Thank you so much for the suggestion! It makes a lot more sense and the first chapter was updated.
1: Link's Childhood
Unlike other peoples of Hyrule, such as the Gerudo, the humans just like the hylians, are a race that lives sparsely across the Kingdom of Hyrule. Of course, there is a distinction between "Hylian" and "hylian." "Hylians", with a capital "H", are said to be the descendants of the great goddess Hylia, the protector of the Triforce and the original Maker of Hyrule. "Hylians", with a lowercase "h", are any citizens of Hyrule, regardless of their race or creed. The Gerudo, the humans, the Hylians, the Gorons, the Zora, and many others are all hylians. But only the peoples with pointed ears and supposed magical abilities (like being able to communicate with the gods) are Hylians.
That same night, Rusl took the baby into his home. Uli, his long-time girlfriend, gasped after uncovering the basket.
"The baby is a Hylian," she said quietly, "We need to take it back to the Kingdom."
"I'm sure that if a Hylian baby went missing, the news would reach each corner of Hyrule within a day," Rusl shook his head, "It is... possible that the baby was... unexpected."
"...That's harsh."
"Faron Spring connects to a small stream. There is absolutely no way that a basket would flow all the way from Hyrule Field to Faron. Someone intentionally left the basket in these woods."
"Hylians live all over Hyrule. Who's to say the baby is from Hyrule Field?"
"Look at this basket," Rusl pointed to the carefully decorated edges, "When I was in the army, there was an artisan who worked directly under the King. He was incredibly skilled and detail-oriented. This… This looks like his work."
Uli shivered. She spoke quietly, "Are you implying that the baby is… from the King's Court?"
"No one else could afford such great workmanship. Now, don't you think that it's strange that a baby from the King's Court hasn't been reported missing? Someone obviously left him here intentionally."
Uli smiled, "You just don't want to travel back to the castle."
"There's no need for me to go back there unless the King personally asks me to," Rusl responded defensively, "So I guess that'll be never."
"Unless we have a son. And he becomes of age."
"Like I said. Never."
Uli sighed, "I don't know why you're so opposed to the idea. You'd make a great father."
"Uli, we are so young. We have our whole lives ahead of us and you want children now?"
"Bo and Lena are our age!"
"Bo is much more responsible than I am. There's a reason why he's the only one here who wants to run for mayor. We should enjoy our youth."
"Okay. So what should we do with this baby?"
That was the question. What should be done with the Hylian baby?
Since the median age in the village was relatively low- after all, so many men and women perished in the war- Rusl, Bo, and Fado decided that it would be for the best for the village to raise baby Link. Because he's a Hylian, they figured that he would appreciate his own privacy and built him a home in a large tree in a secluded area connected to the village. Several months after finding baby Link, Bo's wife gave birth, leaving the majority of the responsibility of raising Link to Rusl and Fado. Occasionally, Lena, Bo's wife, would bring her baby Ilia to socialize with Link. But, because the villagers did not know how to raise a Hylian, they carefully tread around the baby, trying their best to ensure that they don't hinder his growth and development in any way.
Although it seemed that Link was growing up normally, Rusl worried as he had never said a single thing to any of his caretakers. Baby, or rather, 3-year-old Ilia, was already stringing sentences while Link stayed silent. The villagers weren't sure if this was out of the norm, or just the regular development of Hylian children. Thus, Rusl decided to set out for Hyrule Castle town. He packed a traveling wagon, attached it to his horse, and set to leave northward in the early morning.
He scheduled a visit with Dr. Borville, a highly esteemed Hylian physician. After seating Link on a bed shaped like a horse carriage, Rusl nervously paced around the room.
"Good afternoon," Dr. Borville said gruffly, entering the room. Rusl stood up to shake his hand but the physician walked right past him.
"So… this is baby… Link?" he asked Rusl, then paused and studied the baby, then studied Rusl, "This is… your baby?"
"He's adopted," Rusl said quickly, feeling his cheeks turn red, "Can you tell me if he's developing normally?"
"...He looks pretty normal. Was there anything specific that you were concerned about?"
"He hasn't said a single word. He's a little over three years and still hasn't said a si-"
"Alright!" Dr. Borville took out a tongue depressor, "Link, open your mouth. Great. Now, say 'Aaaah'."
"Aaaaaaaah," Link said softly.
"He's made noises before," Rusl sighed, "He's cried and screamed and laughed and giggled. But he hasn't said a single word."
"Oh?" Dr. Borville stared directly into Link's eyes, causing the boy to cower, "Why haven't you said anything?"
"I had nothing to say," Link said softly.
The physician shot Rusl a judgemental look.
"I… I don't understand," Rusl said, bewildered, "I swear, I've asked him a million things and he's never said anything before!"
"Oh very funny. Not surprised that a human of all beings would have not thought of just speaking to the child…"
After being ridiculed by the physician, and paying a hefty fee, Rusl left the clinic angry.
"Are you mad?" Link asked once the two got to Hyrule Fields.
"I'm not mad," Rusl tried keeping his voice even, "I just don't understand how for three whole years you didn't have a single thing to say. We asked you multiple times!"
"Sorry," Link muttered.
Rusl sighed, "I don't get it. You speak a lot better than Ilia. I don't know any other three-year-old that has such great diction."
"...Sorry."
"It's okay. Just… next time, please warn me before I waste 500 rupees on something that's not an issue."
Six-year-old Link and Ilia played Princess and Knight around Link's home. Link swung a wooden sword that Rusl gave to him as a gift, fighting off imaginary villains, while Ilia ran around, hiding behind trees and bushes. At some point, Ilia jumped out from behind a bush, swinging a tree branch at one of the imaginary monsters.
"Hey! What gives?" Link put his sword down, "You're the Princess! You're supposed to hide!"
"Not if I'm Princess Zelda!" Ilia flipped her hair back, "I heard that she can destroy monsters just with her bare hands!"
"Well, you're not Princess Zelda," Link pointed out, "You're Ilia. So you can go back to hiding."
Without a warning, Ilia grabbed the wooden sword out of Link's hand and ran towards the Faron Woods.
"Ilia!" Link called after her, "We're not supposed to go there!"
But Ilia's blonde hair disappeared in the greenery. Link stood still for a moment, then realized what happened.
"Ilia!" he called for her again, this time running into the woods.
The forest was quiet. Although Link ran in worried about Ilia's safety, he felt a strange sense of calmness as he got deeper in the woods. Almost as if he felt at home. He stopped by a spring and looked into the clear waters, forgetting why he walked into the woods. He sat by the bank and dipped his feet into the spring, slowly falling into a deep slumber.
In his sleep, Link dreamt of a powerful dragon that holds the power of electricity. Of course, Rusl made sure that the boy learned all the myths. So Link called the dragon by Her name- Farosh. The dragon flew down to face the boy and transformed into a woman.
Although Link could not make out her features, he knew that it was Farore, the goddess of courage. The woman seemed to have read his mind, as she nodded and stated- "I am indeed Farore, the body of Farosh and the creator of those who uphold the law. You have entered my home, the Faron Spring. If you require rest or nourishment, I will provide for you, Link… Link… Link… Link…"
Link woke up to a sharp, triangle-shaped pain in the back of his left hand. He gasped, remembering why he entered the woods. He turned to the side but, before he could get up, he saw three little green creatures with leaf-shaped masks cheering.
"He's awake! He's awake!" one creature bounced up and down.
"Did you come to help us, Mr. Hero?" another creature asked pleadingly, "Our protector, the Great Deku Tree, is deathly ill!"
"Erm… I think you have me confused for someone else," Link answered awkwardly.
"But you can see us! You must come with us to aid grandpa!" the third creature exclaimed.
"Uh… maybe next time?"
"I told you that he won't help us," the first creature, clearly feeling dejected, stopped bouncing and looked down at the ground.
"He's probably looking for that girl that ran east," the second creature mumbled.
"Typical… they always look for the girl… but never for us, Koroks," the third creature sighed.
"Okay, okay! I will get Rusl and we'll help you… After I find Ilia and bring her back home. You said she went east?" Link asked.
"Who's Rusl?" the first creature asked.
"He won't be able to see us!" the second creature scoffed, "He won't be allowed in the Korok Forest!"
"The Lost Woods will eat him alive!" the third creature added.
Link didn't want to argue with these strange, green creatures. He turned to the east and left, without saying another word.
He walked further and further. With each step he took, he felt more and more nervous. Rusl explicitly told him to never enter the woods. And he wouldn't want to disappoint his mentor! But he knew that he had to find Ilia before something happened.
After walking for what felt like hours, he heard a high pitched scream. He ran towards the sound to find Ilia surrounded by five creatures. The creatures turned around slowly to face Link, showing their five, hideous faces. The one closest to Ilia took out a horn and blew it. The other four creatures lifted various weapons- clubs and rusty swords. Quickly thinking, Link grabbed a nearby branch and held it up offensively.
The creatures formed a circle around the boy. One finally swung down its weapon, but Link dodged the attack. Another creature roared and the boy could tell that they were ready to run after him.
He turned around and ran for the first tree that he saw. He climbed up it while the monsters tried throwing their weapons at him. Link ducked and hid behind the branches. He looked back to where Ilia was; thankfully she understood and had already left the area.
This left Link by himself, stuck in the highest branches of the tree. The creatures screeched and yelped but could not reach him. The boy sighed with relief; he figured he just needs to entertain himself until the creatures tire themselves out. He picked out leaves and intensely studied a nearby nest.
A mother bird flew in. Worms hung off her beak. She dropped the invertebrates into the mouths of chirping baby birds. The wind slowly turned cold and the skies became darker and darker. The creatures set up camp beneath the tree.
Link was both in awe and fear. He wondered how long he could survive in this tree. Worst case scenario, could he live off leaves? They didn't look very appetizing. Maybe the mother bird will take mercy on him and feed him as well?
As the sky became darker, the growling from the creatures died down. Link glanced over to the camp. They were obviously asleep. Slowly and careful, branch by branch, he climbed down the tree. After getting past all the branches, he held on tightly to the bark, trying to make as little noise as possible.
As soon as he got closer to the ground, he heard a loud RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP and slipped off the tree.
He rubbed his head and glanced back: a large chunk of the trunk bark broke off. Before he could stand up, the monsters woke up and formed a circle around him. Link cowered while the creatures sniffed him and grunted. Finally, one of them walked in front of the boy, forcing him to look at its face. The creature raised its arm, wielding a rusty sword that dimly shone in the moonlight. It dropped its arm, aiming the sword directly at the young boy's head. Almost as if by instinct, Link raised his left hand. Before the blade could strike his palm, a bright light formed around Link and the sword evaporated. The monster was blown back into a tree, breaking its neck.
The other monsters squealed in fear. They raised their weapons. Link quickly got up and ran as far as he could. He had no idea in what direction he was headed. In the darkness of the night, he tripped over a tree root. He quickly got up and continued running.
The skin over his knee felt uncomfortably tight, but Link ignored the pain and continued running forward. Finally, after what felt like forever, he fell to the ground from exhaustion.
"Link?" a familiar voice asked.
Link looked up. Rusl and Bo put their weapons away. Rusl extended his hand to help the boy up; Link ran up towards him and hugged him.
"Are you okay?" Rusl asked.
"Ilia told us everything… I swear that girl will be grounded until she turns 15… did the Bokoblins hurt you, son?" Bo squatted down to be at Link's eye level.
"Bokoblins?" Link repeated the word.
"The monsters with the snouts and big ears."
"Uh, no. I got away," Link let go of Rusl and looked at his left hand. He wondered if he should tell his caretakers the details of what happened.
"Thank the goddess that you did," Rusl ruffled his hair, "We were worried sick! Oh, uh, and let's make sure that Fado doesn't hear about any of this…"
Link spent the rest of the night in Rusl's home. Uli, to whom the man was now engaged, prepared a bed in an empty bedroom.
"Hopefully one day Rusl and I will have our own child in this very bed," she sighed while fluffing his pillows, "Good night, Link."
But Link could not sleep that night. He wondered how he was able to fight the monsters off. He studied his left hand carefully. It didn't seem much different than his right hand. He wanted to try going to the woods again, to see if he could redo whatever it was that he did that sent the Bokoblin flying back. But he also didn't want to disappoint Rusl.
Finally, the sun rose and Link headed out of the residence. He was shocked to be greeted by teary-eyed Ilia.
"Link, I'm sorry!" she said and hugged him, "I didn't mean to get you in trouble! Did Daddy make the monsters go away?"
"Uh, yeah, he scared all the monsters away," Link responded awkwardly.
Although the original agreement was that the whole village would participate in raising Link, his primary mentor was Rusl. The two formed a close friendship where Link would receive help in, not only learning how to sword fight or shoot an arrow, but also cooking, smithing, horseback riding, and even receiving life advice.
When Link was 10, the man took the boy to the Faron Grasslands. There, he taught him how to sneak around quietly so that the boy could catch his first horse.
"That one's still a pony," Rusl whispered as he pointed to a smaller horse with dark brown fur and a light mane, "These are norikers. They are really strong horses that are quite agile. You have to be careful though; do you see the silver mane? This horse is a bay silver, to be specific. The bay portion means that it has that brown fur color, while the silver refers to its hair. These silver horses are more likely to have problems with their eyes later on. But I believe that this is a perfect first-time horse."
"They look just like your horse!" Link pointed out.
"Yes. I used to have a horse from this very same field. Her name was Ginger because of her chestnut fur. In fact, she looked a lot like that horse over there," Rusl pointed to a grazing mare, "Unfortunately, she died during the war. My current horse is a Friesian. She looks a lot like these horses, but is actually a different breed. The King of Hyrule awarded her to me for my bravery during the war. I was one of his best swordsmen after all… But she didn't make up for my killed horse. Or for all the people who were so senselessly murdered… You're going to be seventeen before you know it, Link. And you know what happens when boys in Hyrule turn seventeen?"
Link shook his head.
"They become of age. They have to travel to Castle Town for mandatory military conscription. Supposedly, another war with the neighboring kingdom will not happen but you never know…"
And with that ominous note, the air turned cold. Rusl could tell that Link became uncomfortable.
"But, like I said, it's unlikely that another war will break out soon," Rusl quickly added, "Supposedly the King joined the two royal families. If anything, the conscription might be fun. You'll continue building up your skills. You're already really good with the sword and bow and arrow- I'm sure that you'll rise the ranks quickly. Other things you'll have to do is community service: rescue cats out of trees, help old ladies cross the street, that kind of thing. So don't worry too much about it. It might actually be a good thing for you to get out there."
"Will Colin go too?" Link asked.
Rusl's face twitched. Uli recently gave birth to Colin. In Hyrule, a man's firstborn child held a great deal of importance to him. Link knew that the question would hurt Rusl. Ever since the baby was born, he couldn't help but feel a little jealous. He knew he wasn't biologically related to Rusl but he did not understand why the villagers felt the need to basically isolate him. The baby wasn't left in his own house. When introducing the baby to others, Rusl always made sure to clarify that that's his son. When introducing Link… well… he was just Link.
"When he turns seventeen, yes," Rusl finally answered, "But hopefully by then, the conscription will be over. Here, why don't we focus on getting you a horse? Crouch down and walk slowly towards your horse of interest. Make sure to approach it from the side, not from the back. Otherwise, the horse might kick you. And believe me, it is a very painful kick. Then, when you're ready, jump on the horse. The pony might freak out a little, so try soothing it. Whisper to it in a baby voice. Stroke its mane. The horse will slowly get used to you. I'll be nearby just in case something happens."
Link nodded and the two slowly approached the horses. One of the bigger ones stopped grazing. Its ears turned. Rusl stopped walking and waited until the horse returned to its meal. He waved at Link, signaling that the boy should go for the pony.
Link ran up to the horse of interest and quickly jumped on it. All of the other horses ran away while the pony bucked and reared. The boy wasn't exactly sure what he was supposed to grab onto: whenever Rusl let him ride his horse, there was a saddle and a bridle. A wild horse stands on its own without any equipment. Link wrapped his arms around the neck and whispered as soothingly as he could. After a few minutes, the horse calmed down.
"Great work, Link!" Rusl came out from hiding behind the bushes, unfortunately spooking the poor horse.
The horse bolted in the same direction as the rest of the herd. Link lost his grip and nearly fell off, but, quickly thinking, he grabbed the mane as a last minute attempt to stay on the horse. This grab clearly hurt the horse which stopped to rear from discomfort. Link grabbed onto the neck again and stroked the horse's soft mane. Rusl ran up to the two, this time being careful not to scare the horse.
"Sorry about that!" he apologized, "Horses are very sensitive, as you just found out. But I think this one's perfect! She's still young, which means that she'll be easier to train than an older horse. What do you want to name her?"
Link thought for a moment then exclaimed, "Epona!"
"Epona's perfect! Let's take her back to the village so that we can register her."
Link rode Epona slowly back to the village while Rusl walked by the two. They were greeted by Uli holding baby Colin, Ilia, and Bo, who was recently elected as mayor of the town.
"Wow! A horse!" Ilia exclaimed and ran up to Epona. She carefully petted the bridge of the nose and the horse softly purred.
"Ilia's a natural," Bo chuckled, "She's already pretty close to Fado's goats. Animals are just naturally drawn to her."
"What's her name?" Ilia asked Link, unable to contain her excitement.
"This is Epona," Rusl responded and stroked the horse's mane, "That's great to hear, Bo! In that case, Ilia, can you help Link train the horse?"
"Of course!" Ilia's eyes shone in excitement, "There's a reason why Fado trusts me with taking care of the goats!"
"Great! You kids should go to the barn to register Epona. I have to go back home and help Uli."
Rusl took baby Colin out of Uli's hands and the three headed for their house. Link felt a lump form in his throat. He wanted Rusl to help him train the horse!
"Can I ride her with you to the ranch?" Ilia asked the boy.
Link nodded sadly and let Ilia onto Epona. The two headed north to Fado's property.
As free as the wind, 17-year-old Link rode Epona through the Faron Highlands to hunt birds. Birds flew away from him but he quickly managed his bow and arrow, shooting two down. Afterwards, he stopped the horse to pick up the carcasses and carry them back to the village.
As he entered Orodon, he was greeted by 7-year-old Colin and other towns children: eight-year-old Beth and Talo and four-year-old Malo.
"Link, you're back!" Beth exclaimed.
"Finally," Malo muttered.
"Good thing you're here, Fado's goats escaped again!" Talo said.
Link sighed. The goats escaped at least twice a week and it was his responsibility to round them back.
"Alright. Epona, let's go," Link told his horse, which neighed in agreement.
"Wait, Link!" Colin ran in front of the horse, "Can I help?"
"Sure, kid," Link grabbed Colin's hand and pulled the boy up onto the horse's back. The two rode northward to the ranch.
Fado was sitting on the ground while Ilia scolded him for letting the goats escape. Link smiled at the scenario- there was something amusing about Ilia lecturing a grown man on his own goats.
"Link!" Ilia turned around and ran to Epona, "Great timing! Fado forgot to lock the barn and the goats escaped. Again."
Fado hid his face in his hands in shame. Link jumped off Epona to comfort his friend.
"It happens. This is actually a great experience for Colin!" he told Fado.
"I guess," Fado sighed, "The mailman came by earlier, by the way. He left an envelope for you from Castle Town."
Link knew what the envelope contained. But he smiled to hide the fear that he felt.
"Thanks, Fado. I'll grab it later. Now I have to get your goats back!"
That same night, the town decided to throw Link a going away party. They hung balloons and fairy lights around the town center. Despite the festive decorations, the atmosphere was rather melancholic.
After dinner, it was time for a toast. Mayor Bo was the first to speak.
"We're going to miss you, Link," he said teary-eyed, "You've done so much for our village."
"I'm not leaving forever," Link laughed, "It's only for a year."
"That's right," Rusl put his hand on Link's shoulder, "It will pass quickly before we know it."
"But who'll round my goats back in the meantime?" Fado asked sadly.
"Colin's getting pretty good at it," Link turned to Rusl, "Maybe it's time that you take him to the Fields to find a horse of his own?"
"I'd love to but… I have an announcement as well. I also got a letter from the King asking me to return to Castle Town to train the next generation of swordsmen."
The party turned quiet. The villagers stared at Rusl.
"It's no surprise," Fado sighed, "You were one of the best."
"You couldn't tell me this in private before the party?" Uli angrily whispered to Fado, putting her hands over her pregnant belly, "The baby will be due soon and Colin needs his father."
"You're only in the second trimester. And Colin is very well behaved. I'm sure that he'll take care of mommy while I'm gone. Right, son?"
Colin nodded sadly.
"So when will you leave?" Jaggle, the town woodworker, asked Rusl.
"Tomorrow at dawn. I'll leave with Link."
"First Link and now Rusl!" Pergie, Jaggle's wife, cried out, "Did anyone else get secretly recruited by the King?"
"I didn't want to take the attention away from Link. He deserves this party more than anyone," Rusl said defensively, "As far as I'm aware, no one else is seventeen. And no one received a personal letter. So it's just the two of us."
"What about Ilia?" Lena asked.
"Ilia's a girl," Rusl pointed out, "She's not mandated to join the conscript. Plus, she'll be seventeen in a month, not right now."
"I'm sure that she would love to join both you and Link," Lena added quietly. But Ilia was not in tune with the conversation. She picked at her food and didn't say a single thing the whole dinner.
"It's better that she doesn't go, Lena. What if another war breaks out?" Bo grumbled.
"Oh, don't speak of war now!" Sera, the only store owner in the whole village, exclaimed, "We're here to celebrate Link. And I guess also Rusl. Let's keep the mood happy."
Her cat, Link, meowed in agreement.
"Yeah!" Beth, her daughter, added, "We're all going to miss you, Link. So if a war breaks out, come back in one piece!"
"Okay, I think that's enough war talk," Hanch, her father, shot her a glare, "Let's talk about something else. We all prepared a little speech with our favorite memory of you, Link. Sorry, Rusl, we didn't know that you'd be leaving too so no speech for you… I guess I'll start," the man stood up and cleared his throat, "I remember that Sera's store was once running low on bee larvae and Fado's ranch was infested with bees. Link helped me get the beehive down and Sera was able to stock up on the larvae again!"
"You're forgetting the part where the bees stung you, daddy," Beth giggled, "Because you were too impatient to wait for Link."
Hanch sighed, "Yes. I got stung pretty bad and had to hide in the river. Thankfully, Link was close by with his slingshot. I never would have thought to use one to bring down a beehive!"
"Ahem," Jaggle, the father of Malo and Talo, cleared his throat, "You can thank me for teaching Link how to aim. Rusl might be the best swordsman but it was me who always had the eye of a hawk."
"Well my favorite memory is when Link- erm, Hylian Link- returned Link the cat to me," Sera brought up her cat to cuddle with it, "I don't know what you did but, since then, the cat stopped stealing fish from me!"
"I still can't get over the fact that you named your cat after him," Pergie, Jaggle's wife, smiled, "My dog's name is pretty original… but I do have to thank Link for training him! He's the best guard dog around!"
"I can't take full credit for that," Link felt his ears turn red, "Ilia's much better at handling animals than I am."
Everyone turned to Ilia, who was abnormally quiet that evening. She continued picking at her food.
"Is there anything that you would like to share with Link?" Mayor Bo asked gently.
Ilia sighed, got up, and left. The villagers turned to each other and mumbled.
"What was that about?" Malo asked.
"I should go check up on her," Link said and left his table, "Excuse me."
Link called after Ilia, who kept walking until she left the village. He was confused, but followed her to the nearby Faron Springs. There she stood in the waters and stared off into the distance.
"Everything okay?" Link asked her.
"Yeah…" she turned to face him and looked directly into his eyes, "It's just hard to think about you being gone for a whole year. Whose horse will I take care of now?"
Link laughed, "I'm sure there will be something for you to do here. You can teach Fado how to keep his goats locked up."
Ilia's eyes turned red and Link felt his stomach churn. Tears welled in her eyes; Link placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, it won't be that bad. I'm sure that Fado will be eager to learn-"
"Ugh, that's not why I'm upset!" Ilia wiped her tears away, "It's just going to be weird here without you, Link. I mean, you've lived here your whole life. Aren't you scared of going away?"
"I guess I never thought of that? I thought it would be more like an adventure!"
"Yes, but… You'll be in such a different place. You might even meet the royal family! Plus you'll be near Hylians all the time…"
"Oh."
"Just saying. My father told me that Castle Town is a very different place," Ilia sighed, "I need you to promise me something, Link. Don't forget about Ordon Village. Don't forget about us. Don't forget me."
Link burst out laughing, "Ilia. I'm going to be gone for only a year. You'll see, I'll be back before you know it! If anything, I should be asking you not to forget about me!"
"Just promise me, Link."
"Okay. Jeez, I promise I won't forget about any of you."
That seemed to be enough for Ilia. She sighed with relief.
"We should get back to the party now," Link added.
To Link's surprise, Ilia gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. She then turned around and ran home, leaving Link on his own, astonished and confused.
