22- Military training camp
The pair reassumed their walk, Zelda was glowing with pride and happiness, Link was behaving like a caged animal, walking from side to side, eyes fixed on the ground searching for animal trails.
LINK POV
I found a sturdy branch and peeled it into a lance to hunt, but to hunt what? There are no trails to follow… this is a rabbit zone, but it appears they died off or something is hunting them… if that is the case, SHE could be in danger…
Link stops and takes off his jacket, he then hands it to Zelda
"Use my Jacket"
Zelda looks at him in shock
"Why?... its cold out here, I will exchange it though, use my sweater and I use the jacket, fair?" Zelda says taking her sweater off and handing it to him
Link smiles, takes the purple sweater and puts it on.
"This is heavy, you have been walking around with this?" Zelda asks now sporting a jacket that is a little too big for her
"You will get used to it"
He continues walking and searching, Zelda follows in silence, no longer glowing, she is scared now.
ZELDA POV
This… is not good, not good at all, why is he making me wear his jacket? [The Queen walks up to Link and grabs his shoulder with her left hand, breaths in deeply and uses her right hand to trust the knife at Link's belly with force, Link bends a little massaging his belly, but quickly recovers and stands tall grinning.] this jacket is made to act like a vest, are we in danger? If so of what? We have not seen anybody, I have not seen foot prints, what is he trying to protect me from?
Link sighs with relief and smiles
"Welcome to the Military Training Camp"
Zelda looks ahead and to see multiple destroyed wooden towers, that appear to be sinking.
This is today's goal? It looks abandoned…
"It looks depressing, you think there is a structure here we can use?"
"Not in the camp per se, around the camp there is bound to be a cabin or cottage, for the military forces to use when they come to train here"
"OH, THAT SOUND A LOT BETTER, let's hope it's in better condition that THIS… what do I do now? how do I help?"
"Get down there and fill the pot with water, walk slowly and carefully, I don't want you to slip. I will search around the area quickly to find the cabin, SCREAM if anything happens"
He doesn't wait for and answer, he just turns and rushes off
All right, he is fast, let go fill the pot with water and be useful, I hope Link finds a place we can use to sleep, I mean it wasn't that bad yesterday, but still… I will feel safer in a closed place, and if there is a bed it would be AMAZING.
Zelda sees a bird land near her, she slowly reaches for a rock and throws it at the bird, the bird flies off.
"I would love to say you almost got it, but it would be a lie" Link says leaning against a tree
How long has he been there? And yeah, I may have completely missed the shot but come on, I am a newbie at this, he is the one who should bring me meat to cook, HIS WORDS, NOT MINE.
"WELL, I HAD TO TRY, since you have not been able to hunt anything"
"I have not hunted anything YET" Link answers raising a finger "the good news is, I think you are going to love the cottage"
"OH MY, YOU FOUND IT, that was fast, it's not far I presume"
"Incredibly close, and in good condition, get up here so I can show you"
"It would be faster if you help me up" stretching her arms up for Link to grab her and pull her up.
Link stares down at her with a smirk "it definitely would" he turns and begins to walk away.
THIS MOTHER FUCKER!
She gets on four and begins to crawl her way up, dirt makes its way to her face, her clothes and her hair, but she does not care, she is got to catch up to him before he gets too far, and to prove him she is NOT THAT WEAK. Once Zelda finishes climbing her way out, she runs in the direction Link was heading.
"Hold it lady" Link calls out to her from behind
She abruptly stops and turns around looking at him furious
"WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU? You just left and…"
"I can't leave my charge out here unsupervised, what type of nanny would that make me? Your crawling was messy, but you climbed fast… you are not afraid of getting dirty, I respect that" Link says smiling at her.
Wait… he never really left… I AM STILL ANGRY AT HIM, he made me believe he was getting rid of me, I was so afraid, I would not last out here without him, was this cruel act necessary? [you are not afraid of getting dirty, I respect that] YES IT WAS!
"Does this mean I earned your respect?" Zelda asks him with a cheeky grin
Link looks at her squinting, then slowly raises his left hand to face level and uses his thumb and index fingers to represent that he respects her… but just a little. He then waves for her to follow him.
This whole experience was scary as fuck, and stressing. I am covered with dirt from head to toe, BUT I EARNED RESPECT FROM A SWORD AGENT, even if just a little, and I feel so happy about it, so accomplished. Is this how he teaches?
I want this, I love feeling like this… And I know he just started, I don't mind it at all that he is not explaining, he is just making me experience things first hand... Up until now my teachers just make me memorize, his method truly reaches me, and I think I love it.
Zelda was so focused on her thoughts she did not notice when and how they got to the cottage, she just felt Link gently pushing her inside with his hand on her lower back. It was small, but it had a table, chairs, a fireplace and 4 beds with sheets.
"it's perfect" Zelda says with a wide smile on her face
"I must go find a hunt; I am going to lock you up in here for safety"
"Lock me up?" Zelda asks with a quizzical expression on her face
"The latch is on the outside… convenient, isn't it? I am being sarcastic of course" Links says rolling his eyes at the stupid design of the cabin.
"But… you will come back for me, right?" Zelda asks suddenly fearing to stay trapped there forever
"Why wouldn't I? dust the furniture and choose a bed in the meantime" he quickly taps the tip of her nose and leaves.
The nerve of this guy, I am not a child for him to be taping on my nose. But all right, let's start dusting, I need to pick a bed and start there. Closer to the entrance or closer to the table? NEITHER, this one appears to be closer to the fire place, HERE WE SLEEP.
Zelda dusts the bed, the table, 2 chairs and a few of the sheets from the other beds and places them on the chosen one. She stumbles upon a mirror, her reflection looks disgraceful, she begins to clean her face and hair from the dirt, she smiles at the end result, for the first time glad her hair is short, making it easier to clean and to finger brush. She then looks out the window and sees a fallen tree.
Creak! The door opens, Link comes in holding an already skinned rabbit, and closes the door behind him.
"COOL, Link I need to ask you to do something, out there is a fallen, we could maybe us-"
"No, its heavy and I don't have the tools to chop it" Link states
"What are we going to use for the fire then?"
"The extra chairs, and some of the sheets if needed" Link answers
"NO, please, I already placed those sheets on the bed and made it extra warm and comfortable, TRY IT" she exclaims proud of her work and sit on the bed tapping it for him to join her.
"No need, I believe you… did you left something for me to use on my bed?" Link asks her doubtful.
Zelda looks at him like he just grew a second head, then widens her eyes in realization and explains
"This is it, this one is OUR bed… you are really going to make me say it aren't you? SHIT, this is shameful but here it goes: it's FREEZING COLD right now, and you are like a living heater, YOU ARE SLEEPING WITH ME"
LINK POV
*Damn, I don't even know what to say about that… she is right in a way*
That statement was bold of her, I don't know how to answer to that, and it would be weird if I just keep staring at her
*Don't answer, just please her and sit in the fucking bed, act normal like she didn't catch you off guard*
Link sighs, and walks towards the bed and sits right next to her, he rubs it with his hands a little and pushes down on it.
"It DOES feel comfortable and warm" Link says
Zelda beams at his comment, and stands walking to the table where he left the rabbit.
"You should start the fire; I will start cutting this in pieces to boil it"
"Are you feeling better? If you are… I could clean the guts out if they bother you" he offers
"Why though? They don't taste that bad, its more food if we just leave them, AND the shrooms will improve the taste"
Link laughs a little in pride, stands and proceeds to destroy the extra chairs to use them as fuel for the fire, he stacks the pieces and searches around the fire place
Come on, it must me around here
*Maybe there isn't any, you read about this but it was an old military book*
THERE IT IS, great… saves time and effort.
Link stores the fire starter on his waist bag, he then leaves the cabin without closing the door behind him, Zelda just stares puzzled, but she does not dare close the door behind him, a few seconds later he returns holding a bunch of dry leaves to help start the fire.
"I…have been wanting to ask you, the wound you have, it's not deep but it still puzzles me that it's not actively bleeding, why is that? Did you do something to it?" Zelda asks with genuine curiosity.
"I cauterized it"
"Excuse me, I don't know what that is, would you explain it to me?"
"Remember the chess game you had on your desk? I grabbed one of the tower pieces, put it to the fire to heat it up, once the metal piece turned red, I stuck it on my wound, didn't do a great job since it still bleeds a little, but it dissolved enough tissue to seal off important blood vessels"
Link gives a side glance at Zelda and widens his eyes at what he sees, the color drained from her face, her lower lip trembles and her eyes start to moisten.
FUCK, she is going to cry, why? Did she cut herself? I don't see any blood… she doesn't really care if the cauterization hurt me… right?
"It did not hurt me, I had too much adrenaline and anger to feel anything Zelda" Link reassures her
Zelda looks up at the celling blinking a lot, avoiding the fall of her tears, breaths in deeply and resumes cutting the rabbit and putting it on the pot.
"I… don't believe you, but let's just leave that topic, can I use the fire now? I am hungry and I think you are too" she points to his growling stomach
The howling of wolfs can be heard in the distance.