Chapter 5
It was a little after noon when they headed out, Zelda filling the hours by gleaning as much information from Link about the gaps in his memory as she could. He'd asked for the Sheikah slate back early on to verify some of the hazier details, hesitant to let the princess read through the closest thing he had to a journal.
Traveling with a companion was a new experience for him and certainly made the time pass more quickly, whether he was answering Zelda's seemingly random inquires (why would the blood moon or the amount of sleep he'd gotten the night before have anything to do with his memory loss?) or watching her try to fit everything he told her together as if it was some complex puzzle and she only needed to see what was missing in order to solve it. Listening to her ramble to herself evoked a comforting feeling of déjà vu he'd only experienced a handful of times, making him wonder exactly how often they had done this before.
They stopped for the night in the shadow of the Great Plateau as the last rays of sunlight disappeared beyond the horizon. A small campfire warded off both the chill and the monsters that roamed the dark. After dinner, Link realized he'd forgotten to procure a tent, or even a bedroll, for the princess to use. Zelda laughed through his embarrassed apologies as she accepted his own worn and somewhat tattered blanket, assuring him it would be sufficient until they reached Hateno. Seeing her knight flustered over something so trivial was worth more than a few nights sleeping in the dirt.
Zelda's charitable disposition had all but disappeared the following morning, Link rising with the sun and waking her shortly thereafter. She leveled a baleful glare at the back of her knight's head as she gingerly pushed herself to her feet, the hard ground leaving her stiff and sore. The swordsman wisely held his tongue as he helped her into the saddle, handing her a couple rice balls clearly meant to be breakfast. She wasn't sure if she should be grateful or annoyed that Link already had their meager camp broken down and the horses ready to go before waking her. She settled on annoyed as he practically vaulted onto Epona's back without the slightest hint of discomfort. It just wasn't fair that she be plagued with aches and pains from sleeping on the ground while he was not.
The stiffness in her muscles gradually eased as the morning wore on, restoring her good humor along with a touch of guilt. She could hardly fault Link for not thinking to procure an extra bedroll when he didn't use one himself, preferring to sleep sitting up with his sword close at hand. Fortunately he seemed indifferent to her previous bad mood, and if he was content to ignore it then so was she.
It wasn't long before Zelda was filling the hours with chatter once more, carrying most of the conversation as she often had in the past. Link didn't seem to mind, adding his thoughts when asked a question but mostly content to just listen.
She fell silent as they entered the Outpost ruins, her eyes roaming over what remained of the once lively town. Not a single building was untouched, most only consisting of a few half-standing and vine-covered walls with broken rafters sticking out over the top. Moss had long since covered the various piles of rubble spilling out of partially collapsed doorways and the fountain in the center of town was missing a large section, as if something had gouged a chunk out of the stone structure. The weeds overtaking the cobblestone path muffled the clop of the horses' hooves, as if nature itself recognized and mourned the tragedy that had taken place.
Link's eyes also roved over the broken buildings, though his thoughts weren't on the destruction of the town. As if unwilling to disturb the stillness, he carefully pulled the bow from his back and nocked an arrow. If there was one place monsters loved hiding more than anywhere else, it was in ruins.
A deep-throated grunting drew Zelda's attention to the skeletal remains of a cart, the bonnet long gone and the wagon bows exposed. A red-skinned monster with a long trunk-like snout and a twisted horn ambled out from behind the wreckage, clutching a rusted claymore in one meaty hand. It was easily twice as tall as either of Hylians, with thickly muscled arms that almost dragged on the ground. Its hunched form jerked upright when it spotted them, the green tongue lolling out the side of its mouth as its eyes gleamed with anticipation.
Before Zelda could even call out, the moblin was knocked off its feet by way of an arrow to the head. She whipped toward Link, wide green eyes staring at the bow in shock. Although she'd seen it slung across his back, she'd had no idea he was so adept in its use. One look at his intense expression was enough to snap her mouth shut, saving her questions for later.
"Run!" he commanded, switching out the bow for his sword in one smooth movement. "Don't stop until you're past the bridge!"
Zelda didn't need to be told twice, spurring Aspen on. Several more monsters jumped up from their hiding spots in the grass, swinging farming hoes and- was that a mop? -at her as she galloped by them. She clutched the mane with one hand as her horse darted around the piles of rubble spilling out into the road, praying his hooves didn't slip on a loose rock.
They made a wide turn around the broken fountain as the bridge came into view some yen yards away, past a pillar lying across their path. Zelda saw it just before Aspen jumped, dim riding lessons from her childhood flashing across her mind. A thrill of elated terror ran through her as she managed to keep her seat when the horse landed, her body automatically moving with her steed. A wide grin spread across her face as the stallion quickly covered the remaining distance, the monster's howls of anger drowned out by Epona's hooves clattering loudly on the stone as she followed closely behind.
Zelda didn't slow until they'd reached the opposite side as per Link's instructions, pulling back on the reigns as stone turned to dirt. Aspen didn't fight the command, sides heaving as he slowed to a walk. Adrenaline still pumping through her veins, she turned to her companion as Epona also slowed beside her, only to realize the saddle was empty.
Aspen tossed his head as Zelda jerked back on the reigns a bit too sharply, bringing him to a full stop before twisting around to look for the missing swordsman. He wasn't on the bridge and the arch was too high for her to see beyond it. It seemed unthinkable that he might have fallen off his horse, but...
The unmistakable sound of Link's battle cry echoed across the bridge as Zelda was turning to go back, followed closely by the death cry of a monster. She groaned as she covered her face with one hand, realizing he'd intentionally jumped off his horse to stay behind and fight.
It was several long minutes later when Link came jogging across the bridge, none the worse for the wear. Zelda had used the time to stretch her legs a bit, letting the horses graze while she tried to remember how to walk normally again. She looked up at the swordsman's approach, her eyes quickly scanning him for any injuries. "Finished already?" she asked, relieved he appeared unharmed. Although she'd seen him single-handedly take out much large numbers of far more dangerous monsters than those, it only took one lucky strike to turn the tide.
Link nodded, his brow furrowing slightly as he slowed to a walk, glancing around.
"Something the matter?" she asked, wondering what he might be looking for.
"There's usually a guard posted here," Link explained, moving over to the thick stone rail and leaning across it to look beneath the bridge. "At least, he's been here every time I've come through before."
"Everyone needs a day off now and again," Zelda offered with a shrug. If there were a locked gate they needed to open and he had the only key, she could see why the guard's absence would be worrisome. As it was, there was nothing but open road all the way to the Dueling Peaks as far as she could tell.
"Maybe," the swordsman agreed uneasily. He'd been counting on Brigo to keep the area clear when he'd sent Zelda on ahead. With his absence, Link very well may have been sending the princess into the waiting arms of even more monsters without realizing. It had worked out in his favor this time, but it drove home the point that he shouldn't count on others to protect her in the future.
Noticing the mildly concerned look he was getting from the princess, he shook his head. "We should stop here for lunch," he said, changing the subject. "You hungry?"
Zelda raised an eyebrow but decided to let it pass, her stomach reminding her it was about that time. "Absolutely famished," she answered, wondering what was on the menu. She blinked when her knight pulled the Sheikah slate from his hip and started poking at the screen. "That can store more than just clothing?" she asked, stepping closer to watch.
"Uh-huh. Clothing, weapons, food- just about anything you can pick up," Link answered, swiping across the screens until he came to the meals he'd prepared back at the stable. A few more taps and blue tendrils of energy coalesced into a meat skewer above the slate, which he caught and handed to the princess.
Zelda took the food, turning it over in her hands as she inspected it before taking a small bite. Her eyes widened in surprise, her green gaze meeting amused blue as Link watched her reaction. "It is still warm!" she exclaimed, glancing between the skewer and the slate. "Don't tell me it can cook food as well?"
Link laughed, shaking his head. "No, it was still warm when I stored it in the slate back at the stable," he replied, pulled out another skewer for himself. "Any food I put in there is held in stasis until I take it out again, which is nice because it keeps raw meat from spoiling until I can do something with it."
"Incredible," Zelda breathed, idly taking another bite as she stared at the slate. "Is it just the food or is everything kept in stasis?"
"I don't know," Link admitted, shrugging. "I haven't exactly tried cooking my bow or my tunic before putting them away."
Zelda couldn't help but chuckle at the mental image that invoked. "No, I don't suppose you would," she agreed turning her attention back to her skewer as she took another bite. "However I think it is worth looking into- once we have sorted out your recurring memory loss, that is."
Link shrugged, the very picture of indifference as he licked his fingers after popping piece of meat into his mouth.
They continued on after they'd watered the horses, heading toward the split mountain that made up the Dueling Peaks. A branch of the river flowed alongside the road, the sound of water lapping at its shore a gentle backdrop to the clop of hooves and creak of leather. Zelda closed her eyes, feeling the sun on her skin as the breeze ruffled her hair. It was familiar in a way few things were anymore.
She shook off the nostalgia, preferring to focus on the present rather than linger in the past. She glanced toward her companion, casting about for a new topic of conversation to fill the silence. The bow slung innocuously across his back seemed like a good place to start. "I must admit your marksmanship is rather impressive; rivaling that of the Rito, I should think," she complimented. "Did you learn from them?"
Link blinked at the question. "Not really, no," he said slowly, looking a little bemused. "It was just something I picked up along the way. I figured if monsters could do it, then so could I."
Zelda stared at him. "You are self-taught?" That was a surprise.
Link nodded. "It's just a matter of practice, really," he explained with a shrug. "And with all the monsters running around, there's no shortage of targets to practice on."
Zelda just shook her head. True, it wasn't like he could simply go to the archery range and request lessons from the master huntsman, but achieving such mastery over another weapon without instruction was quite a feat. She couldn't help but wonder what other skills he might have 'picked up along the way.'
The Dueling Peaks grew ever larger as the day wore on, seeming to touch the heavens themselves as Link and Zelda finally reached their base at dusk. They continued toward the stable just out the other side of the pass despite the late hour, the swordsman producing a torch when the shadows grew too deep.
There was a sense of tension in the still night air, as if unseen monsters were waiting to ambush them in the dark. Zelda knew it was likely just her imagination playing tricks on her, but she couldn't help edging her horse a bit closer to her knight all the same.
She heaved a sigh of relief when the lanterns of the stable came into view as they exited the pass, nudging her horse a bit faster. She couldn't say for certain what unsettled her so- perhaps it was mountains blocking out all but a few stars directly overhead or the way the smallest noises seem to echo back and forth between the rocky walls -but she would be quite content to never step foot in the pass again.
The hour was late when they finally reached the stable, Link dismounting a bit stiffly after spending all day in the saddle before turning to help Zelda off her horse. He caught her as she stumbled, keeping hold of her arm as he led her inside.
She gratefully sank into a vacant chair near the hearth as he went to speak with the stable master, fatigue settling over her like a heavy blanket. After tossing and turning on the hard ground the previous night, she was very much looking forward to sleeping in a real bed.
Zelda jerked awake as someone put a hand on her shoulder, realizing she'd dozed off on accident. She blinked up at Link as the swordsman offered her an apologetic smile.
"Sorry it took so long princess; it took some time to prepare your bed," he explained. "I think you'll like it."
She nodded, letting him pull her to her feet and guide her to her sleeping quarters for the night. The canopy bed looked the same as all the others to her eyes, save the blanket had been turned down, but she was too tired to question what made it so special. A contented sigh escaped her lips as she lay down, the soft mattress sinking in all the right places. In that moment she was quite certain that not even her bed in the castle had ever felt so comfortable.
Link watched her reaction, glad he'd spent the extra rupees to get her the soft mattress. He unfastened his baldric and quiver as he turned to his own bed, setting his weapons on the ground but within easy reach, just in case. As he slipped off his sandals he glanced back to his companion, realizing she'd neglected to do the same before falling asleep. Shaking his head with a smile, he carefully removed the borrowed boots and dropped them onto the floor before pulling the comforter over her and drawing the curtain.
After making sure Zelda was settled for the night, Link climbed into his own bed. He folded his arms beneath his head as he thought back to the conversation he'd overheard while paying for their lodgings.
Apparently the guard from the bridge had come to the stable two days ago, telling everyone of the Divine Beasts firing their massive lazars at Hyrule Castle and the fiery beast as large as a mountain that had appeared on Hyrule Field shortly thereafter. In an act that was too foolish to be called anything but brave after the fact, Brigo had decided to sneak closer to learn any information he could about the beast. His intel-gathering mission was halted when he ran into a barrier of light, the same brightness and hue as that which shone from the castle when the Calamity encircling it was acting up.
Brigo had skirted the edge of the light for some distance, unable to find a way past. He'd beat a hasty retreat when the sky had turned as red as the hour of the Blood Moon, despite still being some hours from midnight. The guard was sure it was a sign the Calamity had finally escaped the castle, though it seemed whatever force had kept it contained during the last century had come with it.
No one was sure what to make of the tale. Though Hyrule was home to some truly massive monsters, nothing could compare to what Brigo had described. Everyone had seen odd hour and length of the blood moon for themselves and Brigo wasn't known for his flights of fancy, but he was the only one to witness the beast. If the guard's story was to be believed, it begged the question of where the creature was now. There didn't seem to be any catastrophic monster wreaking havoc just past the mountain range as far as anyone could tell.
Link himself was unable to verify or deny the story. Zelda hadn't given him any specifics regarding his clash with Ganon, but a 'fiery beast as large as mountain' was difficult to picture in his mind. And what would they have been doing on Hyrule Field? Hadn't Zelda spent the last century keeping the Calamity sealed within the castle grounds?
The swordsman shook his head, rolling onto his side. Whatever it may have been, they'd seen no sign of it during their travels. Brigo had continued on to Wetland Stable to ask around since they would have had a clearer view from there. Link was tempted to use the travel gate there to find out for himself, but morning would arrive all too soon and he and Zelda had another long day ahead of them.
Belatedly, Link realized the rumors at the Outskirt Stable had likely been related to this incident. Located at the southwest corner of Hyrule Field, they would have also had a clear view of whatever happened that day. Mentally chiding himself for not asking Embry about it when he had the chance, he resolved to get answers from the princess in the morning. Having decided on a course of action, Link put the matter from his mind as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
The quiet murmur of voices eased Zelda from her slumber, light peeking in around the edges of the curtain surrounding her bed. The noise was unfamiliar but comforting all the same- a reminder the Calamity had finally been dealt with and her own century-long confinement had ended. Her tired smile split into a wide yawn as her limbs extended in a full body stretch, holding it for several seconds before relaxing back into the mattress. She was almost loath to leave the comfort of the rented bed; unable to remember the last time she'd slept so well.
She spent a few minutes doing her best to make herself presentable before leaving the privacy of the curtained area, silently chiding herself for forgetting to braid her hair. Her fingers raked through the tangled mess like a makeshift brush, carefully working out all the knots she could find. Once she was satisfied, she tossed the blankets still covering her legs aside and drew the curtain wide open.
It was brighter than she had expected, squinting slightly against the light shining in through the windows before her eyes adjusted. The stable was mostly empty; another traveler sitting at a table in the far corner chatting amiably with the proprietor while the latter worked on his books. A stable hand sweeping the floor chuckled at the conversation, but did not add anything herself. And Link was nowhere to be seen.
Zelda headed outside in search of her knight, exchanging pleasantries with the staff as she passed. It was even brighter outside, the sun reflecting off a shallow pool of water surrounding a glowing blue shrine just across the road. One side of the Dueling Peaks stretched high into the sky beyond the shrine, its height no less daunting in the light of day.
Her eyes lingered on the activated shrine for a moment, remembering her many futile attempts to enter one all those years ago. Even though she'd known their purpose was to train the hero, her continual failure to unlock the sealing power had her seeking aid in even the most unlikely of places. She shook her head with a slight smile, knowing now that there was nothing within that would have been of benefit to her.
Turning away from the shrine, she glanced around for the sandy-haired swordsman, starting in surprise when she found him. Link had traded his Sheikah garb for the royal blue Champion's tunic she'd sewn for him before he had been named her Appointed Knight, and had worn as a sign of his station almost every day thereafter. It seemed Impa, or more likely her successor, had honored Zelda's request that it be mended and returned to Link after he woke in the Shrine of Resurrection.
His hair was pulled back in the low ponytail he'd favored in the past, uneven bangs falling across his forehead in a messy style that just looked so natural on him. With the master sword strapped to his back, he almost looked like he had stepped right out of her memory.
Zelda shook herself lightly, keeping her mind rooted firmly in the present. This Link was different than the man she'd known in the past and not only because he now carried a shield and bow in addition to his sword. Although more open with his emotions than the stoic knight she'd fallen in love with, there was a distance between them now. Unsure of how much he remembered of her, and unwilling to ask questions he may not be ready to answer, she was stuck in the murky waters somewhere between 'acquaintance' and 'friend.' Not wanting to end up pushing him away by rushing things, she would be content to let him take the lead and decide where their relationship would go from here.
Clearing such thoughts from her mind, Zelda headed toward her knight. He was standing by a crate near the cooking pot with his back to her, completely engrossed in his task.
"Good morning," she greeted as she came up beside him, a smile on her face as she curiously peered over his shoulder to see what he was working on.
Link turned slightly to face her, bare hands cupped together and his undershirt rolled up to his elbows. "Oh, good morning," he answered, returning her smile as his hands continued pressing and shaping something between them. "I trust you slept well?"
"Better than I have in some time, thank you," she agreed, glancing at the spread before him.
Link seemed to be in the midst of cooking, a large bowl with rice in front of him with a smaller bowl of a meat and vegetable mixture slightly in front of and to the side of that. A stack of long and thin leaves was on the other side, one of which he picked up and folded around the triangular rice ball he'd been shaping in his hands. This was added to a row of finished rice balls at the back of the crate and out of his immediate work area.
Link nodded at her answer, wiping his hands with a rag almost out of sight behind the bowls. "I wasn't sure how long you would sleep," he said, pulling the Sheikah slate from his hip and tapping the screen a few times. "So I saved you some breakfast." He grabbed the plate as it materialized from the slate, handing it to her.
Zelda accepted the omelet, belatedly realizing that Link had likely cooked all her meals since they had been reunited. She'd assumed he'd purchased them from the stables or perhaps the merchants, but it seemed he'd become an accomplished chef sometime during the last year. "Where did you learn how to cook?" she asked, taking a bite. The eggs were light and fluffy, accentuating the flavor of the sliced mushrooms within. While not quite up to the standards of the royal chefs, it certainly beat the fair they'd had at the various inns they'd stayed at during their travels in the past.
"Here and there," Link answered with a shrug, rolling a chunk of rock salt between his hands before scooping up a handful of rice and pressing a bit of the meat mixture into an indent in the middle of it. "A woman in Lurelin taught me how to make paella in exchange for picking up some ingredients for her and some shopkeepers will share their own recipes and cooking tips if you ask," he explained, his hands expertly closing the rice around the mixture and forming it into a triangle. "Mostly it was trial and error though, especially in the early days. The end results were pretty rough until I got the hang of it."
Zelda blinked, a bit surprised by the thought of her knight failing at anything. "Was it that bad?" she asked, honestly curious.
Link shrugged again. "Well, the main problem was not truly understanding the difference between making food and making elixirs," he explained. "I didn't have a stockpile of ingredients then and I usually had to make do with what I had on hand at the time. Even if it looked a bit dubious, something was still better than nothing."
Zelda nodded slowly, wondering what the difference between making food and elixirs was. She took another bite of her omelet, savoring the taste, before deciding now probably wasn't the best time to ask if she wanted to continue enjoying her meal.
They left shortly afterward, Link storing the rice balls in the slate and cleaning all the dishes while Zelda freshened up in the bathhouse out back. The sun was about halfway from the horizon to its zenith as they left the stable behind.
"I've been meaning to ask what Calamity Ganon looked like," Link said, breaking the silence as he glanced sidelong at his companion. "Toward the end of the battle, I mean."
"That is an odd question," Zelda replied, turning her curious gaze to the swordsman.
"It was something I overheard at the stable," Link clarified, his eyes habitually roaming for stray monsters as he kept the princess in his peripheral. "Apparently Brigo- the guard that was supposed to be at the bridge yesterday -left his post after witnessing a fiery beast the size of a mountain stomping around Hyrule Field." He hesitated slightly, turning to meet his companion's emerald gaze. "I didn't see anything out of the ordinary the last two days, which makes me think he may have seen the Calamity, but I thought you were keeping it contained within the castle..."
Zelda shook her head. "I am afraid my strength failed me," she admitted, dropping her gaze to her horse. "Ganon's fury when you set foot into the throne room was overwhelming, allowing him to break free. You were able to defeat the body he had cobbled together over the past year with the help of the four Divine Beasts, at which point his essence left the castle and assumed a bestial form upon Hyrule Field."
She paused, putting on finger to her lips in thought. "That form resembled a boar, with energy glowing too brightly to look at directly running in parallel lines from the tip of his snout over his head and down his back. As for his size, I'd say he was a little larger than that hill there," she said, gesturing to a rocky outcropping alongside the road between thirty and forty feet in height. Her eyes moved back to the Dueling Peaks still looming behind them. "Comparing him to a mountain, however, seems a bit of an overstatement."
Link nodded, resuming his surveillance of the area. It sounded like Brigo had seen Ganon all right, though he hadn't stayed long enough to witness the end of the battle. Link glanced up at the hill Zelda had used as a reference. Almost twice as tall as a hinox and probably five times as long, if the proportions matched that of a wild boar. Still dwarfed by the Divine Beasts, but far larger than any other living thing Link had ever seen. He couldn't help but wonder how he had physically fought so massive a creature.
The road forked and Link lead them down the path to the right, curving around the side of the rocky outcrop. It gently sloped down to join the open field in front of them and Zelda's breath caught in her throat when she saw the first inactive Guardian poking up through the tall grass. She had forgotten that to reach Hateno, they must first travel across the Blatchery Plains.
Link took no notice of the Guardian husks littering the field, the ancient machines still lying where they fell 100 years past. Zelda was not so unaffected, memories of their panicked flight from the castle running through her mind. She could almost feel the cold rain as it hit her skin, hear her harsh breaths almost loud enough to drown out those of her knight as they fled, see yet another red targeting laser dancing across the royal blue tunic he wore...
They rode in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Link kept an eye on the few stray bokoblins looking through the grass well off the path, as well as the smoke rising from a monster camp just visible in the distance. None were close enough to pose an immediate threat, so he was content to let them be for the moment.
It was over an hour before they reached the partially destroyed wall of Fort Hateno. Link pulled Epona to a stop before the broken gate; realizing Zelda was no longer following. He twisted around to see his charge some yards behind him, just staring out over the field. Even from that distance it was obvious she wasn't truly seeing the sun dappled plains laid out before her.
Having an idea of what memory she might be reliving, Link turned Epona and headed back to where Zelda had stopped. "Princess?" he asked carefully once he was close enough, not wanting to startle her.
Zelda jumped anyway, blinking several times as her mind came back to the present. Her eyes landed on Link, whole and alive and staring at her in concern. She was overcome by a sudden desire to know if he remembered that night. "The Sheikah slate," she blurted, almost desperate to get the words out before her common sense paralyzed her tongue. "I left some pictures on it back then- places we'd visited together." She hesitated, clutching the reigns tightly. "Did you...visit those any of those locations?"
"A few," Link answered with a shrug. "I was able to recover at least a partial memory of our time there, too."
"Oh... I see. That's good," Zelda said, trying to hide her disappointment as she got Aspen moving again. If he hadn't visited everywhere else first, then the Sheikah elder wouldn't have sent him here. He would have no idea of the significance of this place. Should she tell him? Would he be happier not knowing?
Link nudged Epona to fall into step alongside Aspen, watching as Zelda seemed to have an internal debate. A heavy tension hung between them, replacing the camaraderie they'd started to develop the day before. He waited several long minutes for her to break the silence, giving her time to organize her thoughts. After they passed through the fort and into the forest beyond, he decided it would probably be easier all around if he broached the subject first.
"That was where I died, wasn't it?" he asked, wincing slightly at the bluntness of his question. It had sounded much better in his head.
Zelda whipped toward him in shock, her long golden hair fluttering from the sudden movement. "How did you know?" she asked, eyes wide.
"You mean aside from your reaction?" he returned, giving her a wry smile. "I met someone interested in local legends around here a while back. He told me about a warrior who defended the fort, rumored to be one of the Champions, and who either died here or went into a 'deep sleep' to fight another day," he explained, nonchalant. "Seemed a little too coincidental for him to be talking about someone else."
Zelda blinked, not ever having considered the possibility of Link finding out through stories of his feats passed from one generation to the next. "Did you...try to remember that night?" she asked, biting her lip. Although eager for something that would allow her to connect with her knight, that memory wasn't a pleasant one.
"I spent a little time walking around whenever I was in the area, but nothing ever triggered a memory," he answered with a shrug.
"I see."
"It must have been difficult for you though," he continued, ever on the lookout for monsters as the trees gave way to a river on one side of the road and a rocky wall on the other.
"Unexpected partings are never easy," Zelda agreed, eyes downcast. "Especially with wounds as grievous as yours. I feared you would slip away from us ere you made it to the Shrine."
"So I didn't actually die then?" Link asked, curious. While no one he'd spoken with had said outright that he'd been deceased, it was pretty heavily implied.
The princess shook her head. "Although we call it the Shrine of Resurrection, it cannot restore life to the dead," she explained, staring fixedly at Aspen's mane. "Had you succumbed to your wounds, all would have been lost."
"Surely the Goddess would have chosen another to wield the Master Sword," he suggested uneasily. With the inferred ability to revive the dead, the Shrine had always seemed like it had been part of the Goddess' plan for him from the beginning. If it was just a man-made (albeit incredible) medical facility, then not only had he failed to fulfill his destiny 100 years past, but it was just dumb luck that he had survived to try again.
"She may have," Zelda agreed, shoulders slightly hunched as she seemed to withdraw into herself. "And I'm certain that he would have been capable enough, but he would not have been you and I could not put the same amount of faith in him. I fear I would not have been able to keep the Calamity contained long enough for him to be ready."
"I doubt he would have made you wait 100 years," Link said lightly, offering her an apologetic smile.
Zelda shook her head. "Despair has been my constant companion for as long as I can remember, even before the Calamity's return," she stated. "I always believed you would waken and come for me and I drew strength from that when I myself had nothing left to give. If it was not you for whom I was waiting, I would have faltered long ago."
Silence fell between them once more, broken only by the scrape and clop of hooves on packed earth. Realizing what she had just admitted, Zelda's cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "Please forget I said that," she asked, covering her face with one hand as she turned her head away. "My tongue seems to have slipped my control again."
The sound of crying pre-empted Link's reply, drawing both of their attentions. A woman was on the grassy bank between the river and the road a little ways ahead of them, sobbing into her hands. A click of his tongue had Epona pulling ahead of Aspen as Link laid the reign against her neck, correcting her course more toward the traveler before slowing her pace again. Aspen snorted as he was forced to go around Epona and Zelda glanced curiously at her knight, silently asking why he had placed himself between her and the woman in distress.
Link didn't glance at the princess as they drew nearer the woman, pulling his horse to a stop several yards away and motioning Zelda to do the same. "Stay here," he ordered in an undertone as he dismounted.
The royal heir watched in bemusement as Link approached the grieving traveler as if she were some sort of wild animal. Kneeling in the grass with her face buried in her hands, the woman didn't seem to notice as the swordsman stopped a few feet from her.
Link hesitated, his hand twitching toward his sword as he looked her over. She had no obvious wounds, weapon or horse, and the stable was several hours away on horseback, even further on foot. This entire setup all but screamed 'trap.'
"Are you alright?" he asked, hoping there was a good explanation.
The woman sniffed, looking up at him between her fingers. "I'll never see him again..." she sobbed, although there was also an edge of anger in her voice. Getting a good look at him, she wiped her tears and pushed herself to her feet.
Link tensed, already knowing what was coming next. His hands flew to his mouth as she fell into a battle stance, his shrill whistle almost drowning out her challenge.
"Begone, enemy of my master!"
Epona leapt straight into a cantor at Link's signal, a startled Aspen following suit. Zelda yelped as her horse surged forward beneath her, clutching desperately at the saddle horn. It took her several seconds to regain the presence of mind to pull back on the reins, by which point Aspen was already slowing to stop behind Epona as they crested the hill. Somewhat shaken by the sudden loss of control over her mount, Zelda drew a breath to scold the horse- or, perhaps, her knight -when the sound of metal clanging caught her ears. Twisting in her saddle toward the noise, she was shocked by the sight back down the hill.
The woman was gone, replaced by an androgynous figure in a black and red skin suit wielding a large one-handed sickle. A smooth white mask covered the entire face, the symbol of the Sheikah Tribe- a large eye with a single teardrop -upside down in red paint. The uniform of the Yiga Clan had not changed over the last century, nor had the terror that gripped the princess at the sight of it.
Memory clashed with reality as Link, wearing the blue Champion's tunic and wielding the master sword, fought with the clan that had sworn to end her life. Zelda could almost feel the burning desert sand beneath her, the hot air searing her lungs as she gasped for breath. The bright sun reflecting off the curved sickle as the Yiga footsoldier raised it high, preparing to end her life...
Zelda shook her head sharply, banishing the memory back to the depths of her mind. She curled her fist into Aspen's mane, feeling the horse breath beneath her legs as she breathed in the scent of leather and grass. This was not the Gerudo desert. Back then, her own foolishness had nearly gotten her killed, would have had her knight not been even more stubborn then she. This was a different time, a different place, and a different situation. She opened her eyes and watched the battle, determined not to let the fear rule her.
Link traded blows with the footsoldier, trying to keep his charge in his peripheral. While the Yiga he'd encountered in the past had always ignored any other travelers in the area, Link had a distinct memory of them targeting Zelda over him. While the details eluded him, he did know that he had almost been too late to save her. If they knew who she was, there was no doubt in his mind they'd try to kill her out of revenge.
He blocked the sickle with his shield, wondering how information was dispersed within their organization. Did they know Calamity Ganon had already been defeated? Should he tell them? Or was this one merely a distraction while another ambushed the princess? They'd always come after him solo, but he remembered facing off against three of them when they'd cornering the princess in the desert...
A few swipes of his sword made the Yiga back off several feet. The footsoldier made several signs with their hands, uttering an incantation as several glowing symbols appeared in the air around them. Having seen the technique before, Link risked a glance at his charge as his opponent disappeared in a flurry of talismans. Zelda seemed fine, sitting patiently astride her horse atop the hill as she waited for him to finish. No second Yiga assassin had appeared and Link allowed himself a brief sigh of relief.
The soft fluttering of paper followed by running feet from behind drew Link's focus, instinctively spinning and raising his shield just in time to deflect the sickle aimed at his neck. The Yiga gracefully back flipped over the master sword as Link countered, jumping back and disappearing in another flurry of talismans. Paper rustled again, this time from above, and the swordsman turned aside as the red and black figure landed where he'd just been standing, sickle clanging loudly against the ground.
The sacred blade arched through the air once more before the Yiga had time to recover, slicing through the black material and biting deep into the flesh beneath. A strangled cry came from beneath the mask as the figure leapt back, one arm clutching the injury. A shaky hand sign followed by a breathless incantation had them vanishing from sight again, this time likely for good. The sickle gleamed dully in the sun, forgotten in the grass at Link's feet.
The swordsman waited a little longer to be sure they weren't coming back, keeping Zelda in sight. He slowly sheathed his sword after a moment when no more attacks were forth coming, taking one last glance around the area before whistling for Epona as he started up the hill to rejoin the princess.
Zelda was already directing Aspen back the way they had come as Epona trotted toward her master. "Are you all right?" she asked, keeping her voice steady as Link mounted his horse and resumed the easy pace they'd been traveling at earlier.
"Yes, I'm fine. Sorry about that," he apologized, settling back into the saddle. He seemed completely unaffected by the encounter, as if engaging the clan sworn to kill them both was a commonplace occurrence.
The princess belatedly realized Link had expected a Yiga ambush as soon as he saw the woman crying on the side of the road. "Does that happen often?" she asked, a little wide-eyed at the prospect.
Link hummed softly as he thought about it. "Not too often," he decided after a moment. "I wouldn't say it rarely happens, but I'm not fighting the Yiga every week, either."
The princess nodded slowly, trying to surreptitiously glance around for any other Yiga lying in wait nearby. "Do they always attack you alone?" she asked, her heartbeat slowing though she could still feel her hands shaking slightly. She gripped the reigns tightly to hide it from the observant eyes of her companion.
"When they're out on the road like that, yes," he answered honestly. While they seemed to prefer solo ambushes, they had no code that prevented them from ganging up on a single opponent. He'd learned that the hard way when storming their hideout. He glanced over at his charge, surprised to see her posture was tense and her eyes were continually darting around the area. "It's alright, princess," he said gently, wondering if she hadn't been quite as calm as she had appeared from a distance during the battle. "They're gone."
"I believe you, Link," she assured him, her eyes still roaming over the scenery. "And more than that, I trust in your skill to handle anything that comes our way."
"But?" Link prompted.
Zelda bit her lip, obviously wanting to say more but still hesitant to do so.
Link sighed, wondering how something as simple as holding a conversation could be so difficult. "I won't pry if you don't want to talk about it, but you need not guard your tongue around me," he said, scanning the tall grass for signs of trouble as they rounded a bend in the road. "I...think you freely spoke your mind when it was just us before, and there's no one out here who would judge you for it now."
Zelda chuckled humorlessly. "It is a silly thing," she said, shaking her head. "They have threatened me in the past and that fear still remains." She turned her gaze back to the road ahead, her expression becoming somber. "You saved me then as well, though my actions did not warrant it."
"I will always protect you, princess," Link promised solemnly.
Zelda smiled, taking the reassurance for what it was instead of the pledge of loyalty she longed for it to be. "Thank you, Link," she said, meeting his gaze briefly before clearing her throat. "Enough of this dreary talk," she said, forcing a bit of cheer into her voice. "Let us speak of something else. I fear I have dominated most of our conversations. What would you like to talk about?"
Link stared at her blankly before casting his gaze around them, hoping a topic of conversation would catch his eye. "Uh, how about the weather?" he asked, cringing slightly even as he suggested it.
"The weather," Zelda repeated, arching one delicate eyebrow as the corners of her mouth curved upward.
"It is a bit of a generic topic, isn't it?" he agreed, rubbing the back of his head as he offered her another apologetic smile. His stomach reminded him it was almost time for lunch and he realized he had the perfect topic. "What's your favorite food?"
The princess couldn't stop surprised the laugh that bubbled up, remembering the first real conversation they'd had starting out much the same. If her knight had one weakness, it was his love of a good meal. The world may have truly been doomed had Calamity Ganon been a decent chef.
"What? Don't tell me food is also taboo?" Link smiled uncertainly as he tried to figure out what was so funny.
Zelda just shook her head, still chuckling. "No, food is a wonderful topic," she assured him, grinning broadly. With the world she'd known lost to history, and when the only familiar face belonged to a stranger who barely remembered her, it was heartening to know that some things still remained the same.
To Be Continued
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