Chapter 42

Zelda

Sleep had her limbs and mind girded in lead. She couldn't remember how long she had waked at the side of his bed, holding her breath every time he moved a muscle or gave a sigh… but in the end she had sunken into a blessedly dreamless slumber, her brain apparently too exhausted to torment her with the nightmares she had anticipated.

Instead it was her body that protested… She had sat on a wooden stool, resting her arms and head as close to him as possible for the entire rest of the night… Her lower back complained, her shoulders swore profusely and her bottom, frankly, wished her a painful death.

Still, every time she had briefly awoken, she had listened to his breathing for a few seconds before accepting sleep's pull once more. She was so, unbelievably tired… Through her eyelids she could perceive dim sunlight… she couldn't even remember that there had been a window in the small room they had brought them, so focused had she been on him.

Still, she doubted she had slept more than 4 hours… a slight headache thrummed between her temples… his breathing was still calm and deep… All reasons to go back to dreamlessness…

Tenderly, she rolled her shoulders, trying to soften her stiff muscles at least a tiny bit. Something she hadn't even felt till now slid off her head and came to rest on her neck… something heavy and warm…

She was wide awake in an instant and had to hold herself back with all her might from jumping up. Her eyes, blurrily at first, and burning, perceived his smooth, handsome face, so preciously close… just the way she left it. But… yes! There was no doubt! Although she could only feel it, the weight on the nape of her neck had to be his hand. It had been resting perfectly on her head! At some point, he must have woken up, had found her sleeping by his side and had decided to caress her, before falling back into slumber. The thought made her heart beat quicker, made her smile like a lunatic and threatened to force a mad giggling fit to break out of her belly. Despite her desires to laugh and wake him now bordered on the imperative, she quelled these selfish impulses… barely.

She absolutely could not, however, resist the temptation of moving just this tiny bit closer to let her lips brush ever so lightly against his… she really wanted to hug him to her so fiercely that his bones creaked, but for now, every little touch filled her with a calm she desperately sought.

Zelda thought about trying to fall asleep again with this wonderful, soothing closeness… her lips and nose just barely touching his, feeling the heat from his body on her face… Goddess, she was still so tired still… But no. Not only did she have to twist her neck in a really odd way to keep the contact, but she also had quite enough of lying around impassively, no matter how sweet it was. She already felt like a layabout, something that did not sit well with her in the least! As the sunlight kissed her and shone through her closed eyelids, feeling the reassuring weight of Link's hand on her, she decided to leave the terrible despair that had gripped her in the yesterday, where it belonged. Link had done his part admirably… and she would be damned if all she did with the time his sacrifice had bought her was moping around, feeling sorry for herself. Her hopeless behaviour of the previous night filled her with anger at herself! Enough anger to overcome the darker emotions that had plagued her and instead fill her with a zest for action. A time might come when there is no doctor so close… what then? Why in the world should Link continue to protect her at such a heavy cost, if she couldn't even do her due part and patch him back together? What she had seen yesterday still made her feel queasy, but… damn it all, it was her bloody duty to look after him, wasn't it? Of course it was! So she had to learn! And she wouldn't waste any damn time by lamenting her uselessness, but would instead do something about it!

But first… just 5 more seconds of her lips against his…

With great reluctance, and looking over her shoulder about thirty times, she had left the chamber he was sleeping in. Not only did nature call quite vigorously, but to follow her determination not to succumb to any dark thoughts that threatened to haunt her, she had to find a worthwhile activity or something to study.

The first problem had arisen upon the realization that she had absolutely no clue where she was… an unadorned stone corridor… somewhere… Last night she had been far too tired and preoccupied to care where she had put her feet. Luckily Zelda stumbled upon a female soldier with a splinted arm who pointed her in the right direction before any mishaps could occur.

As luck would have it, she ran right into Doctor Rask's arms as he was doing his morning round, checking on his patients.

"Good morning…" she greeted him, a tiny bit intimidated by his stern gaze.

"Morning." he grumbled, rubbing his eyes. Unsurprisingly, he seemed at least as tired as she felt herself… probably where his sour expression stemmed from… "I was just on my way to our mutual patient." he said with a lopsided little grin. Zelda was a bit confused for a split second, before she remembered that she had indeed made the healing salve that now covered his back. Hearing that the physician included her in his team, even in jest, lifted her spirits quite a bit… and filled her with the terror of responsibility for something so important. "Has he awoken yet?"

"No…" she told him, unable to hide how that saddened her. "But he must have, briefly, while I was asleep. He had moved."

"Good. We give him all the time he needs. When he wakes up, inform me, please. I will have to take a look at his wounds. In the meantime…" he announced, rummaging in the bag he carried. He pulled out a rather tatty-looking, medium sized book and gazed at it as if it were an old friend. "As you've shown interest in the healing arts, I thought you might want to pass the time with this. A short survey over the most useful plants used in medicine and their processing, as well as a guide for the treatment of injuries. Maybe you'll find it interesting…" he mumbled, almost apologetically, before handing it to her.

Zelda was momentarily overwhelmed. She took the item and leafed through it briefly. There were beautiful illustrations of plants, their different parts and uses accurately labelled and their processing explained in detail in a rather hard to read hand. The second half was devoted to the art of bandaging, suturing, splinting and general wound management. What she had pored over for many, mentally overwhelming hours in dozens of huge tomes was masterfully condensed in this handbook! This was an unbelievable treasure in their situation! She looked back up at the still frowning doctor with wide eyes, lost for words.

"It's, well… little more than a few tips and tricks…" he muttered, scratching his cheek. "Won't replace a formal education, mind you, but still…"

"It's wonderful!" Zelda exclaimed excitedly. "May I… may I copy some of it?" she asked timidly, unsure how he would react. She was almost certain that he was the author of this priceless gem, anxious as he was to see her reaction… he might be unwilling to have his secrets duplicated.

A wave of relief was mirrored on his face and a genuinely pleased smile crossed his lips. "Naturally! I hope you'll find a use for it…"

"Thank you so much!" she breathed, showing him a delighted smile. She couldn't wait to delve deep into the crinkled, stained pages. She basically skipped back to Link's chamber, her fingers itching to turn page after page.

An hour had passed, making it about 11 in the morning. The sheer excitement of sinking her teeth into new knowledge had even dispelled the heavy tiredness for the time being. The book was as fascinating as she had hoped, filled to the brim with useful details, written in a way so even a layman could comprehend it. She loved learning about plants, mushrooms and even insects or other critters, how to find them, use them, combine them to make useful potions, tinctures or oils. Most of them sounded incredibly utilitarian for their quest… some did seem a little scary… but she nevertheless itched to try making them… and see their effect.

For now she avoided the section on wounds, broken bones and simple maladies though… she felt she needed a little more time to… warm up to that subject.

She was just about to copy a page on an ointment that, allegedly, protected skin against fire, when she sensed someone's eyes resting on her.

Her head darted around and her heart skipped a beat. His eyes were open! Her entire body screamed for her to jump up and press him against her, but something made her hesitate. His expression was neutral… his deep-blue eyes seemed to bore into her soul. All those myriads of doubts blazed up like a wildfire, freezing her to the spot, filling her head with phantasms of him growing distant because of the pain he had to endure for her… or her failure at being of any help. She gazed into his perfect blue and, for the first time, couldn't read him.

Was he happy? She didn't know.

Was he angry? She couldn't say.

Was he resenting her? Please, Farore's mercy, please don't let it be that!

A dense fog of worry clouded her mind, robbing her of the almost supernatural connection that normally allowed her to feel his emotions. It was as if one of her senses had been blinded… And she was so terrified of what his first reaction would be, her skin turned cold.

Then, as seemingly slowly as plants growing, he smiled… warmly, lovingly and invitingly.

She knew it was stupid, but she couldn't help herself. She pounced on him as the releasing tension let the tears fall from her eyes. She nearly pulled him up to a sitting position and drew him into a fiery kiss, all the desperation of the last hours finally venting as she felt his warm skin against hers.

He was momentarily stunned, a surprised "Wlap?" escaping his lips which were already inescapably pressed against hers. Then she finally felt the electrifying feeling of his strong arms embracing her, his hand finding the back of her head to pull her even further in. She couldn't say how long they remained like this, firmly enveloped in each other, her heart pounding in her chest. It felt like an eternity.

When she released him, she only did so to look at his face again, finally awake, sating her craving for him to gaze upon her with his wonderful, kind eyes.

How close it had been… how close those monsters had come to robbing her of the incomparable sensation of him smiling at her in his loving, playful way.

Despite all her efforts, her face contorted with a new flow of tears. So close…

"Hey… no need for that, sweetling…" he cooed, looking a bit startled.

His voice was the drop that, at last, broke the dam. Powerful sobs racked her body, and the tears left hot trails on her cheeks. He was back… Finally she was certain… She hadn't lost him.

He pulled her close again, wordlessly, unquestioningly. Despite being obviously confused, he still somehow understood… and she loved him for it.

He held her as she sobbed uncontrollably into his naked shoulder, holding on to him as if she were drowning. He made low, gentle humming sounds and rocked her like a child. Each crying convulsion brought immense relief. At last the stress, the fear, the worries that had bitten at her like a swarm of spiky insects could be released, one shuddering breath after the other. Finally, he was holding her again… Finally, she too could start to heal.

Nayru's wisdom, she felt like such a crybaby… their reunion after Link's brief absence certainly hadn't gone as she had imagined… but it had still felt good…

When ultimately her sobs had subsided, she had been almost afraid to look at him again, expecting to spontaneously combust in shame when he looked at her, the silent question about her shameful display on his eyes. Her cheeks had burned when he gently pulled her face upward so he could gaze at her undoubtedly puffy and unsightly features. But, as usual, he had saved her…

"So, erm… I don't really recall having my face wounded so bad that it would incite such a dismayed reaction…" he spoke thoughtfully. She finally looked up at him, startled at first, but he had that raised eyebrow and playful grin that she adored so much. "Maybe a good scar might make me look manlier, what do you think?"

And just like that they were back to normal, joking and teasing each other as if nothing had happened. Words couldn't describe how thankful she was for his humour, even if she was unable to engage in their usual verbal fencing just now… too tumultuous was the storm of emotions boiling inside her still. Instead she just giggled like a fool and shook her head before kissing first his forehead, then his nose and finally his lips, long and greedily. He responded as she hoped he would… though maybe a tad more… vividly as she had expected. His hands found her waist and pulled her closer and… well… when she basically sat in his lap she felt a rather distinctive activity against her lower parts.

"I thought you were injured…" she growled playfully, looking at him in mock sternness.

"Not there." he answered huskily, planting another intense kiss on her lips. "Besides, it is supposed to be healthy, isn't it?"

"Idiot." She giggled, feeling herself flush with heat. She had to admit… she was extremely tempted… not only had they been interrupted yesterday, but the relief seemed very eager to turn itself seamlessly into lust. A part of her brain yelled at her: 'right here, right now! Who the hell cares, if anyone sees?'… But it was not the dominant part… Only just.

"We are… in a sickbay… in a barracks…" she breathed between his hungry kisses. "This is not very private…"

"Would you be terribly surprised to hear that right now I am not thinking with my head?" he replied, slowing his approach just a tad.

"Do you think I am?" she giggled back, placing a firm hand on his bandage-covered chest.

With a heavy sigh he removed his lips from hers, but remained close so their foreheads and noses touched. She could feel his inner battle to cool down his raging hormones… Or maybe she just felt her own struggle…

"Thank you for being here…" he whispered. Zelda didn't quite know how exactly he meant it, but it nevertheless filled her with a wonderfully pleasant and warm feeling. "If all it takes is a few scratches to be woken up like this by you…" he chuckled.

"Don't say that…" she mumbled. She knew he meant it as a joke, but… all those fears were still far too close.

"Sorry…" he murmured, but she shook her head slightly and gave him another tiny peck to show him that he didn't make a mistake. Then, regretfully, she removed herself from his lap and stood up.

Whew… had it always been this hot in here?

"How are you feeling?" she asked, and with a slight smirk added: "You know, just as an afterthought…"

"Heh… well it's…" he rolled his shoulders very carefully. "…there…"

Which, she knew, in Link-terms meant 'hurts like hell'.

He winced slightly as he stood up, confirming her suspicion. He made a few measured steps, obviously gauging his mobility, then grabbed the provided long nightgown, slipped his arms in and buttoned it up. He delivered an admirable show for her sake, but it didn't fool her. The way he moved just a tiny bit slower, the few times he seemed to halt mid-motion for a split second when it stung, and the tiny tells on his face told her that it must burn quite a bit. Whenever she spotted such an indication, she had to stop herself from cringing with him, as if it were her own flesh that protested… Sometimes she really could feel it, like a needle pricking her in the back… It doubled how sorry she felt about him having to endure all this. He looked back at her and, judging by his reaction, she wasn't quick enough at hiding her dismayed expression.

"Hey, come on… I really do feel fine, just a bit… hindered. It's more like a really insistent itch than an actual pain." He assured, and to her relief she couldn't sense any untruths there. "It's just stupid…" he chuckled, rolling his shoulders again as if testing whether everything still worked. "You never realize how much you use your back with almost every single movement… now I know!"

She magicked a slightly pouty look onto her face. "And here I thought you were hale enough for… later…" she purred with an unmistakably sensual voice. To her delight, she saw him perk up quite distinctly.

"Hmm…" he hummed, making a thinker's pose. "I wonder whether what you allude to could possibly be worth the discomfort…" The little mischievous smirk he gave at the end was the only thing that saved him from her thunderous wrath.

"Excuse me?!" she flared with a speechless, but still amused, open-mouthed smile. He gave an almost sleazy laugh before sliding over to her and planting his lips on hers before she could defend herself. She giggled into his mouth, caught somewhere between genuine amusement and the desire to give him another set of matching scratches. Despite the monumental cheek, she enjoyed his teasing immensely… it gradually allowed normality to return, one stupid joke after the other.

"I think I'll be in appropriate shape for… that…" he whispered in her ear, causing the skin on her arms to erupt into goosebumps. "…in two or three weeks, at least… Do you think you can contain your carnality till then, my princess?"

My, my! Not just a few more scratches but also a handsome collection of broken bones! A nasty little grin adorned her face when an appropriate answer came to mind. "Judging by the little… excursion you had behind the bushes just yesterday morning, I am more worried about your mental fortitude, my sausage knight…" She twittered with diabolic sweetness.

She saw the colour drain from his face momentarily, which gave her a tiny pang of guilt… and quite a large portion of malicious glee. "Errrm…" he errm-ed, blushing furiously and scratching the back of his head in a nervous manner. Combined with how he desperately avoided her gaze, the sight was unbelievably cute.

"I thought I was sneaky…" he admitted after a while of awkward shuffling. Zelda felt strangely pleased that he didn't try to deny it… she liked that he dared share even such a… juicy little secret. Still…

"You slunk away like a thief in the night and returned with an immensely relieved expression… it didn't take a great amount of intense sleuthing to reach a conclusion…" she mocked him gently, her smile as mischievous as it could get.

"I thought you were sleeping…" he remarked, treating her to an impish grin of his own.

"I was… until your activities woke up half the forest!" she exaggerated remorselessly, delighting in the slight discomfort he showed… and, admittedly, the forbidden spiciness of the topic.

"Oh very well!" He sighed, shaking his head with a grumpy expression. "Next time such urges overcome me, I shall wake you! It appears you felt left out…"

Now it was her time to freeze in bafflement. It didn't help when he brought his face extremely close to hers, his adorable, playful smile on it and whispered: "After all… I can think of no other reason why you would bring this up…"

Her brain nearly overheated, trying desperately to think… of anything…

…

…

…damn it…

Thankfully, she was able to distract the flow of conversation from that particularly embarrassing topic by telling him of her promise to inform the surgeon once Link woke up. They were currently walking along the corridor towards the operations theatre… not a room Zelda particularly wanted to revisit, but she would be damned if she allowed him to go there alone. As they walked, she wondered more than once whether she should take his hand in hers… she wanted to… and he seemed nervous… But then again, she didn't want him to feel embarrassed, or his manliness jeopardized, walking hand in hand in a barracks… Maybe she was overthinking, as usual…

Doctor Rask was his usual, outwardly slightly sour self. "Ah… the man who rid my little town of these disgusting pests… and saved me a lot of work! You have my thanks!" His tone was surly, but his appreciative little smile and the eagerness with which he extended his hand betrayed his genuinely warm heart. Link took it with a modest grin of his own. To her it was clear, that he was quite abashed at the unexpected praise. "You know, some people have the decency to actually look like they have just been wounded… and not like life itself!" the man grumbled, restoring his usual morose façade. Talk like that was, of course, not something you could expect to go unchallenged with Link.

"Very well… I shall learn to wail and moan appropriately, to meet your requirements as patient. Shall I practice right now?" he replied with an overly enthusiastic expression.

"No need to practice… have a lie down!" the surgeon said with a nasty chuckle, leaving the implied threat hang in the air.

Zelda was ready to launch into a blood-curdling tirade at that, but thankfully her knight seemed more amused than intimidated at that hair-raising tactlessness. Maybe it was a soldier-thing… she decided she didn't even want to understand it…

He lay down on his stomach without hesitation… though by now she noticed the tiny tells that showed he wasn't as calm as he acted. Slightly faster breathing, an absentminded playing with the sheet, his eyes following Rask's every move… Damn masculinity to whatever brainless hell it came from! Choosing a moment when the doctor wasn't looking, she quickly bent down and gave him a tiny kiss on the cheek while snaking her fingers into his. At first he seemed surprised, then he seemed to understand that she could see what was going on within him. He smiled softly… almost apologetically, the fool, as if being nervous was shameful. He gently squeezed her fingers, his thumb caressing the back of her hand… goddess, she had already missed his touch, stupid as that may be…

Rask turned around and both snapped their hands back as if nothing at all had occurred while he was facing away… like they had been doing something forbidden! Zelda had to stifle a giggle. Sometimes they were still like a couple of children… she liked those moments…

"Now… let's see how well your salve worked, hm? Since Lairy is still busy bandaging other patients, you will assist me today too, if that is your wish…" the surgeon muttered as he moved towards the operating table.

Link glanced at her, first a tad puzzled, then with a strange, soft and glad expression. "You made…" He blushed for reasons she couldn't quite understand. "No wonder it worked so well, then…"

Zelda felt herself turn red as well… then she saw Rask roll his eyes, which turned her bright crimson instead.

"If we could restore our attention to the matter at hand…" he grumbled before continuing in a much kinder tone. "I will have to change the bandages, inspect the wounds and disinfect them. Would you like something to dull the pain, lad?"

Her stomach twisted as she remembered the ordeal yesterday… and her wrist still smarted from when he had gripped her.

"Will it dull my other senses as well?" Link asked after swallowing.

"Yes, unfortunately."

"Then no." he answered firmly.

"Very well. Should you change your mind, tell me so at once. There is no shame in fighting pain, and no glory in enduring it when there is no need." the doctor said sagely. From someone who must have seen incredible amounts of it, this gave ample food for thought.

"Now. First we cut away the old bandage. Reuse them only, if there is no chance that the wound is infected… so that excludes all injuries by animal or monster." Rask immediately launched into his lecture, which Zelda lapped up greedily. Not only did it provide distraction from her own troubling thoughts, but she really was greatly interested in the healing arts… despite what they did to her belly.

"Good. We see that only a little bit of blood has come through the cloth. That is perfectly in order… completely soaked through wouldn't be."

To her, it looked like plenty of dark red on the white linen, but granted, it was far from drenched. Still… her head started to spin again. The thought that his life-juice was seeping out of the deep gashes she had seen yesterday… She bit down on her tongue to get her head back in line. Link was watching, listening… there was no way she would bloody faint in front of him, due to wounds that he had to endure… how utterly idiotic would that be?!

"You don't… have to… you know…" he said silently, looking up at her concernedly. Of course he had bloody noticed… she was probably pale as death right now! Goddess above!

"Hush!" she commanded, possibly a little more forcefully than necessary… she hoped he understood that, to her mind, she most certainly did have to be here.

"Now you'll remove those cloths so we can look at the wounds themselves!" the surgeon ordered calmly. She felt a cold shiver run up her spine, but she was determined to see this through. Of course the man could do this all by himself, but he was kind enough to take time out of his probably busy schedule to let her gather experience… and she would be damned if she let such an opportunity go to waste!

Swallowing slightly sour spit, she tentatively brought her fingers close… then stopped dead. "Should…" her voice sounded embarrassingly squeaky, so she tried again. "Shouldn't I wash my hands first?"

Rask's concentrated stare turned into a warm smile at her question. "Very good, young lady! Despite me consciously overtaxing you, you still thought of this vitally important detail. Please do!" he uttered, nodding.

"I, well…" she mumbled, feeling regaled, yet a tad sheepish. "It seems so obvious…"

"It does." He answered plainly. "Nevertheless, you would be amazed how often this most simple act of hygiene is forgotten once work gets stressful."

She quickly but thoroughly washed in the nearby basin with water and soap while listening.

"So many infections could be prevented if people just dunked their hands in a bucket of water every few hours… as long as it's not the same bucket…"

She understood why he was more comfortable making a sour face all the time… he was not really at home with humour.

"Alright. Carefully remove everything so we can have a look!"

Her fingers felt ice cold from nervousness and even trembled slightly… but her will did not waver. It wasn't like she was disgusted by what she might see… it was still her Link after all, disgust simply didn't come to mind… but she simply feared it. Feared seeing something that she was secretly still convinced she had to take responsibility for, but couldn't fix because of weakness or inability.

Her freezing fingers met his warm skin as she began to peel the linen away… the dumb but strangely comforting thought about looking forward to caress his strong back once everything was healed entered her mind, for which she inwardly chided herself. Concentration now!

Extremely carefully, she pulled the fabric away, always terrified of causing Link pain when it stuck to his flesh due to coagulated blood. It had to hurt a bit, but he showed absolutely no signs of it, for which she was quite thankful. It took her a perceived eternity to completely uncover him and she almost expected Rask to take the task out of her hand in impatience.

Finally, he lay bare before her… six cuts, two sets of threes, at least 20 centimetres long… Yesterday she had purposefully looked away, fearing what she might see. Now she was determined to take it all in, to understand what he endured for her sake and to appreciate it as she should… and not to be influenced by childish fears!

It was hard… the sight wasn't nearly as bad as her overtaxed mind had lead her to believe, but… so many stitches… so many…

"No reason to look so down. This looks extraordinarily good! No redness, no swelling… how do you tell whether a wound is infected or not?" Doctor Rask asked her. She was glad for the distraction and this was even a question she thought she could answer. "Well, there are 5 signs I've read about: Flushing, heat, swelling, pain and reduced function…" she recited, to which he nodded.

"Correct, but that are the signs of inflammation in general, not infection in particular. In a wound, there is one sign that can immediately allay your fears of that kind…" he explained, then leaned down and… sniffed. "Smell. Go ahead!"

Holding her hair away she did as bidden, fighting the queasiness that made her stomach wobble. She closed her eyes, braced herself and took a good nose-full.

"Nothing…" she concluded after a moment's consideration. "Just a bit of blood…" And Link's terribly attractive scent, which, in this situation, filled her with calm… that particular thought she didn't mention, of course…

"Agreed. The wound is clean, young man!" he announced to his patient, showing his peaked grin. "Like your lady friend convinced me it would be. No stitches have come undone either. You turn out to be quite a boring test subject for my soon-to-be colleague…"

A pleasant, tingly feeling spread through her chest, which was increased a hundredfold when she spotted Link's decidedly proud grin. Not only had her conscious use of her visions, something that had only ever been a portent of sadness and torment, provided the correct course of action, but apparently her salve had been adequate as well! She still felt light-headed, though now it was due to sheer relief and gladness. She had been right!

They proceeded to inspect the gashes while Rask continued his lecture. He explained away about the proper care for all sorts of injuries as he gently dabbed an alcohol-drenched swab over Link's back, occasionally forcing a sharp, hissing inhalation from him. Zelda had stopped caring about appearances and squeezed his hand, hoping that she could provide at least some comfort with this otherwise useless gesture.

At some point Lairy, the nurse, joined them and commented on a few topics as well, showing quite a deep understanding, and an occasionally very different opinion as her…husband? Lover?

They used the rest of Zelda's salve, then repackaged Link in bandages stretching across his chest and upper back. He commented how nice the unguent felt, though she wasn't completely sure whether he was exaggerating because he sensed her insecurity… one of his more infuriating talents, she thought, grinning slightly to herself.

When he stood back up, uncharacteristically carefully, she was pleased to see that she could see no pain on his beautiful features. He looked at her with this odd thankfulness in his blue eyes and an esteeming smile on his lips… she felt like she would melt under his gaze, so thoroughly did it fill her with warmth. To her surprise she realized that she felt… proud of herself. This was still something that felt queer to her, a notion that had seemed so elusive in all her past life. Maybe overcoming her own worries and learning to treat someone's injuries was but a small achievement, yet to her, right now, with his kind eyes showing her so much joy, it felt strangely fulfilling. Not forgetting that they were not in privacy, but also no longer capable of holding herself back, she stood on her toes to award him a short, but sorely needed kiss. He seemed surprised, then amused, then they both fell apart into a blushing, giggling, awkward mess.

"Did you perchance deal out a little too much poppy-milk, darling?" Lairy commented dryly, yet obviously enjoying to observe youth at work.

"By the way…" Link interjected, possibly to divert this conversation somewhere else. "May I leave the sickbay and go outside? I would really like to…"

"Not a chance!" Rask answered immediately. "I know boys like you! Twice as much energy as brains! If I let you roam freely, you're probably going to play around with your sword, just so that the suture comes open and I can close it back up. Forget. It."

Her knight made an understandably disgruntled face and crossed his arms. "Now, I take offence at that! I have at least thrice as much energy… pah!" he joked, looking suitably affronted.

"Very well, I shall revise my evaluation of your brains downwards, then!" Zelda contributed before her own head had caught up with her tongue.

The doctor and his wife seemed quite amused by her unexpected quip. Link too, thankfully, was smiling, though with a quite questioningly raised eyebrow directed at her. "Should you not have the decency to be on my side, woman?" he asked dramatically, as if invocating some higher power.

"Whenever it suits me!" she purred cheekily, letting her fingers brush lightly against his chin.

"Right. Before we have a hormone overdose in here…" doctor Rask grumbled. "Take care that the bandages don't get wet. That means no washing above your navel, understood? Also: I discourage… physical activity…" he added with a slightly sour face, as if knowing that his opinion on that particular matter was going to have as much impact as a Rito bodyslamming a Goron.

Link did make a pretty discontent face. "Can't I at least wash my hair? I feel like I still have Lizalfos bits stuck in there…"

Though normally Zelda didn't mind a sweaty Link, that image did not particularly entice her to come into close contact…

"No, absolutely not. Tomorrow it'll have healed enough that a little water won't dissolve the coagula. Until then you have it on authority that you can stay as dirty as you like!" Lairy chuckled, though her patient didn't join in the levity. In fact, he actually seemed so distraught by that outlook, that Zelda felt her heartstrings tugged.

"I'll help you later! Don't worry!" she whispered quickly when no-one was looking. The grateful smile she received was already reward enough… almost…

"That, however, does not extend to you, young lady!" the nurse continued after a short pause. She briefly stepped away from her work and stood square before the incognito princess, stemming her hands on her hips. "There is no reason why you shouldn't wash, now is there? And, I have to say, you are starting to go a bit ripe…"

With an utterly aghast face, Zelda realized that she had indeed completely forgotten to clean herself in all the confusion and worry for him. And she had... stood there all this time while everyone noticed, yet no-one had told her… the doctor… the nurse… Goddess, even Link!

She glanced at him, blushing furiously, and spotted his only barely contained snigger.

That's it, she thought. In the end it was embarrassment that killed the princess of light. The next group of vile beasts can just mangle me for all I care!

Now… she had scrubbed every inch until her skin was an angry red, had washed her hair until she grumpily threatened to cut it all off and had reduced the large bar of soap to a mere sliver of its former dirt-destroying power. Had she forgotten anything? Hard to imagine… She looked down at her body, twisting around, searching for any spot that still had her usual pale tone, indicating that it had somehow escaped her cleansing wrath.

Goddess above! Adventuring was not an ideal occupation for a girl trying to stay presentable! Visible dirt didn't bother her all that much, little accidents could happen quickly… but smell? Din's fire, they must all think her a complete sloven! Princess Zelda, heir to the throne of Hyrule, regularly forgets to come into contact with water! Thank the three no-one actually knew who she was… rumours like that would spread like wildfire!

Rinsing herself off for one last time with toe-curlingly cold water, Zelda thought about how smart it had been to dash for the baths before helping Link to pick lizard gore out of his hair… Still, she would rather be dragged off and be thrown into a monster's cooking pot than face him… stinking and disgusting. The thought just made her cringe!

After she had dried herself off, hoping her skin would soon return to normal, and had put on a provided gown since her clothes were in the wash, she returned to Link's chamber, feeling a bit uneasy. The closer she came to his door, the more nervous she seemed to become. She couldn't quite place why… The lesson she had received had been fascinating, but… being confronted with these infernal injuries on Link's beautiful back, on the spots she had caressed and gripped and held on to just days before… it seemed to have disturbed the unsteady balance in her mind.

She sighed… No matter. It would pass… she hoped.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and walked in… and had to smirk.

He was lying on his stomach on the bed, reading doctor Rask's book and, judging by his expression, he was bored out of his skull. Had she really been gone this long?

"You do, of course, realize that your failure to knock could have resulted in seeing me stark naked…" he spoke suavely without looking up. He could act nonchalant all he liked, but the way his face had lit up when she had entered was extremely adorable.

"What terrible notion! I would have had to return to the baths at once to wash away the sheer sinfulness! For twice as long!" She retorted without missing a beat, closing the door behind her and crossing her arms.

"No, nononono! I have changed my mind! Seeing me nude is perfectly fine and you may do so whenever you desire!" he quickly corrected, jumping up from the bed with a wide, impish grin.

'Not the worst of conceptions…', she thought to herself, subconsciously biting her lip. "Dolt." she said aloud. Not quite as eloquent as she would have liked, but her brains seemed to be busy imagining something else.

For a second his rather smug face showed that he had quite a good idea what she might be thinking about. Then his expression got sheepish all of a sudden and he absentmindedly scratched his arm.

"Would you… help me now?" he asked shyly, like a little boy asking for a favour. It was so heart-meltingly cute, she just wanted to cuddle him!

"I told I would, did I not?" she asked coyly and stepped very close, so she would just have to stand on her toes to kiss him. Nayru's wisdom, she loved the colour of his eyes! "So… undress!" she commanded in a very un-princess-like voice.

His bashful look quickly became a deliciously playful smile. After 5 seconds of highly energized eye contact he slowly pulled his shirt over his head, revealing his bandaged chest. Without breaking their gaze, she snatched a towel form the nearby chair, threw it around his neck, then gently pulled him down until his lips finally met hers. A pleasant tingle spread from her mouth all the way to her toes. She loved this so much, yet still… there was this unease that continued to pervade her soul… Nevertheless, she was determined not to let it ruin anything.

"Now… over to the washbasin with you!" she ordered, walking backwards over to it, pulling him with her.

"Right! Now bend down and support yourself on its rim, so you don't have to use your poor back. I'll do the rest!" she twittered and arranged the towel so it would catch any errant water before it could drip onto the bandage.

"Sure..." he mumbled, then looked up at her one more time. "Is everything alright?"

She could have kicked herself… or course he noticed that something was brewing behind her façade, insightful as he was. "Mhm!" she fibbed, hating that she had to be dishonest, even if it was just to keep him unbothered.

She pushed his head back down, then took the jug of water standing next to the basin and began pouring it over his hair, which she loved to ruffle so. Now, at least, she had a good reason to do so to her heart's content.

Taking her time, she used her fingers to comb through it, gently separating the strands that stuck together, always interspersing a few pointless, but very desired, caresses. A soft smile crossed her lips when Link made a deep, contented sigh.

"Hmmmmm…"

She barely suppressed a little giggle. He sounded almost as if he was purring like a very large cat.

A not so old memory came to the surface of her thoughts. "Hm… It's almost like our first real date… remember?" she asked a little shyly.

"Of course I do… how could I forget?" he muttered, sounding almost sleepy. "Only this time, you aren't responsible for getting me dirty in the first place." he chuckled.

"Am I not?" she questioned sadly.

There was a moment of silence and pause, during which Zelda, startled, realized what she had just said. Where had that come from?! It had just come out, spat forward by her subconscious!

Her hand still rested on his head as she watched in shock how his features turned from peaceful to concerned.

"What?" he asked after a while, completely taken aback, straightening to look at her with wide eyes.

Why in Din's hell had she said that?! She hadn't meant for it to be like this! She had wanted to let the day play out quietly… one thing leading to… another… and further…

Now that these cursed words had tumbled from her tongue, there was no turning back… Suddenly she was back to being nothing but worry and doubt, caught in the prison self-accusation… She looked at his wet face, rimmed by drenched hair… his deep-blue eyes gazing disconcertedly into hers, trying to see into her mind.

How could she say what she wanted to so much that it had burst out of her?

"Err…"

She didn't even know herself, what precisely was troubling her so dreadfully.

"I…"

She knew she wasn't to blame… yet on the other hand she felt that she was…

"I'm…"

Tears were filling her eyes… Nothing made sense! She just wanted to be held, to be told that everything was okay… that he didn't hold her responsible… but how could she even hope for that?! He had gotten hurt! He was in pain! He had put himself in mortal danger without asking for anything back! She had no right!

"I feel like I am to blame… for…" she had tried to keep a straight face, but it was rapidly failing. Wails and cries tried to well up, but she was still barely keeping them down. "…for you getting hurt. For you having to put yourself in the line of fire." Her gaze was lowered. She could not look at him right now… she did not dare to see his expression.

"What?!" he asked again, even more horrified than before. "How can you say that?"

She saw the random drops of water dripping form his wet strands, falling on his shoulders or on the floor… anything to fix her gaze on… she wasn't really perceiving it anyway… She noticed that she had gripped the washbasin so tightly that her fingertips were starting to hurt… she didn't care.

"You believed me…" she whispered, her wavering voice sounding so pathetic to her own ears. "For the first time somebody just… believed me. About my… visions, about the Threat… yesterday about seeing all those people die in the inn if we hadn't moved. You believed me even in the face of great danger… and you were hurt for it…" her voice failed her and she started shaking.

"I hate it." she hissed through clenched teeth. "I hate this 'gift', this… curse that I have! This abomination that is now hurting you too! I hate it so much I want to scratch it out of my body! I hate it! I HATE IT!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, writhing as all the pain of all her life seemed to boil to the surface all at once. Suddenly all levels of control, all restraints carefully drilled into her were gone and the anguish of fifteen years of ceaseless evil visions, endless nightmares and almost constant loneliness ripped at her soul… and now the same bane of her existence had extended its malediction on the one person who had a chance of making her whole… him… The thought drove her to the brink of madness… if, right now, she were standing high on the battlements, looking down on the hard, unyielding stone below… she was not sure what she'd do.

She re-opened her eyes, which she had clenched shut during her screaming fit, and saw his hands, trembling slightly as they, too, gripped the basin. She still did not dare to look at his face, far too great was her shame.

"I don't… I don't want you to get hurt for me." she sobbed. "I feel so… torn…"

A seemingly endless while passed with none of them moving or speaking. In addition to this dam break of emotion she now felt guilty for burdening him with it when he should be healing. Selfish… cursed… pathetic…

Please say something…

"Do you… think I blame you?" he asked at last, his voice jittery. It was audible how shocked he was, but there was no accusation of any kind there.

She knew the answer to that, naturally. "No… but…"

"No. I do not. I never would. Look me in the eyes, Zelda!" he commanded firmly. Slowly she brought her teary eyes up to meet his. He looked as aghast as she had feared, but… also compassionate.

"I. Never. Would. Do you understand?" he questioned softly.

It might have been meant as a rhetorical question, but Zelda actually gave it some thought. "No…" she replied weakly, shaking her head. "I don't think I understand… I want to… so much… but…"

"How can I make you understand? How can I make you realize that everything I do is my own will and every hit I take in your stead fills me with satisfaction?" he wanted to know, his tone getting helpless and his eyes getting moist.

"I don't know!" she confessed desperately, finally starting to sob. "It's as if there is a thorn wedged deep in my mind, forbidding me from accepting what you say, forcing me to see the blame with my inability to take care of myself. I am… I am so grateful… I am so grateful that you are with me! That you are helping me, believing me despite the obvious, catastrophic peril we're in. But your sacrifice just makes it harder! I feel like I only take without giving in return! I hate it… I hate my-"

He had rounded the washstand in an instant and had taken her face between his hands, firmly, but far from roughly. "No! You do not say that! Don't even think about saying that!" he said loudly. "You do not get to say that in my presence! And how can you possibly think that joining you in this quest is a sacrifice? Do not insult me!"

Her shoulders were heaving violently with her crying, but his harsh tone had startled her sufficiently that she was actually listening. "I decided to go with you because it is my duty as knight and as a person. I joined you because I firmly believe in our cause! And, most importantly, I went with you because you are the one I want to be with! From your frustratingly huge intellect over your delightfully scathing humour to your almost self-destructive kindness, I have never been so fascinated and bedazzled in my life. I think I am getting plenty in reward for being your protector!" he declaimed, but his tone got softer again, kinder with every word he spoke. His warm hands on her cheeks were holding her tightly, inescapably… keeping her from falling even further into despair.

"You curse your powers? That is your right. But think of how highly the soldiers in Hyrule speak of you… I have been among them. Those who were with you on that trip wouldn't shut up about how you single-handedly saved them all from a grim fate! Think about how it was your vision that brought us on the path to stop this madness from ending our world! Without that we would probably still be stumbling in the dark! And think about how you saved me yesterday! Have you forgotten that tiny detail? If you had not… whatever you did… I would have lost that fight! You think you have caused me these little scratches? Horseshit, Zelda! Because of your help, I am still here today to get your head back into the realm of sanity! Because of you I am a knight-aspirant! Hell, you even were my inspiration to finally crawl out of my hole and train for the tourney! You might not see it, but you really are the Light… and you certainly are my light!" The overwhelming intensity in his eyes permeated her like sunrays through a leafy canopy… and his words travelled on them right into her soul… and wonderful, life-giving warmth began to spread throughout her entire being. His hands were now caressing her cheeks and brushing her hair behind her ears.

"It's not your fault, do you hear me? None of this is your fault." he repeated and at last some of the meaning of these words began to sink in. Tentatively, she nodded.

"And you yourself have proven that your powers can be helpful… you simply need to learn to control them… and I will help you in any way I can." Again, she nodded, another wave of relief washing away the dirt of worry that he might think her a freak of nature and be repulsed.

"And I thank you and admire you for learning to stitch me together when I've made a mess of myself again. And, with all my heart, you are giving me so much, even if you don't realize it." Before she could nod a third time, he pulled her close and kissed her, not fiercely, but softly, reinforcing and sealing all that he had said, giving an adamant truthfulness to it. He rained a hundred soft, yet wonderfully intense kisses on her, his lips never leaving hers. His face was moist and his drenched strands of hair were cold on her skin.

"You're wet…" she mumbled weakly, but she didn't care anyway and kissed him back immediately, just as tenderly as he had. Nothing mattered at this moment.

They stood there for an eternity, united in something true, sensuous but pure. And, finally, slowly but surely, peace found its way back into Zelda's soul.

I know it's stupid to indulge in self-praise, but… I really like this chapter. I can't really say why…

It provides closure to an issue that someone deeply caring like Zelda would probably have. And I wanted to portrait the wild up-and-down mood-swings of a person under considerable emotional stress.

As a result, the previous chapter and this one were rather introspective and heavy. But, I believe, life needs its darker sides so you can cherish the light.

I hope all my readers from the US and Mexiko have overcome the hardship of the past weeks... Maybe this brings at least a little smile to your face...