Forgotten Instincts

by farore-or-less

Having been torn from Hylia and her sealing power, Zelda travels with Link as a companion to appease the corrupted Divine Beasts, but she must hide her identity because his memory is gone & mentality hanging by a thread. She has to live under an alias until his memory of her returns, even if that means he's falling in love with the woman she's pretending to be. (POV Link & Zelda)

5. Dueling Personalities

Summary: Link and Zel begin their journey to Kakariko to seek out Lady Impa, but they don't get very far. Between Korok finding, treasure hunting, monster battling, injuries, flirting, bickering, and arguing, the duo gets to understand each other just a little bit better.

Content Warning: swearing, drinking, mental suffering, violence, and minor sexual themes ahead.

---

"You're going to be just fine."

He hears it through the rain and fire. Everything around him is covered in ashes and mud but at least the mechanical whirling and buzzing and droning has stopped. Why did it stop? Is he burning in the rain just like his surroundings? Where is he, anyway? He can't remember even if he tries, can't move even if his will allows it. He's paralyzed and numb, broken and shattered. He can't feel anything anymore—he's done. Spent. He had failed—but why? Why did he fail?…What did he fail?

"Wake up, Link."

He opens his eyes.

Link has been waking every day to that voice, but every single time he would give-in to the command, it would flutter away from him. It would drift and float out of reach, into a void somewhere deep within his mind that he couldn't access. He knows it's there, can remember that a voice has been lingering in the corners of his consciousness like a ghost haunting him, but as soon as he attempts to chase it—to even remember what it sounded like—he would lose it entirely. It's always too muffled and distorted, too distant and mangled, like it was falling and breaking away from him. Or maybe, he's falling away from it.

He tries to hold on to the dream, tries to steady it in his mind like he does each morning. What happened, exactly? Had the visions been reality or just… abstract and meaningless? Weakly, can Link hold onto the memory of its blurred colors; purple and blues, a saddened flurry of grays morphing into bright golds and whites ending in crimson, the color of blood. Then darkness. Link's mind only has the strength to hold onto this pallet for the briefest of moments until it escapes him as well, just like the voice, and he can no longer remember anymore. A dream won't help me anyways, he thinks in defeat.

When his brain finally catches up to his vision, he sees the damaged roof above and the warm morning sunlight leaking through the holes of decaying wood. He can hear the sweet noise of chirping birds and squirrels foraging nearby, along with the sound of her breathing next to him. Shifting in the morning rays, Link rises to a seated position and drags a hand down his face. He blinks a couple times, then looks down at where he senses her and the sight almost makes him laugh. Zel had shifted in the night, no longer touching him, unapologetically out-cold, sleeping on her back with a leg lazily draped over the same log he had been using as a pillow. Her other leg is angled awkwardly, with one hand on her stomach and the other above her head, mouth hung wide open as she breathes loudly, almost enough for it to be considered a snore. He smiles, trying to hold in a laugh—he wouldn't exactly call her slumber peaceful, but just… really, really comfortable.

Not wanting to wake her and also not wanting to linger above her too long, Link gets up cautiously and heads towards the river to splash some water on his face. He has to admit; last night's sleep had been the best rest he'd gotten—maybe because of her medicine. His ankle is completely healed, could even say it feels a little stronger, and there's no evidence of a cut ever having been on his cheek.

After he wets his face from the water's edge, combs his fingers through his hair and tightens his hair tie, he unlatches the slate from his belt. He's searching for something to eat, but comes up short. He had eaten most of his inventory before he jumped from the Plateau just so he could gain the energy he needed to descend such a long distance… and because he had been hungry. Gods, he's always hungry. Right on que, his stomach grumbles and he sighs because it sounds like it's yelling at him. With a roll of his eyes in agitation, he materializes three apples from the slates inventory and stares at the red flesh of sweetness.

"I could eat a horse," he says to no one except maybe the apples, if it could hear him. He's been talking to himself more and more with each passing day that came and went—or maybe he always had that habit. There's no frame of reference since he doesn't have the slightest idea of who he was before, and he wonders that if his memory never comes back to him, he probably would never know what kind of person he'd been.

Munching on one of the apples, Link becomes heavily distracted by how famished he feels that he doesn't even hear the clomping of hooves until they're right behind him. Turning swiftly, apple stuck like a stuffed pig in his mouth, he sees the large steed loafing its way up to him. The mount is an all black horse, its short hair almost shimmering in the morning sun, and has a gray mane that's long and disheveled. Elegant and wild, sort of like its owner. What had she called him?

"Jassa," Link says aloud, the name coming back to him now. The horse raises its large dark head and drops it down again, almost like it's agreeing with him. He takes the last bite of his first apple then moves onto the next one.

"I didn't really mean I could eat a horse, y'know," he says between full gulps of fruit, feeling a little guilty by his choice of words only a moment ago. Zel's steed blows a powerful exhale out its nose, shaking its mane at him, and it has Link chuckling. That's when he notices her out of the corner of his eye.

Zel's walking a little sluggishly down to where he stands by the river's edge, the spell of sleep still dominating her senses, but at least she's fully dressed now. She had restrung her corset around her white blouse, like it had been when they first met yesterday. The intricately crafted leather fabric came just below her breasts, cupping and helping support the slight push of her brassier, and he could see the hills of her breasts and cleavage teasing out from its plunging neckline. Her corset is laced in the front as small criss-crosses that are woven expertly down her stomach until the short strings join together, dangling above the apex of her thighs. When she's too distracted to notice his obvious gawking by rubbing the sleep from her face, he can't help but drag his eyes all over her as she stumbles in her grogginess down the hill to him. When her eyes fall on him, Link's ears are suddenly very hot.

She simply nods in greeting and places a hand on her steed, and Jassa blinks at her in admiration. They seem to be very close—both rider and mount. It makes him wonder how long it has been just the two of them alone out in the wild.

"Did you sleep alright?" She asks.

"Probably not as well as you did."

"What does that mean?" Her eyes are wide at him and the heat of his pointy ears start to trickle down to his cheeks.

He clears his throat. "You have some…" and he touches the side of his mouth to indicate she had something in the same spot as her own.

She fake coughs, or maybe she chokes on her own embarrassment, then smears the back of her finger around the crevice of her lips as her cheeks tint almost as pink as his were. She looks away from him and sends her attention back to her horse.

"I see you two have properly met."

"Jassa, right?"

"That's right." Her smile travels from her steed back to Link. "He looks quite intimidating, but he just wants to be loved."

Link can only nod at her with a shy smile. They're silent for a moment as she continues soothing her horse. Its tail whips back and forth leisurely, almost like it's a dog.

"Are you going to share?" She asks, looking down at the last uneaten apple in his hand.

"Oh, sorry." He extends the other apple out to her, but she merely laughs and shakes her head.

"No, to him, silly." Zel nudges her head at her horse.

With a bashful smile, Link flattens his fingers so Jassa can eat the apple from his palm. The horse's warm nose and soft skin tickle against his hand as it munches on the fruit Link offered out to it. There's a satisfying chomping sound as Jassa eats from his hand and it fills Link with a contentment he hasn't really felt just yet. Between the warm smile on his new travel companion's face and the growing bond he's created with a gentle horse, Link realizes this is the most company he's had since he woke up in this world. The bittersweet thought escapes him when he reaches in between Jassa's eyes and scratches gently. The horse's tail is whipping again in satisfaction.

"Be sure to soothe your mount, that's the only way it'll know how you truly feel," Zel says almost mechanically, as if she's repeating it from somewhere, and he feels like he's heard that same statement too, but he can't remember where.

» . «

After the breakfast Link makes for them of salted eggs and well cooked mushrooms, they head on their way….but they don't make it very far. Link is too distracted by anything and everything and thankfully Zel doesn't seem to mind all that much. Everything is still so new to him, and he suddenly feels like he isn't in such a rush to get to Kakariko anymore. He has someone with him now, so that eases a lot of his worries and fears.

They had almost gotten past the large fallen tree trunk before Link couldn't resist and had to ask her to stop Jassa so he could explore.

"Where are you going?" She asks, body twisted atop her steed to look down at him sliding off the back of her horse.

"I want to follow this flower," he says, running sideways away from her. "Stay right there."

For a moment, she opens her mouth like she's going to say something—protest that they have a place to get to, or that he shouldn't be venturing off alone with just a soup ladle, but whatever it is, she decides against it. Instead, she nods and turns her horse around to wait for him. Link jogs through the gargantuan hollow tree, following the playful yellow flower as it disappears then pops back up further along the path, and then Link is out of sight.

It's maybe a good two minutes later until Link's body comes rolling and tumbling down the hill back to Zel, along with his broken shield now in several pieces, trailing close behind him.

"What happened!?" She yells, jumping down from her horse and running over to kneel beside him.

"I—I don't want to tell you," he mumbles, rubbing his backside.

"What?" She seems almost insulted. "Why the hell not?"

"Because you'll laugh at me again."

"Don't think I'm so assuming, Link," she warns.

Giving her a quick look-over, Link takes notice of how unconditionally concerned she is by him, and his defensive attitude comes tumbling down around him like the way he just did down the hill.

"I… broke my shield trying to surf on it." He had been worried that if he told her, she'd mock or tease him, but all she does is roll her eyes and help him up to his feet.

"Are you alright?" Her voice is soft, more gentle.

Cheeks warming, he smiles shyly at her. "I feel like I'm going to be hearing that question a lot from you."

She gives him a half smile. "Why would you even try that now?"

He shrugs, sadly disappointed he's now without a bow and a shield. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"At this rate, I assume that I'll have to make more ointments when we get to the Dueling Peaks stable," she sighs, but her expression is genuine. They're silent for a spell as Link watches her climb back onto Jassa, then she turns towards him. Her hair is framing her face as she smiles down and lends him her hand.

"You're not going to rub ointment on my backside... are you?" He asks timidly, but still confident enough to convey that he's flirting.

"Only if you ask nicely," she jokes back with a smirk growing on her lips. He grabs for her hand and hoists himself behind her on the saddle.

He asked her to help find the next several Koroks hiding around the woods nearby, and she gladly accepted.

» . «

It's early afternoon when they reach the water's edge of the Squabble River, directly across from the Dueling Peaks tower. They both look up at it in wonder and fascination; the orange glowing structure dominating its surroundings and demanding to be noticed. Zel directs her horse on the large boulders of the river bank and lets go of the reins.

"Can you swim through that current?" She asks a little apprehensively, turning her head over her shoulder to him. It's clear that she's concerned about his own abilities and her doubtful question digs into him more than he wanted to allow.

"Can you?" He repeats rather condescendingly, then slides off the back of her horse.

"That's not what I asked you."

He huffs. "I'll be fine Zel."

"I'm coming with you," she states promptly, and throws a leg over the saddle, climbing down to stand next to him.

He doesn't even try to argue. Based on what he's already learned about her, she does what she wants. Besides, she has an interest in ancient technology and he wouldn't want to be the one to stand in her way or restrain her curiosity. Even if Link were to disagree with her, he had no way to stop her anyways.

When her feet touch the ground, she starts tugging at the strings of her corset.

Suddenly, all thoughts that had been running through Link's mind escapes him—the worry of swimming through harsh waters, having the ability to climb a tall structure, completing any shrines they discover throughout the day—because his senses are suddenly too preoccupied to process anything else. She's undressing in front of him.

"Zel… Wh-what are you doing—?" He stutters when her fingers start rising higher and higher up her abdomen, tugging at her corset strings.

"What?" She replies, a little confused and pulls the garment off. He doesn't turn around until her white blouse is pulled over her shoulders and she's exposing that same thin undershirt and blue brassier again. He probably should have seen this coming considering she had been attempting to catch fish in much the same state of wear yesterday, but it still makes him flustered and nervous. He pretends to be extremely interested in a loose string on the seam of his own shirt when his back is turned to her.

Eventually, Link hears her soft footsteps approaching, but he doesn't look at her until she's walked into his line of vision and is tilting her head and trying to catch his gaze.

"Shall we?" She asks, clasping her bow and quiver on her back. A white tank top getting soaked to see through to a woman's brassiere should be the least of his worries right now, but it's not and he can't help it.

He nods quickly, hoping she doesn't see how scarlet his face has turned, and they both dive into the river.

Thankfully the cold nip of the water disguises any blush that's formed earlier by her undressing. Zel's graceful strokes through the harsh current were much more powerful than his—he had to admit—but she made sure they swam at the same speed. When they walk up the rocky shore on the other side of the river, Link is already hunched over and panting. He considers that if he had been a knight and a hero in his past life, he must have been the weakest one there ever was.

They stand at the base of the tower, angled awkwardly against the jutting boulders that were dislodged by its uprising. He had done this. He had interrupted the state of this world simply by placing his slate into the Plateau's own pedestal. If it hadn't been for him, the tower that they're standing in front of would have never risen to see the light of day.

"Wow, what a magnificent structure," she breathes, staring up at its golden laced ladders and jutting solid balconies. Chancing a look at her, he can almost see the gears working and grinding in her head, but she's already caught her breath from their swim while Link is still trying to catch his own and he's a little perturbed by that. It doesn't help that she waits patiently for him to gain his breath back as her eyes are locked to the sky in awe, completely oblivious to his competitive thoughts. She never once commented on his low stamina, never once attempted to compare herself to him, but Link can't help doing it himself. She's physically fit, and he isn't. He tries to push the self-deprecating thoughts away to brace himself for an excruciating climb to the sky.

"Ready?" He eventually asks and Zel nods with an excited smile.

"After you," she says with a wave of her hand.

She watches him as he grips fingers through laced metal—perhaps to make sure he wouldn't fall before he makes it to the first protruding balcony. When he does reach the first balcony, he looks over the ledge, breathing heavily, and stares down at her. As her hands reach towards the tower, a horn blows in the distance.

Breath hitching by the startle, both Zel and Link's heads snap towards the sound. A bokoblin is jumping from foot to foot at the top of the hill beside them, yelling and shrieking and facing their direction, and they both watch as it blows its horn again. The obnoxious sound makes the whole camp alert with curiosity and more members of the pack start picking up weapons, some pick up rocks, and the commotion is loud enough to alert any and all other enemy camps nearby. The camp across the river hears the horn and spots Link and Zel, but then several of the bokoblins notice Jassa standing alone a little further down the river, vulnerable to attack or to be captured and stolen.

"Shit," he says at the same time Zel starts reaching for her bow. She stands strong and solid atop the crooked boulder beneath her and loads an arrow into her bow's nocking point, but doesn't fire. Her gaze is focused and patient, waiting for the enemy to blow the horn again, to stand still for the opportunity to strike. When it does, her bow creeks slightly by her forceful pull and releases an arrow, letting it sing fast and true through the air. It critically hits the monster straight through the head, and Link watches from the balcony as its limp body flings backwards by the force and dissipates into a cloud of purple malice.

"They're heading towards Jassa!" He yells over the shrieks of monsters and coursing river. He points across the water, but she's already noticed. A horde of bokoblins have started running at her mount with clubs and spears.

"Climb," she says in a new tone he hasn't heard from her before. Commanding and authoritative.

"But—"

"Link." She turns to him and says his name harsh in her throat—demanding to be heard, and it silences him. "Change of plans. I'll clear the road for you so you can climb the tower and complete any shrines that are along the way. There's a stable on the other end of the mountain pass. I'll meet you there when you're done."

"No," he refuses and starts pulling out his paraglider.

"Yes."

"No."

"Listen to me!" Her eyes are wild and she's yelling. "You are defenseless and weaponless. What are you going to do when you swim across that river, throw bombs that could accidentally hit me or Jassa? You would just be a sitting duck! At least with this plan, you won't be distracted by me or encroaching enemies. You can focus on what you need to be doing." She looks back across the water to see the group has advanced further down the shore, even closer to her mount. If she starts swimming now, she can reach Jassa before they do. She looks back at Link in haste. "Trust me, I will be at the Dueling Peaks stable, waiting for you."

For the briefest of moments, he stands there, hesitant. Her words had stung by being too truthful and they corresponded to the thoughts that were already plaguing his mind from earlier. She's right; he has no real weapons and he would just get in the way while she did all the work. And it may be true: perhaps he was becoming distracted to a very moderate degree, but he didn't necessarily think that was a bad thing. He feels powerless and he knows he doesn't really have a lot of time to argue or to decide if he truly wants to accept that she'll be leaving without him, but he speaks anyway.

"Promise?" He hears himself say. Link doesn't sound desperate, just honest.

Her face softens by his question and it tells him everything he needs to know. She doesn't want to separate from him either.

"I promise."

He couldn't help but sneak a last glance through her wet shirt before she turned away, and Link could've sworn she was smiling to herself indulgently when she dove back into the water.

---

Zelda had kept her end of the promise. She slashed at the throats of the bokoblins with her skinning knife that were trying to steal her steed away, had sung her bow at distant foes swimming in and across the river with more ferocity and violence than she knew she was capable of. She had completely cleared the mountain path through the Dueling Peaks, leaving monster remains as evidence in her wake and only picking up any leftover arrows so she wouldn't be low on them. She left any other items behind in the hopes that Link would take them when he came through after her, considering he had an endless amount of space to store them in the slate and she had nothing but a patchy travel bag. Above everything else though, she just hopes he'll keep his end of the promise.

There are certain qualities about Link that are the same, that Zelda remembers him to be like a century ago. He's still quick on his feet, though lacking in vitality, and he's forever curious about everything. He still likes to cook—and eat for that matter—and he'd rather listen than speak, and he still looks at her the same way. A glint in his blue eyes that dilate and grow soft whenever she catches his gaze.

He's the same, but... he isn't.

He stands up for himself when she mocks him, fires back cleverly if she flirts with him—though his cheeks flush pink and his once graceful fingers get rather fidgety. He doesn't hide his smile anymore—doesn't even try to contain it. Doesn't keep his burdening thoughts pent-up inside or treat her like she's fragile. He's very different, yet still so familiar, and Zelda's not quite sure which Link she matches with better.

Reaching the stable just as the sky starts to turn gray, Zelda predicts it'll start raining soon. The Dueling Peaks stable is extremely similar to the Riverside one she slept at on her first night. Even the characters seem oddly similar—even Beedle is here. The stable and inn displays the same warm and homey peacefulness that makes her body feel at ease even after her last several eventful hours, but her heart and mind are somewhere else. Climbing down from Jassa, she lets him graze around the other registered horses, then walks right past the stable and beyond the prairie of ruins and wild animals, knowing exactly where she's going, but doesn't exactly know why.

I shouldn't go, she tells herself. There's nothing left for her there. Just ghosts and memories and a piece of her heart she'll never get back. But Link will be at least a few hours behind her because she noticed two obvious shrines on the way to the stable. Yet, she knows herself well enough that if she were to just sit at the inn and wait for him, this feeling would eat her alive. Turn around, Zelda yells in her head.

She keeps walking forward.

Her feet feel heavy as she walks in a trance through the tall grass and marsh puddles of Ash Swamp, to the place he had left her a hundred years ago. The deactivated and decaying Guardians covered in moss and dirt are littered as far as she can see and it looks almost exactly like how she remembers it, but somehow peaceful now. Like a scar that never healed properly but had to be accepted anyways—you learn to live with it. Grow around it. She sees the same boulder and broken machine that haunts her dreams and it becomes her. Zelda's heavy feet can no longer support her weight and her knees buckle as she falls to the wet ground.

You're going to be just fine, she had said to him—had promised him, just before he collapsed. She doesn't even want to memorialize or idolize this spot as the place where she had awoken her divinity, had accessed the Goddess and her sealing power. They're no longer connected and she's not sure if they ever will be again. Trying to bond with Hylia only brought her pain and misery and the inevitable cataclysmic destruction. She doesn't mourn for Hyrule or for the state of this world, but she mourns for herself, and she feels absolutely guilty and selfish about it, but she can't help it. She needs to express herself, needs to let herself feel, to have a moment of silence for who she used to be, for who he used to be, for who they were together.

She can recall the moment before she broke down on top of his chest, how selfishly angry she had felt. How could he do this to her? After all they've been through. He had to hold on, had to stay strong, had to get up. She remembers shouting out his name, demanding things from him.

"Wake up, Link."

"Open your eyes."

But he wasn't listening. He wouldn't budge, couldn't move. He had fallen away from her.

As she stares at the damaged Guardian, Zelda doesn't sob or wail, but she feels her body tighten with the heavy burden of an ancient heartbreak. Her eyes are so dry that when she eventually tries to blink, it feels like her eyelids are scraping against her irises—maybe she had stopped blinking a while ago, she isn't really sure. She couldn't even comprehend how long she'd been sitting on her shins in the mud, but soon realizes that the rain is pouring down on her. It's not the same type of rain that had fallen a century ago; it's not drizzling with a mixture of flames and fire, ashes and dust. This rain is peaceful and quiet. It's a gentle spring storm that selflessly assists the seeds hidden beneath the ground so they can sprout and someday prosper. The same rain that helps the earth resurrect and regrow.

Closing her eyes, Zelda imagines the water seeping beneath her skin, replacing the downpour of horrible memories that replay in her mind over and over again. She would do almost anything to forget, just like he had, but she has to carry this burden for them both—without it, they could never move forward. These burdens and memories, emotions and anguish, it would all have to be reused, recycled, like using compost in a garden to help the budding plants grow. She turns over her past like turning over soil in a garden bed, burying the cursed role as Princess and divine vessel. It's easy for her now that she's met him again, now that he calls her by a different name, even if he looks at her like he's completely lost—because he is. Both their titles are gone, erased and destroyed. There's nothing between them now except budding opportunities and the start of something new and it feels so different and exciting and almost exhilarating, but bittersweet nonetheless. He might not recognize her yet, but Zelda's there; buried beneath the new growth, hidden underneath the identity of Azella: the traveling archer with a thirst for knowledge.

Only now, she's not quite sure she wants to be found.

The rain feels like it's cleansing her—the drops dripping from her body carrying away the filth and rust and malice she's felt lingering on her since she left the castle, letting it seep down into the soil. Perhaps this natural holy water will soak into her soul, helping her regrow, exactly like it does for this world again and again. She opens her eyes.

"You're going to be just fine," she whispers to herself, speaking it out loud, and the strength in her voice surprises her. Slowly, Zelda picks herself up and walks back to the stable to wait for the fallen Hero.

---

When the dim lights of the Dueling Peaks stable came into view, Link let out a breath of relief. He had been worried the stable would be hard to find, but it stood blatantly obvious along the path for travelers and vagabonds to call it their home, if only for a night or two. He wanted to walk straight into the stable's patchwork tent and find her, but the further he walked out of the mountain path, the Ha Dahamar shrine came into view. In all honesty, he wanted to skip the shrine altogether, but Zel's voice got to his head; he has to focus on what he needs to be doing. Reluctantly, he found a way to enter the shrine and had spent a little too long overthinking the puzzle.

But now, he had accomplished another tower and completed an extra two shrines, and he's thankful he didn't skip them because he got a really neat climbing bandana out of it. Finally, some new clothing.

As Link materializes outside the shrine, he sees the night has descended over the prairie and the rain now a steady downpour. Jogging towards the open entrance of the stable's inn, a few stragglers run hurriedly to avoid the rain and a stable worker waves hello as he nods courtly back to him, but his mind's is a little distracted, perhaps a bit nervous, because he's hoping Zel had kept her end of the promise. So far, she had—his venture through the mountain path was evidence enough. The enemy camps lay vacant with the remains of fangs and bones, weapons and shields, and he collected as much as the Sheikah slate would allow him.

Link steps onto the wooden floor of the inn, escaping the chilled spring rain. His hair is damp, feet soaked by the puddles, and he's starting to feel the events of the day creeping into his muscles and mind. His footsteps must have been muted by the storm because no one even batted an eye at him. The inn is quite crowded and rowdy—filled with numerous groups of Hylians chatting and drinking the night away and seeking shelter from the rain. The ambiance is almost too overwhelming for him considering he hasn't been around this many people before, but he scans the room anyways, over conversations being discussed as people lean against the inn's desk, lounge on comfortable beds, or stand in the middle of the room with drinks in their hands.

He doesn't see her and his heart sinks.

She said she'd be here. She promised. What is he going to do now? Half a day of Korok finding, horseback riding, swimming, and yelling at him wasn't enough. He wanted more.

"Hm, that's fascinating." A recognizable voice sings through the noise of the crowded room and collides straight into his ears.

Tilting his head back and forth, Link tries to see over the four Hylians standing in front of him, but he's too short compared to them. Blast this body, he says in his head. There's a chatty group of Hylians blocking his ability to see a different conversation happening behind them by two individuals sitting at a small bistro table, so Link walks around the group and she's there, but she doesn't notice him. She's too busy trying to prove her lack of interest to the man that's sitting with her. Seated towards the wall of the patchwork tent so only the profile of her face is visible, the expression Zel's adorning is entirely obvious. Strained, mouth frowning, eyes distant as her messy hair falls around her ears, blanketing her vision from him almost entirely. Even a guy blinded with lust could see she isn't interested, not even in the slightest.

Lounging in her seat with the heel of her foot parked against the wooden chair leg, her other stretches long beneath the table, a clear aloofness to her pose. There's a smudged glass in her hand with a bright amber liquid that's just a gulp away from being finished, and she cradles it to her chest almost as if she's trying to shield herself from the man that's babbling at her—and Link can tell she's barely listening. With her other hand draped across her corset, she looks down into her glass, swirls it vigorously, then brings it to her lips and downs it in one swift movement.

Zel pours herself another glass from the tall uncorked bottle she's supposedly sharing with this guy, when Link walks up to the table. The man seated with her is facing the entrance of the tent and it allows Link to see his features well. There's a rucksack next to his chair and a demeanor about him that Link doesn't necessarily like. The man's hair is pulled back in much the same way as his own, but brown and shorter. His goatee twitches in the air as he tries to impress Zel with a story of finding a secret treasure. He's got an elbow on the table, body leaning towards her with a hungry look in his eyes, and he notices Link's presence before she does.

"Can I help you?" The man asks rudely, as Zel stares into her drink before she takes another sip.

"No, but she can." Link nudges his head in her direction.

That's when she turns her head and Link watches the moment when her gaze trails up his waist, to his chest and neck, until their eyes meet, and her whole face changes from irritation to exultant relief.

"Link!"

In an instant she's rising from her chair and grabbing for his shoulders. She pulls herself into him, draping both her arms around his neck so tight, it almost chokes him. The embrace makes her chest flush against his and he suddenly doesn't know what to do with his own hands. He decides to leave them angled awkwardly out in the air in front of him, facing the seated man that's now throwing daggers at him with his eyes. Link just smiles down at him impertinently—all teeth and rising ego.

He wasn't expecting such a close reunion with her when they did eventually meet at the stable, but he accepts it nonetheless. The boundaries between them were already minuscule and he thinks maybe he should just start getting used to her being more... hands-on with him. After all, their relationship had started to develop a recurring theme of Link hurting himself in front of her. No wonder she's interested in him; he's the perfect candidate to experiment on, or test out new medicines she concocts on her own.

"Link, I—" She squeezes him one more time until Zel pulls herself away. He can smell the alcohol on her breath, sees her stagger slightly as she allows a small distance between them. "I was getting so worried and—and I thought you'd be here at least an hour ago so then I thought maybe you got lost and it started raining and I thought maybe I should wait at the entrance of the tent for you, but I didn't want to seem so clingy—and then I started to feel bad because I yelled at you but you just weren't listening to me and—"

"Zel, it's fine," he says, almost laughing, and mutes her digressive rant. Link's smile had grown wider as her ramblings grew longer and when he was watching her nervous mannerisms, he couldn't help but feel a little satisfied seeing how concerned she was for him. "You don't have to worry about me."

She opens her mouth to say something, but then chooses against it and the decision just makes her eyelids heavy.

"I purchased two beds for us," she starts in a softer tone, avoiding his gaze. "It comes with a warm meal. I already ate mine, but it's not as good as your cooking, obviously." She rolls her eyes and hiccups. "But I think it would be wise to stay here tonight in case it begins to thunder and lightning."

Link is about to say a snarky remark—either a vain comment about his cooking, or to mention how tipsy she's become—but then a man's cough interrupts their intimate discussion and all eyes turn towards the bistro table.

"Oh," she turns back to Link so only he can see her expression. "Two seconds." She winks.

Swiveling on her heels, Zel turns to the nameless man and places both her palms on the table, and bends. By the angle and wide expression on the man's face, Link can tell exactly what he's looking at, and it's not her eyes.

"You, kind sir, told me I could have as much mead as I want, yes? Is that offer still on the table?" Her voice is lofty and feminine and uncharacteristically different than how she flirts with Link.

"Take it. It's yours." The man's face is bright red.

"You're too kind," she says in a sultry thanks and reaches across the table to place a delicate hand on the stranger's forearm briefly, then snatches both of the clear glasses and the bottle of mead, and swivels back around to Link.

"Ready?" She asks him, smiling deviously, and nudges her head towards their beds.

"After you," he says with a wave of his hand.

They sit on the floor between their single beds as Link eats from a bowl of lukewarm stew, and she's right; his cooking is much better. He scarfs down the dish anyways as she sits facing him with her back against the bed frame, journal and glass of mead in her hands. When she had sat down, she immediately poured him a glass as well, though he hasn't touched it yet. He doesn't speak until he's finished eating, then smears a forearm over his lips.

"What type of mead is this?" He asks, reaching for his drink.

She looks up from her journal and smiles at him. "Hateno honey mead, it's a classic. It used to be my favorite."

So that's why she was with that guy in the first place; he had offered her something sweet.

"Why do you say 'used to?'" He brings the glass to his own lips, smelling the intoxicating sweetness of the homemade brew.

"Oh, well... I guess it still is," she looks down and takes a small sip.

"Do you drink often?" He asks. Link didn't take her for a heavy drinker, but then again he doesn't know much about her. When he takes a large gulp of the amber liquid, the alcohol is so sweet it makes the insides of his cheeks tingle.

"No, not often," she says, shrugging slightly. "I had a group of friends that would all meet at the same tavern once a week to watch one of my friends perform on stage. We would drink and play cards and it was really fun. I think that was the only time I really enjoyed drinking though, surrounded by friends and music." Her voice has changed to reminiscent and distant and her eyes have glossed over, but she returns to him quickly. "I had actually asked that gentleman if he wanted to share a drink with me." She points in the direction of the recently rejected man.

"Really? Why?" Link can't help but feel a little jealous. Maybe it's the alcohol.

"Because I noticed he had a bottle of Rito vodka with him and it's perfect for making disinfectants."

Link lets out a loud exhale that could be considered a quick laugh. I should have known, he thinks, and takes another sip.

"And did you use your womanly wiles for that as well?" He asks, playing with fire. She chokes a little on the sip she's taking, flustered he had asked such a blunt question.

"What do you take me for?" She replies with extra vigor, "I simply asked him." —but her hand slowly trails down to the floor, towards her travel bag, and pulls out a tall corked glass bottle with clear liquid inside to show him. He just smiles at her and shakes his head.

"You should keep it in the Sheikah slate for protection. It could break in my travel bag." She takes a sip from her glass and has another thought. "In fact, you should carry all my medicinals."

"Is that why you want to keep me around? To have me as your mule?" Between his voice and coy demeanor, it's clear that he's joking and it makes Zel chuckle softly. She places the cool glass against her cheek as her head tilts into it and a smile creeps along her lips. She's staring at him with a completely new look in her eyes that he hasn't discovered yet.

"It's not the only reason," she says.

Maybe it's the ambiance or maybe it's the alcohol, either way, they hold each other's gaze for a long while until she hiccups so loud, she startles a Hylian walking by and Link lets an obnoxious belly laugh escape him. Zel doesn't seem embarrassed at all though—perhaps she's too tipsy to care. She actually seems ontent with herself by making him laugh so unceremoniously.

"I can teach you how to put items in the slate if you'd like," he says nonchalantly while pouring himself another glass of mead. Their shared bottle is almost empty, so he reaches over to her glass and re-fills it, draining the last of the golden liquid. He watches as the excitement begins to form on her face by his words.

Beaming at him, she asks; "would you, please?"

He can't possibly refuse.

Scooting across the floor, Link sits shoulder to shoulder with her, their backs against her rented bed. She sits quietly as he explains the basics about the slate, showing her his inventory of a few cooking ingredients, monster parts, and rocks he's mined by blowing up ore deposits with bombs. He taps a couple buttons and materializes an apple in front of her, then taps the screen again to place it back in his inventory. He passes the slate to Zel so she can try on her own, and she repeats his steps fluently on her first go. It doesn't surprise him that she'd be a natural at operating the slate.

When it's clear to Link that she understands how the slate works, he explains its other functions as well. He shows her the only note he has written which just says Find Impa at Kakariko. He also shows her the new piece of the map he gained access to at the tower, and with a giddiness, she leans in close to the screen and zooms in and out of the map with her fingers, examining all the blue icons of shrines. When he tells her how he can travel between them, this new information makes a delighted squeak escape her throat and he just laughs at her again. Then he shows her the buttons for the runes, reviewing what he had shown her the night before.

"You have an icon missing."

"Yeah, I noticed that. What do you think it could be?"

"I should be able to fix that," she says, ignoring his question completely.

"You think so?" He asks, taken aback by her own self assurance.

"Shouldn't be a problem. I'll just have to pry open a shrine's pedestal and wire the slate to it. A new calibration should be enough to reboot the slate's runes to its original functioning—though I wonder what would happen if I rewired it to a shrine you've already accessed and completed its trial." She ponders over her words as she brings her glass to her lips, and takes a sip. "Judging by the kinetic energy that is created when you complete a shrine, there must be a new compound that is conjured or—or a new substance formed somehow, and the slate should be able to absorb that energy as well." She hiccups again.

He just yawns and looks at her. "What?" He says, long and lazily. Her words suddenly made him very tired.

She smiles and tilts her face towards him. "Maybe we should get some rest." The yawn that was just in his throat suddenly reaches her own, and she covers her mouth with the back of her hand as she angles away from him.

They both drink down the last of their glasses and he springs to stand before her, latching the slate back to his belt. He extends a hand down, offering assistance in helping Zel to her feet, but she's hesitant for a moment; staring at his hand, then to his face, then back to his hand again. Slowly, she slips her palm into his, curls her fingers around the edge of his own, and he braces her weight as she rises gracefully. They release hands as soon as she's standing but she's lingering around him, wanting to say something else, but he speaks first.

"Thanks for purchasing a bed for me. Honestly, I would've been fine sleeping out in the rain with the horses, but... this is much better," he says quietly, looking around the tent. It's suddenly not so overwhelming anymore. The sounds of noisy groups have separated into small pairings. Most people have already crawled into their own beds, or are lounging on the floor speaking in quiet whispers to one another. It feels as if the world has gotten a little smaller and Link finds a small piece of himself enjoying the comfort in that.

He turns back to her and Zel's cheeks are tinted a softer shade of rose than the faint blush that's been on her face due to the honey mead. She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, hugs her journal close, then meets his eyes.

"Make it up to me at breakfast?" She asks.

He can't possibly refuse.

» . «

A sated silence fell between them after they had gotten off the floor, succumbing to their own entertainments on separate rented beds. Zel was scribbling away in her journal again as Link tapped contently on the Sheikah slate. Lounging across his bed, Link organized his inventory, examining the new map details of West Necluda. He can see Kakariko Village on the map now and Zel had been right the night before; it looks like another day's journey ahead. Perhaps they would make it there the next day, or even the day after that, but as Link had thought already; he's not in such a rush anymore.

Half an hour goes by before Link's eyes begin to strain by the blue light of the slate's screen and decides to call it a night. Rising from the bed to take all his belts off—one that lays across his chest to hold weapons, another that holds the slate, and one for his own pants, he does so sluggishly, his arms and legs a little sore from climbing and swimming and solving puzzles all day. It wasn't until he was taking off the last one and snaking it through his belt loops that he felt her eyes on him. Glancing up, there she was; unapologetically staring over her journal at where his hands were idling dangerously close to his groin. When she noticed his pause, however, Zel quickly retreated back to her work, scratching more forcefully into its pages with her graphite. Maybe in a different life, Link would've felt awkward or uncomfortable, but her prying eyes had only helped build into what little ego he had, and he was still wearing that stupid smug grin on his face when he crawled beneath the covers, and shut his eyes.

Many hours later, when the lights in the inn had surrendered to the dimness of fireflies, Link wakes to the sound of her voice. It startles him at first, pulling him from twilight a little too rapidly. He had been comfortably snoring away in the softest bed he could ever remember sleeping on, but his senses came back to him jarringly. He looks over to Zel's bed, curious to see if she had been talking to him, but instead he sees her laying atop her blanket, journal on her chest, and her face angled away from him.

With eyes still half shut, Link climbs out of bed and walks the small distance over to her bedside. He glances down at her in much the same way he had done that morning, but her face doesn't seem as relaxed now. It's hard and despondent; brows furrowed, mouth crooked, and her hands are clenched into fists. She must be having a nightmare, but he doesn't consider waking her. Innocently, all he really wants to do is take her journal off her chest so she could perhaps sleep more soundly.

So slipping it from her fingers as carefully as he can, Link's curiosity gets the better of him. He wants to see what notes she had been working on before she'd fallen asleep. With his vision adjusting to the small light in the room, he can see drawings of a sketch of the Sheikah slate. It's in the middle of the page with icons and symbols and new mathematical equations all pointing inwardly into it—almost like it's being dissected and each part is pulled out to be examined more thoroughly. There's a couple extra notes at the bottom of the page, and at first it seemed like it was a repeat of what she had told him earlier; something about substances or compounds, until a name, his name, catches his eye.

Will Link be able to get his memory back? If so... how?

Her question seems wholesome, but Link can't help but feel upset about it. She's keeping notes on him. Keeping thoughts from him. True, he was a mysterious figure that descended from the sky right in front of her and he holds unknown secrets hidden even from himself. Obviously, he wants to know more about his lost memories than her curiosity could ever fathom. That's why they were going to Kakariko in the first place, to understand his significance involving the Calamity. He knew he had to eventually fight Ganon, but how? The King said it would be reckless behavior to march straight to the castle so quickly after just waking up. Would he have to collect an army of vagabonds or unlock a secret power or weapon hidden within the shrines? Is there a prophecy spoken about him that he has to fulfill? It's inevitable that Link will have to learn more about his past in order to contribute to the present, and maybe Zel had caught onto that fact before him, but her innocent note about his memories made Link feel violated in a way.

Healing his wounds is one thing, but having his mind poked and prodded? He isn't really sure if he'd approve of that.

He moves slowly as he places her journal on the floor between their beds, setting it atop one of her travel bags. His mind is somewhere distant, lost in his thoughts and emotions as he climbs back into his own bed. Link lays on top of the blankets, suddenly too hot to accept it's comfort right now and tries to go back to sleep, but his thoughts are a jumbled mess. Distraught, annoyed, unsettled, he knows he's not going to be drifting off anytime soon. A couple minutes pass in uncomfortable silence until it sounds like Zel his saying something again. Is she... talking in her sleep?

"No, no."

Her voice pulls him from his thoughts and he glances over to see her breathing has escalated and her twitches have become more urgent, frantic. Her head moves side to side like she's trying to shake the dream away, but it still comes barreling towards her. For a fleeting moment, he thinks maybe he should walk up to her again, shake her or nudge her or do anything that could pull her from her threatening slumber, but then she speaks again and his breath hitches.

"Link."

Eyes wide and mind racing, Link is completely motionless, wondering why she just said his name. Sure, they've spent most of the last twenty-four hours together, and they had been drinking, but they still barely knew one another.

Laying on the bed, frozen and stunned, Link stares at her desperate movements. He doesn't know what to do or what to even think, but this new unsettling confusion lasts merely seconds until Zel springs from her bed in a panic, crunching up to a seated position and startling Link so bad, his whole body shakes. A quiet plea escapes her, loud enough to peak the attention of the stable master until he slowly busies himself back into his paperwork once more. The words she whispered when she woke sounded awfully like she said "get up," but Link isn't entirely sure.

With Link's eyes hidden amongst the soft shadows of the room, Zel moves to sit with elbows on her knees, trying to catch her breath and curling into herself. She claws her fingers through her hair, balling them into fists, and drops her head deep into her lap. She's trying to steady her breath, forcing herself to take big inhales and long exhales, but it would be several minutes until she finally comes down from her nightmare and Link never blinks the whole time.

When she does eventually move, shifting her legs to dangle off her bed, Link panics and shuts his eyes, afraid that he had just witnessed something a little too personal. He has no idea what to say or do or how to explain himself if Zel finds out he was watching her. Behind closed eyes, Link hears the sound of her bed creek, then her footsteps light on the hardwood floor and stop just shy of his own bed. He can't tell if his heart is pounding faster or has stopped completely.

She doesn't idle for very long before he feels her fingers brush through his bangs, pushing into his hair slightly, delicately soft and gentle. By Zel's touch, he takes a long awaited breath, one he didn't realize he'd been holding—he had forgotten to breathe. Her fingers ghost languidly across his forehead until they pause against his temple, and her thumb grazes along his brow and for some reason unknown to him, Link's entire body surrenders to the intimacy between them. He melts onto the bed, all tension draining away from his muscles and mind and slowly presses back into her fingers. He turns his head towards her hand, suddenly wanting and needing to feel her touch on his skin, but before he could even change his mind—to process or even realize how new and affectionate her action had been to him—her fingers pull away and too quickly, she was gone.

Link can't remember if she'd gotten back into her bed after that, because by the time her touch had disappeared from his skin, he had drifted off to sleep.

---

"How in Hyrule did he do this again?"

She had only seen Robbie attempt this once and that was a hundred years ago. Days before appointing Link as her personal knight, Zelda and Robbie had traveled from the Royal Ancient Tech Lab to the Zalta Wa shrine in Hyrule Ridge and dismantled its pedestal—hoping that by dissecting it, they could operate or, at the very least, understand the Sheikah slate better.

The slate had been discovered within the main terminal of Van Nabooris when it was excavated from the mesa mountains of Gerudo. After all the Divine Beasts had been discovered and Princess Zelda had appointed them with their respected Champions, further investigations on the Sheikah slate eventually ensued. The slate always responded when being hooked up to the Beasts, activating its ancient energy, but as soon as it would leave the terminal, it'd power down again. Months later, Zelda had suggested to her friends and colleagues, Director Purah and sub-director Robbie (as Purah titled him), that since the shrine pedestals were extremely similar to the ones within the Beasts that perhaps it could be used on them as well.

When Zelda and Robbie approached the pedestal at Zalta Wa shrine a century ago, Zelda had been delicate and gentle, trying to coax or persuade the shrine to interact with the slate somehow, the same way she and the Champions had done with the Beasts. After Robbie's patience had waned down to nothing, he had brushed her aside, and started banging at it in all directions until one of the side panels dislodged, and they were finally able to see inside the pedestal. It was glowing blue and shimmering with diamonds, and the sight made even Robbie gasp with excitement. Zelda took over from there, pulling blue mystical wires out from the crack Robbie had made, even though she wasn't too impressed by his rough handling of such an antique and significant piece of history.

It wasn't long until she had hot-wired the slate to the pedestal and the slate's screen looked as though it had come alive. The device had started to glow blue within the Sheikah eye and a loading screen appeared. However, the only page Zelda could gain access to was the rune page that merely had the camera icon on it. The other icons were blank and had simply said '[Trial Incomplete]'.

Now she understands what that meant.

She should have known. She feels a fool for never allowing Link to touch the slate back then, when understanding the slate's functionality was still a hot topic and the Royal Technicians were still trying to figure out how to gain entry into the shrines. Soon after the Yiga assassination attempt on her life and Link and Zelda's relationship had begun to change, their duties consumed them. Her father demanded she spend more time on her devotions and prayers, and time was of the essence anyways. They could no longer journey to the Divine Beasts to check on the Champions, so the slate was mostly set aside on their travels—except for the occasional picture.

Banging her foot against the pedestal of the Ha Dahamer shrine that's stationed just outside the Dueling Peaks stable, Zelda remembers watching Robbie do the same thing when he dislodged a piece of its siding. There has got to be a more professional way of going about this, but obviously nobody in Hyrule has the slightest idea on how to dismantle a shine properly, so mimicking Robbie's ridiculous behavior will have to do. As hard as she can, Zelda kicks her boot against the siding and the only dent she has managed to make is probably a new bruise forming on her toe.

"What the hell are you doing?" A weary and tired voice speaks behind her, loud enough to be heard over the clanging and banging she's doing.

She swivels around to find Link staring at her with one eye open, the other one covered by his hand as he tries to rub the night's sleep away. His hair's a mess; sticking up in random places atop his head, and his hair tie is about to fall out. The sight of him sleepily incoherent makes her smile.

"I see the Sleeping Knight finally woke up," she smirks, placing a hand on her hip and one on the pedestal she was just pounding against.

"Don't call me that," he tries to snap, but he's still too deep under the spell of sleep, so his words come out slow and lazy and form into a yawn. "Why didn't you wake me? It has to be close to noon."

He drops the hand from his face and looks to the sky to locate the position of the sun. Not even waiting for an answer, Link pulls out his hair tie and starts combing his fingers through his hair, trying to press down the stubborn strands.

"We could have been halfway to Kakariko by now." He doesn't seem irritated that she allowed him to sleep, just curious.

"Actually, I have a better idea on what we can do today," she admits. "I think Jassa could use a new friend."

His fingers pause in his hair for a moment as he processes her words. "You think I can catch a horse?"

She nods confidently. "Jassa doesn't deserve to carry both our asses the whole way."

He chuckles softly and nods in agreement. "That's fair."

"There's a prairie behind the stable with bands of wild horses that graze there. Maybe after breakfast you can tame a horse while I make more elixirs."

He nods, processing her new plan. "Should we leave for the village this evening or tomorrow?"

"That's completely up to you." She doesn't want to take control of their schedule entirely considering traveling to the village is of the utmost importance, but she can't help feeling so nervous. That's precisely the reason why she didn't wake him—secretly hoping he would sleep long enough until her nerves calmed down. Zelda already knows the information Link needs; that he'll have to appease the Divine Beasts before defeating Ganon, but as for any extra information, she's in the dark just as much as he is. Impa would be nothing but a wise crone by now—if she was still alive at all. If she is, would she be able to recognize her? Zelda's whole alias could potentially come crashing down, and she wants to hold onto her new identity just a little bit longer.

"I guess it depends on how much mischief you and I can get into around here," she says smoothly, covering up her worries.

Link is silent for a moment as he weighs their options. He doesn't seem to be in much of a hurry to leave either. "Let's stay here for another day, but let me purchase a bedroll from a vendor so you don't have to buy a bed at the inn for me again tonight."

"I don't mind," she lies. She's starting to run low on rupees.

"No, honestly, Zel. I owe you enough as it is."

"Then buy a bedroll for me, too. That way, if we get sidetracked again, we'll both sleep comfortably."

With a nod, he smiles at her, but his thoughts seem to wander off somewhere, like he's trying to remember something. He blinks rapidly a few times to dispel the thought.

"Let me guess...keep yours in the Sheikah slate?" He asks.

She matches his smile. "How'd you know?"

Indulgently, Zelda watches as Link places the blue tie between his lips and his hands reach back to collect his hair into a low tail. She's so distracted by his movements, she almost misses his next words completely. "You never answered my question though."

"Wh-what question?"

"What the hell are you doing?" He repeats, taking the tie from his mouth and pointing it at the pedestal beside her.

"Oh," she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "I told you last night, I know how to fix the slate. You have to crack the siding to get access to the pedestal's wiring. This is the only way I know how to do that." She kicks the pedestal weakly.

His eyes scan down her body from head to toe, trying to figure her out. Half of her wants him to remember exactly the type of person she is, but the other half—the half that's received such new freedom and limitless possibilities—it wants to be newly explored and discovered all over again.

"You seemed less reckless when you came charging at me atop a giant horse," he sneers.

She laughs. "Yes well, it's all for the sake of trying to figure you out."

That was perhaps the wrong thing to say, for his expression slowly morphs into a strained frown and he can no longer meet her eyes.

"I'm going to make breakfast," he states and starts walking away, but he only gets a couple paces until he turns back to her.

"Hey Zel, last night, did you...?"

"What?" She stares at him blankly, but inside her heart's starting to race.

Hesitant for a moment, he shakes his head, like whatever he was going to ask could have possibly been a dream.

"Never mind," Link says and starts walking towards the cooking pot a little quicker.

As soon as his back is turned, she finally releases an exhale. She doesn't know what he would have asked her about exactly. Last night, after waking from the nightmare that replayed Link's death how she remembered it, Zelda couldn't resist moving to his bedside just to make sure he was still real—that he's still here with her. She had resisted the temptation of anything else; to kiss him or crawl into the bed with him or to bring her face close enough to smell the deep autumnal woodland scent that seemed to run through his veins. It was then that he moved instinctively in his sleep, almost like he wanted her hand there, longing for her touch somewhere deep in his memories, but she felt like she was risking her odds and pulled her fingers away, scared he might eventually wake to see how intimate she was treating him. She wasn't sure how this new Link would react if he had caught her—she was still a stranger to him after all—but for how much longer?

Roughly twenty minutes pass and Zelda is still examining, prying, and banging against the shrine's pedestal. She's getting absolutely nowhere with her progress when Link materializes on the platform, startling her from her chaotic focus, and makes her jump.

"How the—what the—why did you do that?" She asks with a hand over her heart, trying to steady her breath.

"Breakfast is ready," he smiles simply. With a hop and a skip, he leaves the shrine almost as quickly as he came, not even waiting for her to follow—clearly satisfied he had been able to spook her.

"Who's reckless now?" She grumbles under her breath as she follows him.

"Heard that."

They spend almost an hour lounging outside in the warm spring air after their late breakfast just… talking. It had started with small banter about the weather, and then they soon found themselves chatting about any and all things. Their conversation flows smoothly through discussions on food and cooking, then medicinals and archery. Zelda tells him about her experience battling the monsters after they had separated yesterday, and Link tells her about the view atop the Dueling Peaks tower, then about the shrines he completed afterwards. She listens quietly, secretly enamored as she smiles at him, but mainly to herself. She could listen to him talk so casually for hours.

The colossal difference that she's noticed about him is his lack of confidence, but there's an absence of a burdening title on his shoulders. This new freedom in his personality is something she hadn't been able to experience before the Calamity. There was always an overwhelming control that was placed on him, silencing and fencing Link in on himself that weighed down on him so heavily, even Mipha voiced her worries when they last visited Zora's Domain. Zelda didn't exactly know what he was like before he was appointed, so she always assumed that was just... him. Now she realizes how incorrect she had been, and Zelda has never felt more content on being so wrong.

They're bickering about Koroks to the point Zelda is laughing—Those have got to be their real faces —No, they're masks —No, they're not —Are they wearing masks because they're hiding from me? —They're not hiding from you, Link —I'm more curious about them than some weird old shrines, to be honest Zel— when their private conversation is interrupted by the sweetest and most innocent of faces.

A young girl with copper hair roughly an inch longer than Zelda's sits just a bit too close to Link next to the fire pit and Zelda can tell it flusters him. This new stranger introduces herself as Sagessa and tries to push her way into their conversation. She brings up the weather, which they've already covered about an hour ago, so their chat ends up being a little forced. Zelda doesn't mind her presence in the slightest, but Link does. Sagessa hasn't torn her eyes off him since she sat down, and it clearly is making him uncomfortable. He keeps looking over to Zelda, hoping she'll come up with an excuse or a way for them to leave, but she just can't resist pressuring him like this. Perhaps the girl's attention will help Link gain back some lost confidence.

"I'm Azella, and this is Link," she introduces them and Link sends her a quick glare that she pretends not to notice.

"Link is a peculiar name, where's it from?" She scoots closer.

"Um. My parents, probably?" He scratches the back of his head.

"No, I mean, where did your parents come up with it?" Sagessa giggles and Zelda can't help but roll her eyes, but she speaks before he can.

"It's Old Akkalan that's short for Lincoln," she lies.

His eyes widen at her and she can almost see what he's saying in his head. Then he signs so she actually can. "Stop talking."

She signs back quickly. "She's harmless."

"That's not as cute as the name Link." Sagessa's eyes flutter at him, not noticing their silent conversation within the spoken one.

"Yeah, that's why I go by it. It suits me better." Link's eyes slowly leave Zelda's and his voice is more monotone, expressing his clear distaste of the topic, but humors the girl nonetheless. "Where's your name from?"

Zelda watches as the girl's cheeks flush scarlet and leans into Link a little more.

"I'm not sure, but I think it means 'wisdom' in a forgotten language. My name is so ugly, I hate it. It must be a hundred years old or something."

Link's eyes fall back to hers and they both share a private smile.

"No, it's pretty," he says bashfully, but he hasn't stopped looking at Zelda.

"You think so?" Sagessa angles towards him, and the sudden movement breaks their stare.

He looks to the girl who's now inches from his face, and tries to send her a reassuring smile—but it falls flat and he shrugs.

"Do you know about elixirs?" Sagessa blurts in an attempt to regain his attention. "I've recently been learning about them and they're very useful for travelers. If you two are from Akkala, then you must have a travel bag full of them."

"Actually, Zel is the person you should talk to about that." He smiles pleasingly, knowing he had just found a loophole out of this cringing conversation. Link smacks his hands on his thighs, and stands. "I uh, think I left something in the inn, so I'm just gonna go..." He points towards the patchwork tent and starts walking.

But before he leaves her eyesight, Link sends her a quick glare as he walks past, indicating he's a little upset she had put him on the spot like that, but she doesn't mind. His footsteps fall away and Zelda is left with Sagessa sitting in awkward silence, so she adds another log onto the fire just to keep her hands busy.

"So, you work with elixirs then?" Sagessa asks, a little forcefully.

"Yes, mostly medicinal. I keep a notebook full of recipes for digestive and topical elixirs, but I've researched that topical medicine tends to be more efficient in the aid of mending injuries."

"You're right. I wonder why drinking an elixir takes longer for the effect to kick in than if it's rubbed on the skin."

"It's because oral elixirs have to go through the digestive and circulatory systems first," Zelda answers, tone mechanical. "The skin is the largest organ in the body and applying it straight to the wound allows direct contact with the medicine and injury." She knows the girl hasn't technically asked for an explanation, but it's in Zelda's nature to inform. "However, now that you mention it, I wonder if I could create a potion that he could drink to regain health fast in case we get separated again."

"He?" Sagessa asks. Zelda almost forgot she was there.

"Link," she smiles.

"Your brother is really cute."

Zelda's smile starts to lean. "Bold of you to assume that we're siblings."

"Oh? Um… what are you then?" She asks nervously.

"We're—" Zelda starts, but can't seem to conjure the right words. What were they? She was the Princess. He was the Hero, but they're not anymore. They're just two lost souls traveling together that were bruised and battered and scarred from the very apocalyptic Calamity this girl in front of her could ever understand.

Her answer falls to simplicity. "We're travel companions."

"I see," Sagessa says, but Zelda knows she never will.

"Would you... like to swap recipes? I have a couple elixirs that will help increase speed or stamina, but you have to drink them a half hour earlier than when you need the effect. It might help you two on your travels."

Zelda smiles and nods.

The two women share a few minutes together with their journals out, copying each other's notes and recipes, when Link stomps out of the stable's inn with a huff, exiting with more agitation and frustration than when he originally entered.

"What's wrong?" Zelda asks, looking up at him from her seat next to Sagessa.

"It's those two assholes in the tent." He points haphazardly behind him, and Zelda can hear mocking laughter coming from inside.

"What are you talking about?" She cocks her head.

"When I was purchasing bedrolls, I overheard your gentleman friend and his buddy talking about Misko's treasure and—and when I asked about it, they laughed in my face," he rolls his eyes and huffs. "They told me I'd have to give them one hundred rupees before they tell me anything."

That story makes her feel so bad about the chain of events, in causing him so much irritation and anger. He used to be respected, a knight, a Champion—and now he's being laughed at straight to his face.

She hadn't expected Link to feel so uncomfortable with Sagessa, either. It seemed like he was getting more relaxed with the other people around the stable—he never had a problem with crowded places before. Not in dining halls or ballrooms or the crowded night he had bumped into her at her regular tavern. Back then he was used to people talking and sneering, gossiping and snickering, but in all honesty, those mumbles were always about her anyways. She has to keep reminding herself that he doesn't have those same walls he had built around his personality anymore. Now, two men have laughed at him—making him feel even more like an outsider than he already is. Her face softens as she watches him shift his weight to one side and cross his arms over his chest.

"Let me handle them." She gets up from her seat by the fire and tries to place a ginger hand on his bicep, but he shifts; angling and retracting away from her. Her fingers recoil, surprised by his sudden movement. They've been getting along so well, but his moods change so quickly now and she's having a hard time keeping up with him. She tries to catch his eyes before she walks into the tent, but he's ignoring her; looking down towards the ground at his patchy shoes, kicking a pebble around on the muddy gravel.

Five minutes later she walks out into the sunshine with the riddle of Misko's treasure. The men she left behind in the tent are watching her walk away, nudging each other in the elbow, and Link is watching them with a creased brow line. And he's fuming.

"The treasure is in a cave above the little river just beyond the smaller of the Twin Bridges," she smiles warmly at him, ignoring his scowl. She's a little smug with herself, content that she still has the capability to bring any man to his knees, still has the demure and finesse that she possessed from before.

"Don't you feel any remorse for those men you just swindled?" His shoulders are climbing up to his ears.

"I beg your unbelievable pardon." She has never taken kindly to someone questioning her choice of character—not even if it's Link.

"I'm just saying, what you did to them—" He angles away from her. "It's not impressive."

"You wanted to know about the lousy treasure in the first place! I couldn't care less about a couple rusty weapons in a bandit's cave. I—I did it—" I did it for you, she wants to say, but she doesn't want to sound like she's searching for a reward or looking for praise. She simply just wanted to help him.

"Don't think that'll ever work on me," he says rudely, and starts walking.

She starts following him. "Why would I even want to try?"

He snaps his head towards her and sends her a piercing glare, but his eyes look hurt. He couldn't possibly be jealous... could he? He starts walking a little faster.

"Where are you going?" She asks in a softer tone. She doesn't want to continue arguing with him.

"I'm gonna tame a horse." His hands clench into fists. "Go, hang out with Sagessa, and talk about elixirs or—or gossip about men."

"Fine, but I'll need this to store the medicine and write any notes she might have about being a hustler," Zelda says contemptuously and pries the Sheikah slate off his belt.

Halting in his tracks, hands raised, Link glares at her with a stunned, annoyed expression.

"You could've asked first."

"You showed me how to use the device last night, what's the problem?"

"That doesn't mean you can just grab it from my belt. I may not have my memory, but even I know about boundaries."

"Are you implying that I don't?"

"Well?" He gestures down to his belt. "What was that just now?"

He's right, but she can't help it. A century ago the slate had been hers and the boundaries between them were down to almost nothing. It's extremely hard for her to crawl back to the beginning of their relationship, to pretend they were nothing more than acquaintances now. Perhaps she'd have to build her own walls to conceal her true feelings for him, but Zelda is not one to apologize. So her defensive nature kicks in.

"If you don't want me so close to you then just say it."

"I—" but he stops. He can't bring himself to say it. Link turns back around and walks into the prairie behind the stable, and Zelda twists on her heel back to the campfire.

"If you two fight so much, why are you traveling together?" Sagessa asks as Zelda plops down on a stool beside the cooking pot.

"It's... complicated," she sighs. She feels exhausted, aggravated, and guilty for some reason. Maybe he was right, maybe she had swindled Domidak and Prissen to give her what she wanted, but she feels so confident with herself now. She has newfound freedoms just as much as Link does and it feels absolutely empowering. For the first time in her life, she doesn't have any restraints or control, not any gossip mongers limiting what she says in public, a whole kingdom saying she's weak when she isn't, or a parent that can only see her as the final piece of a devastating prophecy that just can't seem to fit right.

But perhaps the limitless freedom Zelda cherishes now is the same thing that's starting to overwhelm Link. He knew exactly who he was back then… but now? He has no idea.

» . «

A couple hours pass without talking to each other. Every now and then, Zelda would turn over her shoulder to try and spot Link in the field nearby. Sometimes he would wander close to the stable, and sometimes he'd just be a speck in the tall grass, kicking a rock around in irritation. He seemed to be keeping tabs on her as well, making sure she didn't attempt to hot-wire the slate to the nearest shrine, but she wasn't in the mood to do that anyways. She had also kept conversation to a minimum between her and Sagessa in a pathetic attempt to prove to Link she wasn't gossiping about him. When they did talk, she would over-exaggerate her mannerisms; pointing at phials or into the cooking pot when she'd brew a new elixir—just in case he was watching.

He didn't really start trying to catch a horse until Zelda had taken some extra linen cloth that was lying around the stable and began sterilizing it with the Rito vodka she received the night prior. She was ripping them into long, thin strips as Sagessa took over the cooking pot—the same one Zelda had been hogging for close to three hours—but that was at the same time when their heads snapped towards a jumble of horrendous sounds coming from the prairie; a commotion of several horses neighing and shrieking, the noise of trampling hooves, and a loud crack. Then Link swearing.

Immediately, Zelda drops what she's doing and starts running towards the grass. He isn't far from the stable, only a short jog behind the southern tree by the camping tents. She sees a band of horses galloping away from Link who's now lying on his back in the muddy grass, clutching at his face with both hands. She comes barreling towards him and almost crashes into him when she falls to her knees down by his side.

"Let me see, let me see," she demands, trying to keep her voice from panicking and her fingers from shaking. It's clear to her that he had tried to sneak up behind a horse, only to be kicked in the face. By that incident alone, Link could be extremely injured. He could have a concussion, a fractured skull, or even brain damage. She tries to push the terrible thoughts away.

He ignores her command at first, but then Link surrenders when her fingers ghost around his wrists and softly pull them away from his face. He looks up to Zelda as she looks down to him, and she can't hold back the small gasp that escapes her throat. His nose is bleeding and she can see the imprint of the horse's hoof along his brow already starting to turn purple and blue. Half of his face would be swollen within the hour.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" She raises two. He just blinks at her several times, then begins clumsily trying to get on his feet again. "Link, answer my question. How many fingers?"

"I'm fine," he pushes her fingers out of his vision. "And two," he adds.

"Are you having a laugh!?" She almost shrieks. "You could—you could have a broken nose, or—or be blind in one eye." She's getting tired of his defensive attitude, and was still upset with him from their tiff before. Still, as much as she wants him to listen, she begrudgingly helps him to his feet, tucking her hand underneath his bicep and bracing most of his weight as he rises.

"I said, I'm fine," he yanks his arm away from her when he can finally stand on his own, even though he wobbles slightly.

"No, you're not. Your nose is bleeding and I need to apply medicine to your face straight away."

"I don't need your help!" He yells and starts walking away from her.

Her breath hitches by his sudden anger because his words hurt more than he could possibly understand. If he didn't need her help, she'd still be shrouded in darkness and gagged with malice, clutching at the remaining threads of her mortality while he got to run around Hyrule playing hide and seek with Koroks and collecting mushrooms.

"Oh, so now you don't want my help when your face is smashed in," she tries to meet his tone, but her voice cracks.

He sends a sharp glare at her, but his new injuries refrain his facial movements—so he winces instead. "Zel, just—just leave me alone for a bit." He starts walking away from her.

"I left you alone for three hours and look what happened," she says as she gestures in the air even though she's walking behind him.

"You don't need to coddle me, I'm not a fucking child. I was a knight for Hylia's sake. A black eye from a horse means nothing to me."

"I understand that Link, but this self pity that you're wallowing in—" she grabs his shoulder to stop him. "It's not impressive."

He swivels around immediately after the words leave her throat. It's not so satisfying to hear someone judge your choice of character now, is it? She thinks in her head. Their eyes meet and he's livid, but she's almost in tears and his face softens a bit after realizing how upset she is, albeit he's still too riled up. Between the argument they had earlier and the pain on his face, he doesn't have it in him to feel bad for anyone but himself.

Link turns around again and begins walking towards the covered wagon parked on the south side of the stable. When the sounds of her feet sloshing in the puddles give her movement away, he stops, standing motionless in the mud, and looks over his shoulder back to her.

"Stop following me."

"Wh—what?" Her voice is no louder than a whisper.

"Just—" He inhales slowly through his nose, trying to find a gentler tone. "Stop following me, please. Take the slate and finish your medicine making. I... want to be alone for a while."

She watches him, standing shocked and stunned in the muddy prairie as he trudges away. She knows that if she keeps pestering him, it would only push him further away, and he's right; he's not a child, but he does need her help.

Zelda gives him all the space he needs for a solid half hour until she walks back up to him. He's found a seat to sulk in self-pity, back against the front wheel of the wagon as he faces the twin bridges—close enough to the stable, but far enough away for some privacy. She drags her feet through the gravel forcefully, just to make sure he can hear her obvious approach behind his closed eyes. He has one leg stretched out in front of him as his other leg is bent at the knee and his elbow propped on top of it. With his head tilted towards the sky, she can see the deep crimson and purple hues around his left eye and the minor cuts atop his nose. He looks like a fucking mess. She rolls her eyes.

Link doesn't say anything when she approaches, just takes a deeper inhale than usual and waits for her to say whatever she plans on telling him.

"If you don't want my help then put this on your stupid face," she says and tosses it straight onto his crotch.

The grunt he makes is entirely undignified when the icy meat lands right on the apex of his thighs, and the sound almost makes Zelda laugh. He hunches over, back leaving the wooden wheel as his hands grab for his groin and lets the meat fall off his lap—wanting to protect his privates in case she has another item to throw at him, and the fear that flashes across his face is more satisfying than Zelda cares to admit.

"The frozen meat will aid with the swelling and bruising, and will decrease inflammation," she says in a rather salty tone.

Finally cracking open his good eye, Link gawks at her, but quickly winces at the pain. She doesn't want to make a truce just yet, knowing they were both still upset with one another, so she turns on her heel and is about to walk away again when she looks over her shoulder and speaks.

"And you don't even have to say I helped you," she adds. "I used your own rupees to buy it."

---

He wanted to wallow in his self-pity, and she let him. After Link placed the slab of icy meat on his eye, he had drowned out the world entirely for a while. He sat there grumbling to himself until the throbbing became tolerable and the meat started to melt too much for it to be considered cold anymore. He had lost track of time and opened his eyes to indicate the position of the sun—it had to be early evening by now. The sun is already behind the cracked mountain and the shadows of dusk have started to cascade over the stable. His emotions have cooled down enough to where he considers picking himself up, along with the remains of his dignity, when Zel's figure comes into his eye sight.

Heading towards the Big Twin Bridge, Zel walks down the gravel path, adjusting the bow and quiver on her back and mumbling to herself like Link had just been doing. Before she gets too far, he finds himself rising to his feet to chase after her and when she notices him approaching, she looks out of the corner of her eye and huffs at him, but keeps walking.

"Where are you going?" He asks with extra innocence to his words.

"I'm going to find that bloody treasure."

They didn't say anything after that, not until they reached the end of the little river. Zel kept quiet the whole time—never telling him to stop following her or leave her alone, and he never once tried to provoke conversation between them. When they got to the end of the river, Link swam to the Korok hiding in a blatantly obvious spot, then walked back up to Zel and asked for the Sheikah slate so he could take out his climbing bandana, and she respectfully gave it back to him.

The bandana made him climb almost as fast as she could, and Link tried but failed to push his competitive thoughts out of his mind again. She didn't seem to compare herself to him and that just bothered him even more. He had been slowly spiraling into his own self-pity again when he felt her body slip from the wet rock beside him and he quickly grabbed for her—snatching her wrist as her hand left stone. Link could see the fear flash across her face quickly, could hear her breath hitch fearfully, but that smile he was getting so used to seeing came back to her lips the second she realized he had caught her.

He helps pull her up to the ledge and they stand close to one another as they catch their breath. Link wants to tell her something, anything, wants to break the uncomfortable silence between them, but he's just not sure what to say.

"You... you didn't swindle Domidak or Prissen."

"Then why did you say it?" Her voice is low, somber.

Because I'm upset that you don't talk to me the same way you talk to other men, and because everything you say or do seems to be so simple and easy. Because I'm lost and confused and lonely and—and jealous.

"I don't know," he says.

"Just—" Her voice breaks and she turns away from him. "Only say words to me that you mean."

He doesn't know how to reply back to her so their unspoken agreement resorts back to continuing their treasure hunt. They find the entrance to the cave relatively easy and he uses a bomb to blast the barricade away. Inside, he collects all the jewels and weapons and stores them in the Sheikah slate, and Link allows himself a small gleeful moment when he opens the last treasure chest to find a Flameblade inside. Turning to show Zel, he forgets the awkwardness between them entirely and the wholesome smile she gifts him proves she doesn't want the uneasiness to linger between them either, but her eyes are still distant from him. She's looking at Link as though he's not really there, and her faraway stare eats into the pit of his stomach more than he cares to admit.

The fireflies are buzzing softly and the wild animals are sleeping soundly by the time they exit the cave. They're walking through Hickaly Woods when Link notices a large pile of bones a little ways away, nestled within a clearing of the trees.

"Zel, what do you think that is over there?" He starts jogging towards it.

Her eyebrow raises in response, but begins to follow him through the woods anyways. As they get closer, Link can see the outline of a large spine buried halfway within the earth, and the sight makes his mind race with wonder even though his instincts are screaming that there's nothing wonderful about what's lying dead in the dirt. He's about to turn to Zel who's walking up next to him when the ground begins to shake. She gasps and impulsively grabs for his arm as the bones begin to jump and jostle in the air, collecting and building into a new form of life that only occurs at the spell of twilight.

"It's a Stalnox!" She chokes out and Link can hear the fear in her voice. He draws his sword and shield and steps between her and the almost fully assembled monster.

He pushes them both a couple paces back, far enough to be out of its giant swing, and the Stalnox spots them immediately. It rages and sends a loud roar through the air, scattering nearby birds and sleeping wildlife, and starts charging towards them.

Drawing her bow, Zel aims and fires straight at the Stalnox's single eye and the direct shot blinds it momentarily. The raging creature plops down onto the ground and wails loudly and Link sees this as a golden opportunity. With her stunning blow, Link starts sprinting at the monster and he sends a spin attack into the creaking bones with all his might, until he releases the built up energy and makes one single pounding slice into the enemy. His sword meets a leg bone of the Stalnox and it cracks, but doesn't break entirely. When the monster is standing once again, Zel wastes no time in firing another shot at its eye, and the process repeats. She'd shoot and he'd stab—

—It isn't until the Stalnox covers its cyclops eye and starts stomping towards Zel that their plan of attack has to change.

"Link, get back!" Zel yells across the field.

Obeying her command, Link runs a short distance across the woods and watches as Zel tries to keep her aim steady—waiting for the moment the Stalnox removes the hand from its eye, but it keeps trudging towards her. She walks backwards anxiously, getting closer and closer to the descending hill that leads down into the little river. The dead monster is too fast and too wobbly to focus intricate aim, but then it stops in its tracks and its hand moves away. Zel lets an arrow sing through the air but it misses the eye by inches when it twists unpredictably, then its giant hand starts to pull at its own ribcage. Yanking and tugging until two ribs break away, a loud and gruesome crack fills the air and makes Link's skin crawl. He braces for the monster to use its own bones as a weapon against him, ready to dodge, jump, or run, anything to get out of the way from a forceful swing, but then fear digs deep into the pit of his stomach when the bones are thrown into the air, straight at Zel.

"Look out!" He screams but Zel stood frozen, it was too late to run—the bones were already flying towards her. Instead of lunging or running from something so large and gainly and potentially getting more injured in the process, she braces for it—knowing it was her best option. Quickly, she falls to one knee and raises an arm to shield her face as the rib bones come colliding into her. The force sends her rolling involuntarily down the hill, towards the little river, and is out of sight.

"Azella!" He yells her full name, but the Stalnox turns towards him, face angry and weak, but still clinging to the pathetic clasp of its life. It's desperate to finish Link off as well, and that's when something ruptures in him.

The small flame that's been burning dimly since he woke up to this world suddenly is scorching so intensely, his vision blurs and he can no longer focus on anything besides killing the monster that attacked his Zel. He pulls out a spear and steadies himself, standing powerful and braver than he ever remembers feeling, and waits as the Stalnox gets closer and closer until it's almost above him, then Link lets the spear fly. It strikes the single eye of the monster, hitting and wounding it almost fatally and dislodging the eye from its socket. It lands only a few steps away from Link—exactly as planned. He picks up the eye—the disgusting slime and sticky residue seeping over his fingers—and starts running away from it. He throws it as far as he can, and immediately sends a bomb afterwards, detonating a powerful blast against the eye.

He can feel the quake of the earth and hear the monster grunting behind him, blinded but racing to get to the eye before he does, but Link is quicker. He draws his sword again and sends every part of his stamina, every bit of energy into a spin attack, ending in one final piercing slice and finishes the monster off completely. The body succumbs to Link's strength and power; bones descending down onto the earth as it falls apart, piece by piece, the evil no longer able to keep it latched together, and the largest cloud of malice Link has seen so far bursts into his vision, blinding him momentarily, and makes him gag.

He waves away the cloud, but he's already running through it, and he doesn't have to jog far when he sees her. She's already atop the ditch and heading towards him, walking cautiously and clutching her bloody elbow. When he sees the state of her, Link's rage-filled vision dissipates entirely, and all of his facial features weaken. She's hurt, injured, and he suddenly feels a wave of guilt cascade over him. He knows her cuts and bruises are not his fault, but he can't help it. He runs faster now and almost crashes into her when they meet.

When she's within reach and without thinking, Link parks a hand on her shoulder as his other hand finds her face and pushes his fingers into her hair, moving messy strands away, and his thumb grazes close to a small cut along her brow. Then all at once, all of his emotions catch up to him.

"I'm sorry—I'm so sorry. I didn't mean anything I said earlier. I don't even know why I said it. Of course I want your help, I need your help—I was just angry at myself and—and I took it out on you because you're the only person that I know and because you just make everything look so easy and—"

"Link," she says his name softly, muting his ranting apology in the process. She didn't move the whole time he spoke—just stared down at the ground between their feet. Gradually, Zel takes her own hand and places it atop his that's still caressing her face. She pauses, then tenderly guides his fingers away and looks up at him. "I understand more than you could possibly know."

They're silent for a spell. She hadn't necessarily refused his advancement—she actually seemed to welcome it briefly. Perhaps she just doesn't want to be coddled for too long, and Link can sympathize with that.

"Are you alright?" He asks, resisting the urge to touch her face again.

"Yes, I'll be fine," she sighs and tries to reassure him with a smile. "You might have to bandage my elbow for me though."

Inspecting her elbow, there's a deep gash from the bottom of her bicep to the top of her forearm where the rib bones had collided with her. He can't examine it all that well in the heavy darkness of the woods, so with a heavy sigh, Link tries to match her faint smile.

"Come on," he says gently, placing a hand on her back to guide her. "Let's head back to the stable."

Link swaps out a couple weapons that the Stalnox had dropped, and soon they leave Hickaly Woods. They walk quietly with both their heads bowed, staring at their moving feet. The air between them isn't so strained anymore, but she doesn't try to conjure conversation—perhaps due to her injury or lost in her own thoughts like he was, but he'll take any silence between them if it means they could continue traveling together after all the arguing they'd done today. Will Zel separate from him when they get to Kakariko? They never clearly discussed anything past getting to the village. He didn't even know what or where he'd have to travel to after that. Their arrangement had never gone past seeking out Lady Impa, and he's suddenly concerned that their time together is drawing to an end.

"What did you mean when you said I make everything look so easy?" Zel's voice breaks through the silence along with his troubled thoughts. They've reached the Big Twin Bridge and he listens to the sound of their footsteps against the decaying wood before he speaks.

"Well," Link drags a hand down his face. "To start, your archery skills are... amazing. You can easily hold your own against enemies. And you um..." He clears his throat. "You have an... influence on people." He considers pretending to fall through the broken bridge so they can at least talk about something else.

"An influence?" She looks at him curiously, giving Link the attention he doesn't want right now. Her large green eyes will only make him stutter more.

"D-Domidak and Prissen woul-would've given you the rucksacks off their back if you asked for them."

"I see." A smile is forming on her lips that's heavy with self-satisfaction. "You think I'm a smooth talker."

"It definitely didn't take you very long to learn what they knew about Misko's treasure," he says with an anxious exhale.

"You would've been able to do the same thing if it was Sagessa," she states with the same ease he'd been trying to explain to her. "And your skills with a sword and shield are just as impressive, if not better."

It's Link's turn for a confident smile to spread across his face. Zel considers him as having equally cunning and raw talent as her own? That he's just as skilled, powerful, and charming as he thinks she is? The competitive thoughts that annoyed him for the past day suddenly seem so trivial and petty.

"You're saying I'm a smooth talker?" He repeats her words and their eyes meet briefly.

With a cheeky grin, she asks him; "it definitely didn't take very long to persuade me to travel with you now, did it?"

Somewhere in her words there is a confession, but Link can't quite seem to grasp exactly what it is. All he knows is that what she has said and how she said it, it's building into a confidence he hadn't realized he'd been lacking. He smiles at her to express he's simply grateful that she's here with him, and nudges her good arm with his elbow.

"No, I guess it didn't."

When they reach the cooking pot and warming campfire, Zel stands a small distance away as Link unpacks both their bedrolls from the Sheikah slate—pushing them side by side so they could sit together and tend to her elbow. When he's ready, Link waves for her to sit down, and she does so obediently.

"Okay, you're going to have to walk me through this," he says, a little apprehensively, and starts tapping away at the slate again so he can take out her medical equipment. She has a few new elixirs she's made recently and pieces of linen cloth that she's ripped into long strips for bandages. He takes everything out and places it on the ground in front of them.

"Blue phial—"

"Is a disinfectant," he finishes and picks it up off the bedroll.

"Use it on your hands first. You were just fighting a Hinox skeleton," she smirks and he nods.

He follows her simple instructions; washing his hands, then her elbow wound. Zel says it doesn't hurt all that much so he should skip the pain reliever. He argues with her that he's going to use it anyways, but she pulls away from him when he tries to apply it.

"Honestly, Link. We should use it sparingly."

"Oh, and a little scrape on my cheek two days ago was 'using it sparingly,'" he mocks her tone.

She tries to argue but has no defense, so his words silence her instead. Link gloats a little by the triumph.

"Can I ask you a question?" He says as he scoots closer to her and applies the green oil to her wound.

She signs with her free hand. "Sure."

"How did you learn to use a bow? You must have had training." He rubs the medicine into her elbow the same way he remembers Zel doing to his ankle a couple nights ago. Gentle, but firm.

"I—" She begins, but her words catch in her throat. The memory seems to be a little painful for her. "I began my training when I was six. It was a couple months after my mother died and it had been one of my father's lame attempts to get me out of his way." A shallow sigh leaves her lips, reliving the memory, but her voice perks up slightly with her next words. "What we both didn't realize though, is how much I enjoyed my archery lessons. It ended up being one of the same things we argued about many years later that I was wasting my time on—that, and my research."

She remains still as he exchanges the green phial for the red healing elixir.

"How did your mother die?"

"Childbirth," she says plainly. "There were complications with her pregnancy and when she went into labor, neither her nor my little brother survived." She looks down at the ground and her short hair falls along her jawline, shielding her vision from him.

Link's movements slow as he rubs the elixir into her skin. She had a despondent father somewhere in this world, has to carry the memory of the tragic death of her mother, and a brother she would never get to know. Perhaps Link is better off not remembering his own family, but immediately disagrees with his own thoughts. He doesn't know what to say or how to respond to her.

"That was a long time ago though," she says, resetting their conversation, and tucks the fallen hair behind her ear so Link can see her features again. "You asked about my training. I had an amazing Rito archer for a trainer. She was quick-witted and sharp, but proud and stubborn, like most Rito archers are." Her eyes gloss over, thinking of her mentor. "She trained me until my father forbade my lessons but before she left, she taught me almost everything I know... Almost," she smiles to herself.

"So… did you have another trainer after her then?" He says, picking up a bandage.

"You could say that," she dips her head down, trying to catch his eyes.

He's about to say something, to ask another question related to the allure behind her words, when Link hears his name being called.

"Hi Link!" They both look up and see Sagessa bouncing lightly on her feet towards them. Zel turns back to him and raises her eyebrows.

"Don't," he warns before Sagessa is close enough to hear him. He waves at the cute vagabond.

"I'm glad to see that you're back safe." She smiles sweetly at Link, but then registers the bandages and the focused work he's doing to Zel's arm. "Oh, are you okay?"

"Yes, quite," Zel nods respectfully. "All thanks to Link." She turns and flutters her lashes at him, and he just rolls his eyes then blows out a puff of hot air.

"That's good to hear," she nods back courtly, but then Sagessa's attention falls back to him immediately. "Here Link, I—I made you this." Extending a hand down to where he's seated, she hands him a clear glass phial with a blue potion inside.

"Oh, um... Thank you?" He speaks timidly and takes the item from her hand. "I mean, what is it?"

"If you drink it, it'll help increase your speed. I thought maybe you could use this when you attempt riding a wild horse again. It'll ease my conscience to know you won't get another black eye when you try the next time." She blushes and turtles into herself a little.

"I don't know how to repay you," he replies mechanically and looks around his lap like there might be something close by he could just trade with her.

"Maybe we could... hang out?" She asks so awkwardly he could almost feel Zel cringing beside him.

"I'm sorry Sagessa but—" He looks to Zel, then back at the innocent girl standing over them. "Zel and I are kind of busy."

"Oh, okay. Maybe another time then."

"Maybe," he coughs, but it doesn't sound convincing.

"Bye then," she waves faintly and hugs herself as she walks away from them.

Trying to hide his embarrassment, Link busies himself with wrapping the bandage around Zel's arm, but the silly expression on her face only makes the tension build in his shoulders. He just knows she's going to have something to say that's witty or clever and teasing him somehow. He ties the bandage tight around her arm and drops his hands in his own lap, utterly defeated.

"Go on then. Say it."

"You didn't even have to ask for anything," she smiles.

"I'm surprised you're not jealous," he gives her a smoldering look.

"I don't need to be," she flips her hair with her free hand. "As I recall, you think I'm a smooth talker."

"Yeah, but so am I," he jabs back, but can't stop himself from extending a hand out and tucking her loose hair behind her ear as his fingers graze briefly along her cheekbone, and she lets him. She doesn't pull away from his touch. He's suddenly relieved he was never able to say he didn't want her so close to him, because it wouldn't have been true at all.

Zel eyes him, trying to read him. They've had a long day, full of ups and downs in their new relationship. Bickering and fighting, yelling and arguing, but if that all meant it would lead to this moment right now, he couldn't find it in him to regret any of it.

"Can you please let me put medicine on your black eye? Looking at your face is ghastly." Her nose wrinkles as she stares at him.

"You wound me, Zel," he clutches his heart obnoxiously and falls back onto his bedroll.

They both share a laugh but he complies and Link finishes the night off with a hot meal in his belly, medicine on his face, and glimmering green eyes that fall asleep next to him.

---

One Hundred Years Earlier

He started it. It was his suggestion in the first place. He knew how close they would be getting to one another. Perhaps he was expecting it to happen all along, testing Zelda's craving just as much as his own. But she would never be entirely sure.

Link had seen her hands clenched into fists during the conversation with her father. He was kneeling just behind her the whole time silent and stoic, but she had grown used to his informalities when they were on the road, so Link's gallant mannerisms seemed almost forceful when the King approached them. Link knew well enough now that she was so furious after talking with her father that she needed to hit something, release her tension somehow.

"Princess, you haven't practiced at the archery grounds lately. It would be wise to do so before we leave for Akkala next week." He said quietly after he rose to his feet. He always spoke quieter when they were at the castle, compared to being out in the wild alone—with her.

She smiled a little suggestively, looking at him out of the corner of her eye.

"How long has it been since our last lesson?" She asked.

His head tilted towards her and he matched her smile. "Too long."

They both gazed over the balcony for a bit. They were silent, staring at the researchers testing the product that she herself had organized, she herself had programmed and recalibrated. She had been unable to contribute to their motion testing because she had spent the morning at the Castle Town cathedral, devoting her time to worship and prayer.

Earlier that day, throughout her whole spiritual routine, Zelda could hear the snickers and whispers echo within the vast holy church, but ignored them like always. She had spent longer than usual kneeling at the holy altar just to prove to somebody—her father, the monks and nuns, the gossipers behind her back, the whole bloody kingdom—that she was trying, and didn't realize four hours had gone by in silent prayer. She didn't dare move the whole time for fear that if she did, it might break whatever meditative tunnel she was forcing herself to go down—even if that meant she lost all feeling in her legs.

When she tried to stand, her knees buckled and she went tumbling down to the marble floor, face first. She braced for the contact, but Link caught her—running so fast that she didn't even see him until she could feel Link's warm hands on her shoulders. He quickly swooped her into his arms, relocating her to a seat at the end of a church pew instead of at the front of the altar where everyone could watch her struggle.

"Are you alright Princess?" He whispered, pushing her long hair out of her face.

She wanted to say something to him, to lie and pretend she was fine, couldn't be better. The whole kingdom's fate falls on her shoulders and she's just peachy. But their relationship was so close now, they both understood each other's struggles and burdens and roles they had to play. He knew a lie coming out of her mouth more than anyone so she just sat there, gazing at his Champion's tunic as he knelt on one knee in front of her, trying to catch her eyes, but she couldn't meet his own. Eventually, Zelda closed her heavy eyelids and shook her head.

They stayed like that, hidden within the shadows of the quiet church until the feeling in her legs returned. Link gave her all the time she needed, he always did. She held onto his hand for solace as his calloused thumb grazed over her knuckles, a tender and secret comfort he gifted her to lull her anxieties away, because they could both hear the soft voices behind them whispering.

Looks like Hyrule is going to have two weak monarchs in a row. She's lucky she has that cute knight to catch her. Even the Hero seems worried she'll fail. The Royal bloodline trickles to nothing.

When she had heard enough, she squeezed his hand, stood up, and gracefully exited from the chapel and the same snickering individuals bowed to her as she passed.

Her anger had only escalated after the King had treated her like she was a child, like she had done nothing to contribute to the fight against the Calamity. She would spend her days to worship and nights to research and still her father was blind to her devotions.

Soon after Link's suggestion, Zelda changed into a pair of riding pants and a light blouse, pulled her hair into a long braid, and they made their way to the archery training grounds. Any knights or trainees practicing their abilities had abandoned the field when they entered with nothing more than a hastily bow in their direction. Princess and Hero were untouchable, too important, too high class for others to want to be around them anymore. They all had feared the power of gossip and strength of rumors and no one wanted to be a part of their drama. She was used to this type of behavior, though it pained her to see Link receive the same type of avoidance. Link had friends within the Knights' Garrison before he was appointed, Zelda knew that for certain. Now, he was being treated the same way people have always treated her—like an outsider.

Technically, he wasn't supposed to be training her. The King had been on a frenzy lately of forbidding things from Zelda. First, it was her studies within the Astral Observatory, then her archery training, then her self-defense classes, even her harp lessons, and now he just forbade her contributions to researching the Guardians. With so many restraints placed upon her recently, she would have to be extremely careful the next time she'd be sneaking out at night to her regular tavern, but she just couldn't miss Robbie's engagement party coming up in a few weeks.

But Link enjoyed helping her in any way he could. It had been two months since he started teaching her sign language, and the innocent light in his eyes that glimmered whenever they practiced would make Zelda almost forget they were both pawns trapped inside a prophecy. When they had traded enough information about one another—sharing stories about their childhood and expressing their interests—Link offered his own bow to help Zelda practice if she wanted.

She couldn't possibly refuse.

He had been a great trainer within those several weeks. He quickly learned how skilled she was already, but he had taught her a few extra tips that made her even deadlier, stealthier. Her arrows would strike their target harder with more strength, power, and veracity.

"Legs a little wider," he said with authority, walking around her and clasping his hands behind him. She had walked up to the most distant line from the targets, the line designed for snipers and defensive soldiers. She knew Link liked talking to her this way, commanding something from her instead of the other way around, and this was really the only time he could. So she let him bask in it.

"Yes, Master," she said in a rather conniving tone. Their eyes met briefly and that typical spark ran between them again. No matter how many times it happened, she would never grow tired of it, would never get used to this craving she had. The need and want for him started to become more demanding than she had ever felt with her past partners and the feeling would have almost frightened her, if it wasn't for the way he stared back.

She knew it. He knew it. The feeling was mutual.

She pulled the bow with strength and grace, spread her legs a little wider and stood taller. Zelda held onto the grip and pulled the string without an arrow so Link could check her stance before she would attempt to nock one. Her last trainer would always do the same thing, that was very typical, but never this long and never this quiet. He'd watch her for longer, eyes lingered heavier, but his face never gave him away.

"Your form is impressive," he said.

She smiled and eased her muscles slightly. "Perhaps one day I could be as good as the Hero."

"No. Better," he nodded, still reserved in tone, but Zelda caught the little smirk he gifted her.

She relaxed her stance to pick up an arrow from the quiver in front of her. She took aim at the farthest target and sent an arrow singing through the air. It had hit almost perfectly into the bullseye, but it was off slightly—just barely. Her arrow had hit the red portion of the target, but it was not dead center, didn't hit flawlessly at the place she had been aiming at. Any other archer would have taken it as a great hit, but not her—and Link didn't baby her either. He wanted to improve her just as much as she did.

"Raise your elbow higher," Link said. He swiveled on his heel, walked around to her backside, and settled in.

She could feel the heat of him as he entered into her personal space. Link was always so much warmer than she was—his blood running hot like a wild animal's. Compared to him, she was always so cold, fingers like icicles and skin like a sheet of ice, and she blamed her permanently chilled body on the cold holy waters she would spend hours praying in.

They both knew he was too close to her, but neither of them said anything. He placed his hands on her hips and adjusted her position moderately—his touch gentle and timid but still there—where it shouldn't be. She stood frozen for a brief moment, unsure of how to properly read his actions, until his hands began to slide up her waist, rising up her back which sent another jolt of lightning right through her, then rested his hands on her shoulders. His touch had ghosted over her clothes so softly that if her mind wasn't trying so hard to follow the path his fingers made, she could have missed it entirely. Then she dared to do something she hadn't attempted with him before.

She took the smallest step back into his arms, now standing way too close than what a teacher and student ought to be during an archery lesson. She wanted to feel his front on her back, smell his woodland scent, have his face tucked close to hers. And he submitted to her request, he didn't shift away. He pressed into her gently and she could feel the cloth of his tunic against the thin fabric of her riding pants. As they pressed into one other, his fingers clenched into her shoulders briefly, uncontrollably, before they softened again. She knew that she was playing with fire, but she couldn't help testing the boundaries between them, how far he would go. At this point, he had gone further than what she thought he would. Then she tested the waters even more.

Folding at the hips, Zelda bent leisurely to pull an arrow out of the quiver. As her upper body pulled away and her backside pushed harder into his lower abdomen, his breath hitched and fingers released and in a split second, he was clutching at her hips again but forceful this time, gripping hard like a vice, and it made her jerk back to a standing position. Her shoulder blades almost clashed against his chest as she returned to him entirely. Link was torn between the decision to either pull her closer or push her away, so he stationed her there instead—frozen on the spot and idling with anticipation.

"Don't." His voice was quiet, but just as piercing as the blade on his back. He had never spoken to her that way—hoarse and masterful. It was supposed to scare her, she thought. His verbal warning was supposed to push her away instead of him physically doing so, but his words didn't. It only made the craving stronger.

"You started this," she breathed. His hands were still on her waistline.

He sighed and Zelda could hear the shakes and tremors in his breath. "Let me see your form again," he said in a gentler tone, trying to steer them away from where the conversation had been heading.

Zelda complied, and stood tall again—loading an arrow into his bow's nocking point. She pulled the string with her right hand, elbow drawn behind them, and extended her left arm out in front, then paused. The warmth of his fingers left the sides of her waist and repositioned at different parts on her body. He slid his left hand over her hip bone and flattened his palm, pulling her in and branding the heat of him through her clothes and into her skin. He adjusted the height of her elbow with his other hand, tenderly soft and gentle—introducing two new parts of his personality to her; adoringly intricate but just as firm and vigorous. Her breathing began to grow heavy but that's when she realized his was too.

She twisted her head over her shoulder and he was there—lips almost grazing against her jawline. Zelda was perhaps an inch or so taller, but he could have easily reached out and kissed her neck if he wanted—if he knew he could get away with it. Instead, his hand abandoned her waist to meet her extended left arm—adjusting her aim by pressing her wrist up a little higher. Neither one of them knew how long they had been standing there, but he seemed to be enjoying this as much as she was—tempting one another with languorous touches and suggestive movements. He made no attempt at stepping away from her and neither did she.

His touch was gentle but searing as he slid his hand all along the length of her arm; from her wrist, up to her forearm, passed her elbow, and ending at her shoulder. It had been a languid touch; something carnal and seductive hidden somewhere deep within, and he knew it just as well as she did.

"Focus, Princess," he matched her conniving tone from earlier as a smile teased at his lips. She turned her head over her shoulder more as Link leaned in so their eyes could meet. "Focus on your target." He repeated, but she didn't miss a beat.

"Oh, but I am," she whispered. Without tearing her gaze from his cerulean blue eyes, she let her arrow sing through the air blindly and it landed solid and powerful.

Directly in the middle of the target.