'When I was young, I hit my head. I fell off my horse. When I woke up, I went on an adventure. My head never really stopped hurting, and ever since then, I've seen him. That man. He comes to me when I am in trouble.
But he never helps me.
He never helps me. Instead, he always points away. Towards home. But I can't go home. He knows that. If he is who I think he is, then he knows that. But he urges me to go anyway.'
†
Maybe it wasn't such a crazy idea, he thought to himself. He had spent the last hour balancing the pros and cons of confessing his feelings towards Malon. He already knew everything about her, he argued to himself. Her routines, her likes and dislikes, her pet peeves.
'Like reliability for one?' He heard her say in his head with her fists planted firmly on her hips. 'Like waking up at a decent time for once?'
Yes, it was true she had said those things to him on numerous occasions, but never with any real disdain. Malon was in truth, boundlessly tolerant in nature.
'If you are going to sleep in the barn, then you ought to at least be up in time to help me work on it!' She had told him.
Fair enough.
If he had to be stirred from sleep, let it be for her. Sleep was little reprieve these days anyway, haunted by memories and looming questions, the horrible things he had seen and the aches and pains his young body endured.
But there was another reason he had, time and time again, repressed the idea of a relationship with Malon. As a child, he had already witnessed the price for restoring Hyrule to it's peaceful nature. It was every relationship he had ever known. Every person, friend and even place was sacrificed along his journey. It was as if Malon was accidentally over looked by his fate resulting in only her remaining. It was her who gave him Epona, an emotional crutch that he never presumed to be his possession. Hyrule still demanded his attention and he feared to develop any further relations lest they be sacrificed as well.
"Oh!" Malon shot up, startling Link. "Oh, how long have we been here? Link, we need to get back, you know how dad gets! Get up, let's go!"
She pushed him incessantly, as if he were asleep too. In an instant she was to her feet.
Before he knew it, they were emerging into the field. The sun was beginning to set, calmly lighting the sky.
"Let's tell dad we had problems with the cart, we'll say the wheel was loose again." Malon said.
Link rotated his injured shoulder, only half paying attention.
"Who is that, now?" Malon asked, staring into the distance.
Not too far off from them, a lone rider approached. As he came closer, they could see he was adorned in Royal Armour.
"It's a soldier...?" Malon reported, puzzled that he was heading in their direction.
"Good evening, folks." He said as he slowed his horse.
"Howdy." Malon responded cheerily.
"You ought to know, we are patrolling the Northern part of the field for the time being, sending folks home. Do you-"
"Why? What's wrong?" Malon asked.
"There have been reports of fiends in the area and they've attacked recently."
"Up here? The Northern part of the field? Well that's..." Malon thought for a moment.
"Unusual, yes. There hasn't been fiends sighted this frequently for, well 8 or so years, so I've heard. We are just trying to keep a look out and stay on top of them."
"That's so exciting!" Malon said, catching the guard by surprise.
Link couldn't help but smile a bit as Malon elbowed softly him in his side.
"It's dangerous, Miss. Are you folks close to home? Do you need an escort?"
"We'll be fine. We are close to home, we'll head back now. Good luck." She said, urging the horse forward.
The guard watched the wagon trudge off.
"Link, what do you think of that? Fiends, in Hyrule? Do you know, my professor told me that there was a short period of time years ago where there was a sudden uptick in fiends in the area. Around the time you and I met, actually. Then one day, apparently they just disappeared. I don't remember seeing any, though."
They approached the gate to Lon Lon Ranch and were met with a brooding Talon. His hefty arms crossed over of his chest as he waited for Malon to pull the cart in.
"And just where-"
"Sorry dad! It's that damn wheel again. I told you, it's still wobbling."
Unwilling to let him dwell further, Malon hopped off the wagon and gave her father a kiss on the cheek, melting him instantly.
"Here is the money. And here is the ledger." She handed them to Talon though they both knew she kept the books up to date.
"Oh, it feels heavy!" He giggled, bouncing the pouch between his hands. "And don't say 'damn'."
"Yep, it was a good day. We make a good team, don't we?" Malon said, looking back to Link.
Link avoided Talon's gaze and began to unload the wagon.
"Well... Next time, don't stay out so late. You know the Guard came through here? They are patrolling for fiends."
"We saw them on our way through the field, yes." Malon replied, unhitching the horse.
"That's not good news... Means we may have to close the ranch for a bit. We'll be unable to make deliveries too, if it gets bad enough." Talon shook his head.
"It may not even come to that. Let's wait and see."
Talon smiled.
"Yeah, why get ahead of ourselves! I'm starving, let's go make supper! Link, would you mind stabling the horse?" Talon asked.
Link nodded and watched as they headed towards the house.
"Link! Thank you for your help today!" Malon said before disappearing into the house.
††
Link climbed the ladder to the alcove in the barn. Epona lay resting in the hay beneath him.
He spent many nights sleeping in the barn at Lon Lon Ranch. Though he was never officially invited by Talon to do so, it was obvious that Talon eventually knew and allowed it. It was Malon who had offered Link to sleep anywhere in the ranch, and for that reason, Talon didn't mind.
Her father had been thankful for Link in the early days. He had been thankful for his presence because he made his daughter happy. He heard his daughter laugh more than he had since her mother died when she met Link.
As children, Malon was very fond of Link. And thankfully for Talon, her crush faded away, but their friendship remained. Though Talon would remain vigilant of the vagrant child who came and went, he was above all, thankful for his affect on his daughter.
Link pulled off his gauntlet's which had affixed themselves too tightly as his wound began to swell over the day. It felt good to remove them and let his arms breath. He carefully set them aside, kicking his boots off at the same time. He laid back against the hay, his body eager for rest, pushing the whole affair with the Gerudo's out of his mind.
He reminded himself to wake up at a decent time. As he drifted to sleep, over and over again, he reminded himself to wake up at a decent time.
Yet he was not entirely at rest as he slept.
In his dreams, he hurriedly scrambled up a fantastical stair case. A black sky scape of glittering stars surrounded him. The stair case itself, spiralling ever upward, was a gradation of marvellous colours. He climbed the stairs, higher and higher.
Far below him, if he dared to glance over the railings, was the ranch. And in the middle was Malon. She waved to him, but she was not alone. In fact, he had the sense that everyone he ever knew was down there. But he couldn't join them. He knew he had to continue upwards because...
Ganon would take over.
The moon was falling.
The temples were being invaded by fiends.
People are disappearing in the mountains.
There are bandits attacking the travelers...
He couldn't join them because the world was still a terrible place. Even after everything, there was still more to be done. His destiny was tied to the health and balance of Hyrule.
If he stopped now, after all they went through, he would fail them. And what was he, if not a living monument to them.
He woke up as the barn door slid open. He heard footsteps he knew to be Malon's. Quietly, he hurriedly put his gauntlets and boots on, before quickly descending the ladder.
†††
There were enough chores to tend to that day that Link and Malon barely crossed paths. Link helped Ingo repair the siding of the barn, Malon's number one request. There was damage to the roof but that would have to wait until another day.
It was with no real ill will that Ingo treated Link as a servant. Ingo treated nearly everyone that way. He would plant his fist beneath his chin and examine the repairs from all angles, before demanding this to be adjusted or that to be hammered down. It never bothered Link and even less so on that day. He was mainly distracted by the muffled arguing of Malon and her father at one point during the day. Link struggled to hear over Ingo's militant directions the voices of the father and daughter, likely somewhere near the farm house. Neither of them as a rule were big on yelling, but Link could her the stress in her voice cut through the air. Curiosity consumed him, and he recalled their conversation about suitors the day before.
"The hell are you looking at anyway?" Ingo barked.
Link snapped his gaze back to the planks of wood.
"What are they arguing about?" Link asked, innocently enough because he in no way expected a respectable answer.
"Who? What are you talking about? Who taught you to hammer anyways?"
In fact, it was possible Ingo didn't hear the faint voices at all.
"Well?" Ingo barked.
Link stared rather a baffled.
"Bah, get out of here with that attitude." Ingo brushed him off with a wave of the hands. "You hold it up, I'll hammer."
There was no attitude at all.
It was with a lack of grace that Ingo angled himself over the boards, hammer and nail poised, as Link held the planks in place.
"These boards ain't goin' to last a full year..." Ingo muttered to himself.
†
"Do you know what he said to me, dad?"
With his fists firmly planted on his hips, Talon rolled his eyes.
"What?"
"He said he didn't care that I come from poverty, he didn't care that he was reaching below his rank-"
"Well, Malon the reality is, we are not rich and he... wait which one are we talking about?"
Malon's eyes shot sideways.
"You don't even remember his name?"
"It doesn't matter what his name was, it was a no immediately."
"Are you even trying to get to know them?"
"That's not the point!"
"Yes Malon, it sort of is dear. Look, you work so hard, you are always working. This is a good way for you to meet someone. You are at the perfect age. All you keep telling me is that you don't want to be forced to marry anyone, but on the other hand, by them merely showing up, you cast them away out of spite. Look, you want to get to know someone right? Then try to get to know them."
"That's not how love works."
"What now? What do you mean?"
"You feel it."
Talon smiled, and finally it felt like the heightened energy was starting to decrease.
"Not always. And probably not for you. You are far too logical, too methodical to stop your mind from charging in first. That is exactly what we are talking about after all. You are hung up on not knowing these suitors, yet you say you want love at first sight. So which is it?"
Her shoulders slumped in defeat, though she tried to mask it as frustration.
"Now, here is the thing. This is meant to be a good thing. And you are a beautiful and hardworking and intelligent girl. You need to look at it as an opportunity."
"Why does it feel wrong..."
"I think it's because you over think."
"I don't think that's it."
"I do. But look, all your old man wants is to know that you are taken care of. That you found someone who can provide for you and that you don't ever have to worry."
She grimaced a bit.
"Just next time, try to use that brain of yours for good, instead of evil, ok?"
†
In the mid afternoon they experienced an influx of visitors rather uncommon for the season. Word had gotten around that there were plans to temporarily prohibit travel through the field. Though it had not been officially reported, it had sparked some concern in Castle Town, Kakariko and even Zora's Domain resulting in a small inflow of visitors on that afternoon.
"This all happened quite fast. How strange." Malon said to Link, as they watched a few visitors enter the Ranch. "People are really worried about this. I wonder if it's true..."
She balanced her feet on the lower rung of the wooden fence. It had been the first time they'd spoken since early that morning.
"Do you think it's true?" She turned to Link.
Link shrugged, hanging his arms over the wooden fence. On his return journey, he had not seen anything suspicious.
"Shrug? Well, you were out and about recently, you didn't notice anything?" She bumped his shoulder with hers.
"Nothing like what they are reporting. I think the rumours are probably exaggerated." He said calmly.
"You are probably right."
He stalled for a minute before summoning the gull to inquire about what had been consuming him all day.
"Hey, is everything alright? I heard you and your dad-"
"Malon! How are you!"
A friendly face approached them, earning Malon's instant attention.
"Anju! Are you here for supplies?"
"Well, if you haven't run out. We only need a few things. You remember Opal?"
"Of course, it's nice to see you again!" Malon nodded to the elderly woman.
Link knew Opal to be a Shiekah. It was obvious to him, though he was not certain that she presented herself as a Sheikah. Elderly and blind, the red eyes that would have identified her immediately as a part of the ancient tribe, were cast in a cloudy blue.
"Ok, let's find what you need. Link, can you help Ingo with the visitors?"
And with that, Malon disappeared.
Ingo, unpleasant as ever, wasted little time on small talk. He ordered Link to fetch a number of requests for customers who stopped by.
As a child, Link had difficulty coming to terms with Ingo and Talon as good people. Unable to separate what he had witnessed as an adult before defeating Ganon, he remained untrustworthy of the pair. Ingo, young Link was convinced, would betray Malon and her father the first opportunity he got. And Talon in return, would abandon Malon just as quickly. He knew this because he saw it himself. It took a great deal of time, and observation before Link could come to terms with the fact that the Ingo and Talon who existed now, in this time, were not the same people. He had witnessed many examples of their care for the ranch and for Malon. They had not experienced the same hardships and he had to trust they were not bad people.
And, Link told himself, if they turned to be bad people, he would always be there to protect her.
"Ah, well. If it isn't our dashing hero." A voice called from behind him.
Instantly recognizing the voice, Link's shoulders tensed. She was Vooru. A Gerudo captain he had befriended years ago. More recently, she had been the conductor of his most recent adventure. One that caused him a great deal of physical pain.
Her hand found his shoulder and spun him around. She was a skilled combatant, most Gerudos were, after all, and was never afraid to use her strength.
"You disappeared." She scolded, pulling him towards her by the front of his tunic.
"You lied to me."
"I did no such thing. You, like most men, chose to hear what you wanted to."
She released him.
A skilled combatant. And like many Gerudos, an exotically beautiful woman.
"Call it what you want." Link submitted.
Link had made a mistake. Years ago, he had fallen into relations with Vooru. It had been his first physical relationship, and his mind was cloudy on how to deal with it. Thus begun a strange relation. Though he never mistook them for a couple, he was not immune to her persuasion. But with a clearer head after their last adventure, she had little hold on him now.
Vooru looked around. Link's eyes traced her figure, settling on her waist from which hung various gold chains. As he recalled, they stayed on, even undressed. To his dismay, she caught him staring.
"Oh Link. I'm not here to get you to come back. Though it's good to know this is where you hide when you disappear..."
That was the other problem with her showing up. The more she knew about Link, the more she could dig her claws into him.
"This place? I'm just getting things for my horse." He said, calmly.
It was unclear whether Vooru bought the story or not, as she tapped her fingers on her hips.
Another Gerudo came from behind Vooru and whispered something in her ear. Vooru responded in her language, something along the lines of 'see to it', was all Link could recognize. The woman disappeared.
Link's jaw tensed.
"What are you doing here?" Link asked, suddenly wary.
"Many things. But mostly, we just saw a herd of people flock over and wanted to come see what the fuss was."
A shade of suspicion washed over Link's features. It was unusual to see the Gerudo outside their city. Largely, they were independent.
"Turns out, it's just some fiends running around that has got everyone afraid." She flung her hair back. "You must feel awful about that. Or you will, as they start invading."
Though Link didn't say anything, she knew she had earned his attention.
"Oh, you haven't put it together yet?" She asked. "When you turned tail like a coward back in Desert Colossus, you left the temple open. Did you think it would just close on it's own?"
He loured, momentarily.
"You are so handsome when you're confused. You didn't even consider what you were letting out of there, by turning your back, did you?"
He began losing confidence in his ability to read her.
"Believe me or not, I don't care. We Gerudo can take care of ourselves. But the fiends will multiply out here. They will thrive. If they can survive sealed in a temple for however many years, imagine how well they'll do here."
"You just want me to finish your errand for you." Link said, the lack of certainty was obvious to her.
"Maybe. Is that a risk you want to take, Hero?"
She turned her back to him, and walked away.
Link swallowed hard. There was a possibility she was telling the truth. When he left her and her troupe in the temple, he had not sealed it. He knew he was the only one who could open the temples from the outside. But it hadn't occurred to him that he was also the only one who could seal them.
His contemplation was interrupted by a scream which came from the front of the ranch. He only had to turn the corner to find that the crowd of visitors now stumbled away from the gates, tripping over each other in an attempt to put distance between them and...
"Fiends!" Someone yelled.
In broad daylight, the snarling and snapping maws of fiends pushed against the gates of the ranch.
With reasonable hesitation Talon dove to lock the gate but the fiends, now reaching through the bars, were pushing back and the farmer found himself struggling to keep the gates closed.
Talon felt the gates shut with a heavy clunk. He spotted Link's tunic in his peripheral and knew him to be beside him now, though he dared not move a muscle for fear of losing traction. He could hear the chains moving as Link must have also reached over Talon to fasten them.
Talon stumbled backwards, meeting the gaze of the fiends which still tried to force the entryway open.
"Get out of the way." Vooru said forcefully as she pushed through the crowd, nearly toppling Talon over.
In a swift motion, she and her three comrades had leapt over the gate.
"Everyone, in the house, now!" Talon ordered.
As though everyone snapped back at the same time, they all scrambled for the door of the farmhouse. Link climbed over the fence to join Vooru.
"No sword, hero?" The surprise in her tone was evident and she tossed him a scimitar.
Link caught it, and flipped it around in his hand. A claim to fame among the Gerudos, his experience had exposed him to all forms of weapons, and he could fight with nearly anything. The Lizalfos were exceptional fighters, one of few fiends who consciously honed their skills. As such, they parried and dodged with skill, and placed their attacks with precision.
He had seen it enough times before and was accustomed to their combat skills. Their swords clashed and he took every opportunity to attack when they left themselves open.
"Good work, Hero." Vooru cooed, as the Lizalfos fell to the ground.
Frak, the lower ranked Gerudo screamed.
Vooru's eyes narrowed as she saw the short sword of the Lizalfos penetrate Frak's stomach and slice upwards. Frak's eyes were wide with fear as she realized the fault in her strategy. The Lizalfos held his sword above Frak's head but before he could attack, a spear penetrated the it's heart.
The Hylian Guard had arrived.
A band of three soldiers joined them and fought along side them. In a matter of minutes, the fiends had been defeated.
"Good work, soldiers." The captain said to his men.
Vooru ran to Frak.
"Captain..." Said another guard, clenching his side. "I think..."
The blood spurted from the soldier's side and his comrades ran to his aid.
"To the ranch, hurry!" yelled the captain.
††††
The murmurs inside the farm house rose with anxious emotions.
"There were half a dozen of them!" One person said.
"I had seen those lizard things in old books. I had no idea how large they were though."
Talon rushed around the house, locking the doors and closing the shutters.
"This has happened before..." Yet another reflected.
The worried murmurs of the stranded crowd flooded the ranch house.
Suddenly, a banging at the door sounded.
"Whose there?!" Talon bellowed, exchanging a nervous glance with Ingo.
"It is the Royal Guard. We have two injured, please let us in!"
"Oh thank goodness! Come in!" he urged, relieved.
The captain and his partner entered first, carrying in their wounded comrade. Then came Link, who carried the wounded Frak in his arms, and finally Vooru.
"Did you close the gate boy?" Ingo asked.
Link nodded in response.
"Malon, quickly, fetch some medical supplies." Talon called.
Link's eyes followed Malon, relieved to see she was alright.
"This way, this way. Make room everyone." Talon ushered the crowd away to make room for the injured.
"It was bad..." Said the injured soldier. His comrade hushed him.
"What will happen to us? Are they going to come to the ranch?!" A woman asked, panicked.
Many other concerned voices overlapped at the same time.
"Everyone, everyone!" The captain spoke over the crowd. "Please. Let us tend to the wounded. We will take you home. But it won't be tonight. It will be a dark night, with no moon. Let us wait until the morning to see what comes of the situation. For now, the gates are sealed. We will be fine tonight."
Malon appeared with a basket of supplies. She was not easily dissuaded by injuries or gore, having tended to the wounds of many animals on the ranch. For a moment however, Link interpreted the overwhelm in her features as she looked on the two maimed bodies.
"I'll help you." Opal assured her, kneeling beside Malon. "Anju, please fetch some water."
"No!" Malon cried. "Don't go out!"
"She's right. It's dangerous. Link, head out the back door and get some water." Ingo suggested.
Without protest, he disappeared out the back door.
Opal took the lead on tending to the wounds, instructing Malon and Anju.
"Frak..." Vooru said with pity. "I am sorry."
Vooru smiled, and waved her hand mildly. Vooru didn't believe she would survive her wounds but she would not let those concerns show.
Malon didn't notice that Link had returned with the water, setting it to her side. They would spend the next few hours deeply engrossed in tending to the wounded. The visitors had found their place to rest in various corners of the ranch house. Talon decided against making a fire, for fear of the smoke drawing attention from whatever fiends may roam the fields.
By night fall, they had finished tending to the injured. The soft glow of lanterns was the only light that illuminated the ranch house. The visitors had been provided blankets and food. They rested, except for a few who murmured among themselves.
Malon exhaled deeply as she washed her hands in the basin of water.
"You alright?" Link approached from behind her.
"Yeah." She said.
"You did well."
She smiled, running a damp cloth over her face and down her neck. His eyes lingered a bit too long and he forced them to the ground.
"Did you see those fiends out there, Link? I caught a glimpse and..."
She shook her head with an air of disbelief. Suddenly, and to his surprise, she grabbed his hand.
"Will you stay, Link? Stay for a while. I would... I don't know, I would just feel better if you were here also."
His heart beat strongly in his chest, and he couldn't mask his surprise. He observed her hands around his, her fingers digging into his gauntlet, maybe burning through it.
All he could do was nod.
"Good." She said, tugging his arm. "Thank you."
Whether it was his imagination or not, he couldn't say, but her hand seemed to linger on his.
"Miss Malon?" A voice addressed her.
She turned to face the captain of the Royal Guard.
"I just wanted to thank you, as I did your father, for letting us stay here. Thank you, and lady Opal for helping my soldier."
Malon smiled and curtsied meekly.
The Captain in turn, removed his helmet and bowed to her.
"We are in your debt." He said.
Link recognized him instantly as the guard from the day before. But there was something else familiar about him.
Malon's eyes widened a bit and she blinked, captivated by the man.
"Oh, no, not at all. We... We're so fortunate that you were there. I've never seen anything like that before."
"Yes, those fiends were... Well, let's just say, it was a first for me and my men also." The captain nodded. "We weren't prepared during the fight. Luckily, we managed."
"You must have been scared?" Malon asked, her eyes wild with intrigue.
Link looked between the two, painfully aware of how quickly Malon fawned over the Captain.
"Anyone who says he isn't scared, is a liar. I didn't introduce myself, I'm Honlun. Captain of the Royal Guard."
"Malon." She responded, then laughed. "Oh but you knew that."
Link rolled his eyes discreetly.
"Oh, this is Link. My friend Link."
"Link, good to meet you. Wait, I recognize you!"
"We saw you yesterday." Link responded, flatly.
"No, no... I remember that. But even yesterday, I recognized you. Weren't you enrolled in the academy of the Royal Guard for a short time? I think we trained together briefly."
Yes, that was it. Link remembered now. How could he forget.
"Yes, I remember, you were young for the rank they started you in. Well, either you were young or very small. But regardless, for the life of me, I can't remember you being there long?" Honlun looked up, as if to recall the exact circumstances.
"Oh wow, that is going back! I had forgotten that you were in the academy for a little while!" Malon laughed.
Link refrained from showing his agitation.
"A very little while. I don't think you were there one season before they kicked you out. What happened? I remember thinking you had potential, but you rarely showed up. And when you did, you were always late."
Link didn't respond.
"That sounds like him. I don't think I've seen him with a sword since!" Malon laughed gently. "Wait, you were in the same rank, but you are a captain already? You must be so young!" Malon exclaimed.
Link clenched his jaw. It was true that he kept that side of his life far away from the ranch. In fact, he'd never set foot on the ranch with a weapon, usually abandoning his arms in the trees surrounding the ranch. It was a side of him he worked hard to keep concealed.
"Well, I am young for my rank but I worked very hard to get there. I wasn't a natural by any means. I just trained a lot. I practised, I committed myself. I showed up for every practise, every tournament. It was my dream after all."
"That's very admirable!" Malon exclaimed, clasping her hands together.
It took every ounce of patience Link had not to roll his eyes again.
"Well, I appreciate it." He said, nodding politely.
"Would you like something to drink? Tea or...well, maybe milk?" She flustered.
"That would be great!"
Malon left excitedly to the kitchen.
"Link, if you ever want to join the guard again, I can put in a good word for you. You were a decent fighter out there. It's not like it's too late to start, you know."
"I'll pass. I still prefer sleep to dress up."
Link walked away. He placed his back to the wall and slid down, claiming his spot for the night.
He cursed himself for how foolish he had been as a child to try and join the Royal Guard. At the time, it seemed like the obvious place for him.
When he returned from Terminia without Navi, he had no place to go. He tried returning to Kokiri Forest, but to his regret, the Lost Woods would no longer let him pass. No one knew his face, though he knew everyone else. It was only Malon who warmly welcomed him.
It was by her unknown influence that he enrolled in the academy. After all, if she had it her way, she would marry a knight. He didn't find it hard to enrol. Though he lacked structural technique, for a young boy of 10, he was a remarkable weapon master. In fact, he beat everyone in the entry tournament.
After what he had been through, how could he not.
But, as Link would discover, Hyrule had other plans for him. Like by some unknown force, he was pulled all around Hyrule. Sometimes gone for days, he would return exhausted. He never made practise on time. As time went on, his lack of attendance cost him his admission and he disappeared from the academy all together.
Though it was a failure, it didn't bother him at the time. It was something he accepted in stride. Tonight though, he regretted it more than ever. He dragged his hands over his face and leaned his head back against the wall, his eyes lazily fixed on the pair who sat alone at the large dinning table.
Vooru slumped lazily beside him, and heaved an exhausted breath. For some time she said nothing.
Link meanwhile felt sick and empty in a way that he couldn't describe. He had slept with Vooru multiple times. And as he looked upon Malon, he couldn't possibly have regretted it more.
"So I guess the rumours were true." Vooru said.
Vooru studied him. His dark lashes contrasted his pale skin, and his weary eyes stared vacantly forward. She followed his stare to Malon.
"Look, Link. I'm heading back to Gerudo tomorrow. Frak needs to rest. I think you know in your heart that what I said was true. These fiends are coming from the open Desert Colossus. And they wont stop until it is closed. You know how to do that. Just like you knew how to open it."
"You just want your trinket."
"I do. Yes. I don't care if the fiends come out, it makes no difference to us. But, I know you care. So we might as well go together and guarantee a success. I'll get my 'trinket' and you close the temple."
"I will go, but it won't be with you. I'll handle it on my own."
"Will you? I have no doubt that you can, Hero. But is it a good idea? You know we are skilled fighters. Why take days, maybe weeks to travel to the temple, get through it, close it, eradicate everything on the way, only to use what is left of your energy to eliminate all the fiends who have made it to the field?"
Her large hazel eyes starred back at him, with something like excitement. She continued.
"Rather, let us go together. We will clear the temple faster, and more efficiently. You can return to the field and kill whatever remains. Save your land in a more acceptable time frame."
Link remained silent.
"Take us through the temple, allow us to reclaim the trinket that belongs to the Gerudo anyway. If it goes off without a problem, I would consider deploying some of my fighters to help eradicate the West side of Hyrule upon our successful return."
He frowned as he considered that.
"The Gerudo would lend a hand in clearing the fiends?"
"I think that can be arranged. With a small band of my fighters, the Royal Guard and you... Why, I should think Hyrule will be safe in no time. Hyrule, and all of it's most precious occupants."
Vooru lips melted into a grin.
"No traps this time, Vooru."
"No, not this time. Though you are so handsome when you are in pain."
"I'm serious."
"I don't think I need to force you into the temple this time. Not with motivation like that." She nodded towards Malon.
His emotionless expression benefited him as she searched his face for a reaction, and found none.
"Tomorrow morning Link. Bright and early. If you aren't at the Gerudo gates by noon, the deal is off."
Purposely she pushed against his injured shoulder as she got to her feet and left.
Link spend the duration of the night, lost deep in thought before finally succumbing to sleep. The smell of the house was sweet to him. How foreign it was to sleep in a house like this.