived possibility of him having caused her discomfort… Dummy!

She smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring way and moved her hands so she cupped his cheeks fully. "I… didn't feel it like that at all… I felt… like a part of you…" It came closest to what she wanted to express, but, frankly, lacked the words to. "Besides…" she added and immediately felt herself blush furiously. "I rather liked you… like that…" Goddess, he forced her to say stuff like that! …She didn't really mind it, but… it was still a bit embarrassing.

Seeing his reaction was definitely worth it, though. His whole adorable face was instantly lit in flaming red. She so wanted to kiss him again, but, quite frankly, didn't fully trust herself that she wouldn't overthrow her resolve and give in to her desire after all… that would make her seem like a complete fool, undoubtedly.

"I take it you enjoyed yourself as well?" she asked, smirking as she removed her hands from his face. It was, of course, a way of teasing him, which she loved doing… but beneath that, she too wanted to make sure that he would have only pleasant memories of their first time together. Though the dolt would probably never admit it, if she had done anything that he hadn't been particularly fond of…

He snorted a quick, still slightly tense chuckle and eyed her curiously. "Couldn't you tell?" If anything, his crimson skin turned an ever deeper red.

"There were a few hints here and there…" she replied playfully… It was weird… they both were back at this nervous, constantly blushing state of thrilling uncertainty… hesitant to speak for fear of seeming like an utter idiot… but despite that it was just as fun as it had ever been.

Finally a genuine smile crept tentatively back onto his face. "I… it really, truly was the most indescribably magical moment in my life…" he mumbled, looking down, clearly quite a bit ashamed to openly admitting that. But apparently he felt an even stronger urge to share this with her… share his feelings, no matter how much they embarrassed him. Without another moment of hesitation Zelda leaned close and kissed him, long and tenderly. He had no reason to be abashed… He had said exactly what she had secretly hoped he would say. She herself had been a tiny bit afraid… afraid that, to him, last night might not carry the same existential weight as it did for her… But now, more than ever, she sensed the thundering maelstrom of emotions in him, that showed her just how deep his feelings ran, causing that almost frightened tremble in his body. It was as if, just for one precious moment, the final barrier between them had been shattered, which gave both of them a tantalizing glimpse of the infinitely deep sea of emotions underneath.

Zelda felt both like laughing and crying… all her life she had yearned for something, something she hadn't been able to describe… It had been like longing for something that you didn't even know was missing. And now, for the first time in her life, she felt like she could stop searching… she felt whole. His hands locked her back into a careful embrace, and she followed suit. One single, involuntary sob escaped her… she couldn't have held it back, even if she had wanted to. The deep, pure happiness that bubbled inside of her, that feeling that was still so deliciously new to her, made her both giddily joyful and teary-eyed.

Without looking, lips still locked together, she felt Link's left hand gently caress her cheek, wiping away the hot tear that had snuck out from her eye. An uncontrollable giggle waved through her body… he understood… he understood so incredibly well… maybe she would find a similar drop betraying his feelings on his cheek, but she didn't need to find it to know. She sensed in him the same overpowering emotions that had led her to assault his sleeping being with kiss after kiss… this wild affection that seemed to pulse through body and soul with every heartbeat, both strong as a raging river and tender as a warm breeze. Zelda realized with a pleasant shiver that this new door they had opened on the way of their relationship did in no way signify a goal… in a way, the road had only now begun, with an unending spectrum of wonders to explore and cherish.

Hesitantly she separated her lips from his. Eyes still closed, she felt him shower her with tiny caresses, for her nose, her brow, her cheek… gently, loving, never-ending… 'Seems familiar…' she thought smilingly to herself, basking in his attention.

Her heart made her say something… something that, she felt, summarized both past and, hopefully, future. "The most indescribably magical moment… yet…"

It hadn't been easy resisting temptation… If it had only been half as hard for him as it was for her, she pitied him. But they had stopped and, clumsily, distractedly, had gotten ready to continue their travelling… after catching the horses that they, in their heat, had forgotten to leash.

Riding was… not the most comfortable motion after yesterday's adventures. But she would be damned before she voiced any discomfort to him… The risk of him needlessly worrying again was far too great… and she didn't want him to feel like he was to blame for it. If he were constantly troubled about every little twinge, it might grievously hamper his eagerness for their next… romp. And she definitely couldn't bloody have that!

Still, she was glad that they had unanimously agreed on taking this day a bit slower. Not only had their panic induced flight yesterday awarded them significant muscle-aches, but also a surprising amount of distance. If Link's orientation was correct, and she believed it was, they had easily doubled their usual target kilometres, fuelled solely by near insane fear. So, the decision to use the day more recreationally was an easy one to make.

"We should, however, decide on one thing…" he muttered as he concentrated on both the map and keeping Janna from straying.

"Which is?" she asked, curious.

He thought for a few seconds, probably double and triple-checking that he wasn't making a mistake. "If we change direction to north northwest, we would encounter the North Road tomorrow evening. From there, it should only be a stone's throw away from Valewyn…" he pondered aloud.

"I passed through Valewyn, though we only stopped for the night and were off the first thing in the morning. I thought it looked pretty…" she mused.

"I should think so…" he grumbled. "Pretty much all traders have to pass through it on their way north or back to Hyrule due to the hills…"

Zelda knew he had to be right. The range of hills known as the Ochre Belt was the geographic northern border of the heartlands. Few of the valleys cutting through it were easily negotiable, especially with carts or wagons. So, naturally, the clever settlers of Valewyn, the town in the centre of the smoothest pass far and wide had established a profitable business by providing accommodation and food for all who passed through.

Going there was the obvious way forward… but he had mentioned a decision that was to be made. "What is the alternative?" she asked.

"Should we chose to circumnavigate Valewyn entirely, we would have to pass through here. Look." He leaned over and pointed to a tiny path which started to the northeast and snaked around the hills. "Either way, it would be best if we decided soon, so we can take the most efficient way there."

"Right…" she mumbled and thought it through. She felt his gaze on her as she silently pondered, patient but eager for her opinion. She liked how he did this… were he alone, he probably would have already made up his mind… but despite him clearly being more proficient in navigation, he wanted to hear her speak her mind before he presented his own. …It did, however, also put some pressure on her, as she didn't want to say something stupid… something she didn't completely trust herself on…

"Here are my thoughts. Going to Valewyn would obviously give us the opportunity to restock on food… we are running a bit low, aren't we?" she interrupted her own flow.

He nodded while making a slightly pained face. "Not terribly so, but yes. With what we have now, we should be able to comfortably pass through the Belt, but no further. If I can hunt something, or we find enough on the way, we can extend our supplies. Should something go wrong, though, and we are slowed in our trek, we might have to ration them…" he explained.

"Hm, I do not particularly like the sound of that…" she said, making a face.

"I thought you might not…" he replied with a smirk. "You eat too much. I planned for me and a girl. Not for me and a Lynel!"

Her mouth swung open at that monstrous impudence. He was lucky that the mischievous sparkle in his eyes was so adorable. Still… a challenge was uttered! "Well… you hinted at it yourself… if only you had any worth at hunting, my healthy appetite would be of no trouble, now would it?" she answered in the sweetest voice possible.

He raised his eyebrow and smiled in delight at her answer… his own wasn't far off. "To be honest, I'm at my wit's end… hunting for anything smaller than a whole boar for you would simply be a waste of time… you'd eat it in one, gluttonous gulp and leave nothing for me!"

"The princess before her subjects! I thought you would have learned by now…" she pronounced with magnificently conceited countenance, looking stiffly ahead. "Besides…" she looked back at his amused face. "After your clumsy little tumble with that odd sow yesterday, I have quite lost my appetite for pork…"

…damn her and her mouth that was sometimes too quick for her own good… that might have been a bit too much… or a lot… she hoped that her rather careless words didn't spoil the mood for him. His grin wavered just a bit… but it recovered quickly, thank the goddess.

"Wow… that was quite something…" he chuckled, shaking his head in surprise. Zelda tucked her lips between her teeth and made herself small, trying to show that she wasn't entirely pleased with how that had come out.

"Remember when, back in Hyrule, I said that I might try to 'pull you down to whatever pit I call home'? Should I begin to think that on our way down into depravity you mean to overtake me instead?" he asked her, all sugary sweetness and, possibly, slightly proud.

She looked back at him, equally cherubic, gently patting his hand on the map. "Aw… would your manliness be in danger should I turn out the victor of our little battle of wickedness?" she cooed, as if soothing a child.

His deep blue eyes gazed into hers for a moment, smiling lovingly, before he tenderly lifted her hand to his lips. "Is there any part of my manliness which I haven't already willingly given up to you?" he purred and kissed her fingers ever so delicately.

Zelda felt her heart melt despite herself… and despite the double entendre. She so didn't want to blush at that ridiculously bromidic line, but… damn, he was a master of putting just enough sincerity in nonsense such as this, that it somehow worked. Or… maybe she was just a love-struck fool…

"Let us focus again, you sausage knight, you…" she grumbled, knowing that this pitiful effort of distracting from her speechlessness wouldn't fool anybody. Of course he grinned with glee… let him have this victory… her revenge would be swift and terrible!

"Please! Go ahead with your thoughts, then, dumpling!" he suggested.

As if she could form a coherent sentence now, after that ludicrous statement of his that still made her feel as if she were made of butterflies.

"Right… well, we've discussed food… so… the village is obviously the shorter route. But it is also the obvious one…" she mumbled slowly, trying to restart her brain. "If we assume that our enemy is actively looking for us, they might lie in waiting in strategic locations such as the only secured pass through the Ochre Belt. So it would be a risk."

"True. Two things however: One, unless we are extremely unlucky, the agents of the Threat have no idea to which of the three places we are headed. Two, Valewyn is very busy, so I think it's rather likely that we could simply go unnoticed." Link laid out.

"Besides… we have already more than enough proof that even the heartlands proper are no longer truly safe from monsters." Zelda added thoughtfully. "Considering this, a nearly unused path through the hills, cut off from everything, feels like quite the hazard as well."

"Good point." He said, nodding appreciatively. "Judging by your argumentation, I guess you have made up your mind."

It was her time to nod. "I would risk the village. As long as we are careful, we should be fine… we can't keep away from civilization forever anyway." she reasoned. There was a certain longing in her voice, which she hoped he didn't notice… She enjoyed travelling with him, just him, she really did, but… She loved the hubbub of towns and cities, the impressions, the smells, the noise… they had always been far for her, unreachable from her golden cage… She had had a taste of it when Link had led her through the city of Hyrule and it had been truly wonderful. The idea of visiting villages like this, completely incognito, was extremely enticing. For all her power as princess, strolling on a busy street, watching people's faces as they didn't gaze at you deferentially, moving freely to wherever her feet carried her, browsing stalls that proffered wondrous goods from all over the world… they had all been outright impossibilities. Now, as just some girl, it was all open to her…

"I agree…" he said at last, with a soft, slightly knowing expression. "We will, at the last stage of our trip, be travelling far off from any settlement. We will have to get used to that… but for now, we should enjoy civilization as long as we can."

"Then we are in accord." Zelda pronounced grandly, as if she were inaugurating an opera-house. Link snorted and giggled… apparently he hadn't expected that, she thought gleefully.

After they had made their course correction they were silent for a while. An idea, or rather, a troubling thought had formed in Zelda's mind days ago… She hadn't really paid it much attention, but it had persisted, instead of being forgotten.

"Link?" she asked after a long while of debating back and forth with herself whether she should bother him with it.

"Hmm?" he hummed, smiling at her softly. Goddess, she could look at that face all day… and night…

"I… have a… thought that keeps bothering me. I would like your opinion…"

"I will gladly give it! Go ahead, dumpling!" he answered sincerely.

"We... we assume, based on what little we have found out and on what Impa told us, that the Threat's resurgence is… an unstoppable, cyclical event…" she began, ponderous.

"Go on…"

"So… whatever the Threat is, we surmise that the breaking of its chains is imminent… that we are running against the clock to stop it…"

"True, that is what needs to be feared… It emerging soon and wreaking havoc if it isn't stopped… by us…" he affirmed, curiosity in his voice.

"Well…" she thought very carefully on what she was about to say next. "If it is only a matter of time… why attack? Why have the agents of the Threat decided to go out into the open to launch an assault that might drive us to action? Why did they not wait, keep secret that anything at all was happening, until their master has been freed?" She swallowed. "Why involve us while they are still vulnerable?"

He was silent for a long time, his face concentrated and troubled. "This is something I haven't considered up until now…" he admitted slowly. He chewed on his lip, thinking. "For one, a familiar answer that is as vague as it is unsatisfactory: We know too little. There might be a reason that we, ignorant as we are, simply cannot fathom. They might have gotten worried about what Impa has told us, but…"

"…but I was attacked before that…" she finished for him.

"Exactly…" he nodded, but then looked into infinity, scowling, and shook his head. "I do not know, Zelda, I'm sorry. But I will think on it…"

"Hmm…" she hummed thankfully, giving him a little smile.

Neither of them could think of a reason in the following hours… and they were troubled by it.