II

.

Fort Hateno

Zelda had barely reached the side road to the school when Link caught up to her. He hesitated a moment before reaching out and yanking her arm. She spun and faced him. One of Zelda's hands lashed out quite suddenly. Link felt dazed by the crack of a slapping hand ringing in his ears. Pain burned in his cheek, though he resisted the impulse to raise a hand over where he had been struck.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't wish to startle you."

"I… I…" Zelda turned away, her body expanding and contracting as she breathed heavily. "Take me home, Link. I've done enough…" She swallowed thickly. "I've done enough today."

Link stared at Zelda for several long seconds. His lips drew down slightly as he struggled with what he could do. His mouth opened, yet he did not have any words for her. He was uncertain what he should say. He knew what the trouble was, though. Everyone looked to Zelda for leadership and guidance.

"Come with me," Link blurted. Zelda turned to him with a confused look. "To Fort Hateno, and then onward to Goron and Gerudo Towns. We can even stop by my other house in Akkala. It's, well… It's not pleasant to look at."

For a long while, he thought she would reject the offer. And then she smiled and said, "I shall be the judge of that."

"I think you will agree with me, Princess."

He drew out the title, a sly smile finding its way on to his face. Zelda stared at him for a few seconds, her mouth hanging open, before she suddenly glowered.

"You're making fun of me! You are making fun of me!" Her face morphed and twitched; he could tell she was trying to remain angry with him, yet she clearly failed to hold onto that anger. A chuckle slipped through her straining lips, which Link took as his cue he was safe to draw her close.

She was warm and solid against him, a reminder she was still there. Link suffered days when he feared she would disappear again, to be replaced with an apparition of her bent toward malice—or worse, nothing. Holding Zelda as he did when they fell from the sky reminded him she had returned to him through the vast stretches of time and even against unfathomable odds.

"Link," she mumbled. "You don't need to worry about me."

"I know, but I cannot help but worry when you act… different. Not yourself."

He released his grasp upon her slightly. Zelda leaned back enough to peer up and smile. "Not myself? Is there something you fear?"

"You know what it is."

She huffed, sounding quite frustrated. Her smile did not completely fade, though. "I won't leave you."

"Good. Then will you join me and travel across Hyrule?"

"It has been some time since we left Hateno," Zelda admitted. She smiled then and nodded. "Let us go, then. I assume our first stop shall be Fort Hateno?"

Link smiled back. "And Kakariko after."

Zelda nodded again, her face now solemn and true. Link could not deny he missed his days of traveling the land. It would be nice to see the vast stretches of Hyrule again, especially with Zelda at his side.

They found a Zora messenger waiting outside their door, garbed proudly in silver and soapstone armor. The Zora saluted when she spotted them, fist over heart, and handed over a small slice of blue stone. Link had seen plenty of it during his travels through Upper Lanayru, where the beautiful citadel of Zora's Domain could be found. The warrior/messenger looked familiar, though he could not place when they crossed paths. Most likely on one of the many wet streets of the Domain. "Princess Zelda! Sir Link!" she said with a beaming smile. "It is my proud duty to forward an invitation to the marriage of King Sidon of the Zoras, Sage of Water, to the Lady Yona."

"We'd be honored to attend," Zelda said immediately. She accepted the invitation with a beaming grin. "We do have plans to pay a visit to the reconstruction project at Fort Hateno and the Sheikah of Kakariko. Zora's Domain would be a lovely addition to our itinerary before continuing north into Akkala."

"Fantastic! I shall report all to my king, so that he may expect you in a week's time. The wedding, as the message says, is in ten days time!"

"A week is sooner than we expected," said Zelda, glancing at Link. "But we will certainly make it. I assume the other sages have been invited?"

"Indeed! Along with several other notable figures." She paused thoughtfully. "I think Hudson of Hudson and Sons is among the guest list. I was so excited to come here and deliver my message that I forgot the complete list."

"A joyful reunion, then." Zelda smoothed out her green dress, unlike many others she wore. She typically dressed in the style she adopted during her time in the ancient past, though Link noticed hints of modernization. While his princess avoided Cece's mushrooms, he had spotted the curls of plants in the Korok Forest, the geometric designs of the Gerudo, and the floating lines of the Rito. There was even one, hidden deep in her trunk, that was done in the purple, white, and gold of Zelda's long, long dead before her birth. He suspected the phoenix heraldry was another symbol of that first golden kingdom.

"A joyful day it shall be," the Zora said proudly. "Once more we shall have a King and a Queen. The loss of Rutela… It left a hole in the hearts of all."

"She was wise and kind. A graceful ruler who left behind an aspirational legacy."

The Zora blinked. Link resisted an amused smile at how surprised the messenger appeared. The long-lived races of Hyrule often appeared so when reminded that Zelda and Link had been born in another age. He had been born almost nineteen years before the Calamity, while Zelda had approached her eighteenth birthday leading up to that terrible day. He remembered painfully how shocked they and the long-dead Champions were as that ghastly cloud of dark malice rose above Hyrule Castle from distant Lanayru.

"Mipha always spoke highly of her mother," added Link. He glanced at Zelda, who watched him with eyes shadowed by old sorrows. "She always said she hoped Hyrule would see more leaders like her mother, the late queen." He tried to give Zelda a pointed look.

The Zora nodded in agreement, eyes misty with remembrance. Many of the Zora Link had met during his adventure following the Calamity had known Mipha, if not personally, then through the stories of her preserved during the hundred years he slept in the Shrine of Resurrection.

"We can provide you with food and drink before you depart," Zelda offered. The Zora messenger shook her head.

"Thank you for the honor of partaking from your table, Princess Zelda, but I must go. My king and queen shall be overjoyed to know the two of you shall be there for their happy day." The messenger turned to head down the path back into Hateno, but paused after a few steps. "If I may inquire," she continued, turning to face them, "would I be remiss in asking when you two shall, as I have heard Hylians phrase it, tie the knot?"

Link choked on air while Zelda's face went searing red. They glanced at each other, before looking away. His mind swam, thinking of the simple design he had settled upon for a ring whose parts awaited him with his Goron and Gerudo friends. The craftsmen he had spoken with had been unwilling to charge him when they learned what the ring would be used for.

Still, he did not know Zelda's thoughts on the matter of marriage. He trusted his gut that she would agree; yet the thought of even bringing up the topic sapped his tremendous courage.

"We haven't discussed that topic," Zelda began carefully, "though Hyrule has ancient laws concerning men and women who… who live together as we do." She glanced at Link quickly. Too quickly. "Before the Calamity, many would speak of us if we… if we were… if we were… were…"

"Huh." Link rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as Zelda turned to him with confusion. Her great red flush began fading. And he was about to make it worse. "I know of that law. My parents never married in a temple dedicated to Hylia. They did say prayers at her statues, though. The law considered them married, and so did the commons."

Zelda tilted backward once, stumbled slightly, and finally fainted and collapsed. Link caught her before she could hit the ground. He grimaced faintly before turning to the startled Zora. "You should go. I'll tell her you departed once she wakes."

Zelda groaned as she woke up. She rubbed her face, trying to recall what had happened before she… fell asleep? No. That was not what happened. She had passed out. She pressed both hands to her face and groaned into them. She had never passed out before. Not even during hours and hours of ritualistic cleansing and praying, when her body had begged for food and drink, and even once for sleep.

But that had been before Link was appointed as her royal protector. Once she had him by her side, he had always seen to her needs. He had been attentive, learning her quirks and preferences faster than any who had ever entered her service. But that had been before the Calamity, even before she fell while—

"Sorry about earlier," said Link. He stood beside her bed, dressed in the special armor she had commissioned for him right before the Upheaval. The blue tunic had been purposefully designed in the style of his old Champion's tunic, adjusted in accordance with ancient manuscripts concerning the tunics worn by heroes of the distant past. She had requested the addition of leather bracers and a pauldron, though she knew that Link had added a shirt of Zora soapstone mail between the cloth and leather layers, all infused with the magical essence of her draconic form. He looked prepared to ride into battle, his faithful sword upon his back and a quiver strapped right above his hips.

"You have no reason to apologize, Link," she said, shifting so she could rise to her feet. Link hovered nearby, as though she were sick. "We should eat before we leave for the fort. We should be able to arrive before nightfall."

"…you still wish to leave today?"

Zelda nodded. "You promised to head there today, and I agreed to join you. We now have other plans as well, including—"

The wedding. The topic that led to her passing out. They had been speaking of Sidon finally marrying his Lady Yona, whom the Zora sage-king had proudly introduced to Zelda. She approved of his choice and was pleased to learn the future Zora Queen approved of Link. She appreciated, having those who understood the pressures upon her shoulders look upon her relationship with Link kindly. The nobility from before the Calamity would have been against their relationship.

"Sorry for worrying you, Link." Zelda turned to him with a smile. "I hope I haven't delayed our plans."

He stared at her for a little while longer and then huffed. Loudly. "I've been waiting for you to wake up. I already packed our bags. We're good to go."

"Oh, that's goo—" Her mind stopped upon realizing exactly what Link had said. "You packed… my bag?"

Link tilted his head slightly. "Why would I not?"

She sighed and shook her head. "It isn't an issue." Link watched her as though he did not believe her, but he said nothing as she gathered up her riding cloak and boots before looking through her riding dresses left unpacked by Link for the best one left available to her.

The one Zelda ended up choosing was blue and white with thin gold stitching. A wonderful match for Link's Champion's tunic.

The children of Hateno lined the road down to the open gate, crying and screaming as they begged "Miss Zelda" and "Professor Link" to not leave Hateno. Link led the way; mounted on a roan-coated stallion he named Epona in accordance with the old traditions of the ancient kingdom. He wore the Master Sword and a Hylian Shield upon his back, while one of his Savage Lynel Bows rested beside his saddle. Zelda followed on her golden mare, gold wire woven into her hair and sapphires hanging from her ears by the women of the village. She sat tall in her saddle, yet a hint of sorrow lingered upon her face.

(Link had recounted a tale of how he had risked fighting a Gleeok to return that mare to the stable where Zelda had left there, thinking she would add to their stock. He had crafted a mechanism from zonite to hold the three-headed drake's attention while he raced through Tabantha's infamous Snowfields.)

He could almost sense Zelda's pain, departing as they were. He felt that pain intently. It was why he had always departed Hateno during the earliest hours of the morning or late in the evening, when the children returned home or were asleep.

"We'll see you soon!" Zelda ended up calling back as they came to the mushroom-infested gate. Two women wearing pots on their heads and holding mops in their hands stood at attention, along with several men in more appropriate garb of leather caps and boar spears. Link knew Zelda had grown close to those two women, learning agriculture and weaving alike from them. She could never sit still, his princess.

He hoped their time together on the road would satisfy that wandering itch. He had been feeling it as well.

They left Hateno, riding through the large grove west of the village, the road curving as it guided them down to the valley below. Unripen apples hung on many branches. Link could already smell the freshly baked pies that would be put into in the weeks to come. He peered over the cliff at the lowland where he had stumbled upon the gloom hands that haunted him throughout his journey to destroy Ganondorf. The old homestead was being rebuilt from scratch, craftsmen and their families busy building over what was once a wealthy family's estate. Saws thrummed, hammers banged, and dust rose here and there as they worked. A pair of young children holding sticks meant to be swords stopped their game to wave at the knight and princess.

Link waved back with a wide gesture. Zelda smiled and offered a small, regal salute.

The children cheered and raced to their parents, babbling with joy.

"To think we can recover so easily from devastation," Zelda murmured. She turned to Link with a faint smile. "You understand, better than most."

Link nodded, recalling most of all his efforts to help establish Tarrey Town. It had been a great joy, aiding Hudson build something new in the Akkalan wilds. He turned forward, staring down the road as it led them toward the Cliffs of Quince. Grey stone rose high on their left, with strange gaps forming arches and arcs that felt more appropriate upon a glorious building than in nature, constructed by the divine powers that forged and reforged their world. The odd stone formations had inspired ideas in his mind; ideas of scaling and climbing that were only banished by remembering Zelda awaited him at the end of his journey, and that if he failed, her sacrifices would be in vain.

The road passed a small bridge as they neared the Cliffs. The Squabble River came into view, curving so it could run parallel with the road as they passed underneath the northernmost section of grey rock.

"How do you think those stones came to be?" asked Zelda quite suddenly.

Link stared up at them for several seconds, and then looked back to her. She was staring at the cliffs as well, that pre-Calamity wonder back in her eyes. "I'm not sure, Zelda. Water and weather, I would guess. Purah would have an easier time devising theories than I."

Zelda blinked and gave him an odd, almost concerned look. "Your theory is good enough, Link. You have a strong mind, clever and thoughtful. And you have a kind heart, as well. It has never led you astray"

He looked away, feeling slight tears in his eyes. "I am a Hero," he said, ignoring how his voice strained through those words. "That's all expected." Link recalled the relics of past heroes he had found. Heroes of Time and Wind, the Sky and Twilight. Their memories reflected back men akin to him: smart and kind and boasting a strong right arm.

(Unknown to Link, he described those ancient heroes to the letter. Except for the arm. They all wielded the Master Sword in their left, a curious trait to be shared between young men separated by that great yet binding span of time and place.)

The road turned as they passed a narrow gap in the cliffs to their right. Link gave it a brief glance; he had always come upon something beyond that gap during his journeys. Perhaps they would have found something there this time, or perhaps there would be nothing at all.

Zelda stood in her stirrups, neck straining as she tried to see through the small wood before them. Link spotted the old, mossy house beside a large pool that had once been occupied. The previous resident had abandoned it following the end of the Calamity. Monsters were then allowed to seize control of Fort Hateno in the midst of the Upheaval without any to challenge them.

"We're almost there!" he shouted. A sudden thought, wicked yet fun, struck him. "Wish to race?"

His princess stared at him, surprised. She then grinned and said, "Best you try and keep up." She then shifted in her saddle and shouted, "Hi-yah!" before kicking her mare forward into a full gallop.

"We cannot give up now, Epona," he whispered to his stallion. "Come on. Hi-yaahh!"

They burst into motion, hero and horse, bound as they had become throughout months of travel, in times of peace and peril. Other memories, older memories, sunk deep into Link's bones. They helped him pick a line along the edge of the road as he caught up to Zelda. She glanced back over her shoulder, blonde hair whipping about. A glimpse of surprise appeared there, followed by grim determination. She called to her mare; that great, golden beauty sprung forward with a second wind.

"Fly, Epona!" shouted Link. He leaned forward, brushing a hand through Epona's white fringe. "Fly! Fly now!"

Epona made a brief huffing noise and then sprung forward, swifter and more powerful than the golden mare. Link grinned as they caught up to Zelda; first to her mare's haunches, then to the shoulder. He shot his princess a small smirk as their horses came nose to nose, and then Epona gained an inch. Two inches.

Four.

Seven.

A foot.

And then suddenly they came upon a hidden tent city established in the shadow of the ancient wall of Fort Hateno. They raced past craftsmen and laborers and several figures garbed in the new livery of the Kingdom of Hyrule. Link had drawn inspiration from ancient heroes; the new soldiers wore tunics the green of Hyrule Field with long-tailed caps and tall leather boots. Some wore trousers and others wore tights. He spotted one with bare legs, from high on the shin to midway up his thigh where the tunic's fringe hung. They all bore pride in their eyes, especially when they spotted the woman behind Link.

"Princess Zelda!" one of them cried. "The princess has come to see us!"

There was a long, silent lull as those working on Fort Hateno froze. Link could tell they were taking in what they had just heard. And then pandemonium erupted as they abandoned their work and started for her golden mare. Link nearly moved Epona forward, but they did not attempt to surround her as he feared. Instead, they formed haphazard lines that stretched back to the Fort's wall. Zelda glanced between them and Link, befuddled despite her faintly pleased smile.

Link sighed and dismounted. He waved one of the nearby guards over. A woman near his age dashed over. She looked surprised when he handed her Epona's reins. "Watch him, please," he said before striding toward the lines of workers and soldiers.

The men at the fore straightened. One or two gave Link a sloppy salute, one he had nearly forgotten, a remnant of his days as a soldier in Hyrule's army. Those days had predated the first preparations for the Calamity. But that was the world before, when the Champions had yet to be gathered and he had not drawn the Master Sword from its pedestal. He returned the salute with precise ease, drawing a line across his chest, up to his throat triangularly, and down to where his salute began.

"Sir Link!" boomed a familiar voice. A tall man wearing a silver soldier's helmet pushed forward, a grin upon his tanned face, highlighting his mustache and pointed beard. "My friend! It has been too long! Far too long!"

"Hoz? Is that…? It is! Hoz!" Link stepped forward and embraced the man. They parted with wide matching grins. "I had not thought to find you here."

"Aye. I had not thought to be here either, but Lady Purah has returned to Kakariko on Sheikah business. I wished to inspect the effort to restore Fort Hateno and she gave me leave to do so." He stepped to the side, to stand between Link and Zelda, who had remained mounted. "And to think, the men had already been buzzing with word of your coming. I was overjoyed to meet you again, my friend, but to meet the princess as well?" Hoz turned to face Zelda and bowed. "It is my greatest honor to welcome you to Fort Hateno, Your Highness."

Zelda nodded as though they were back in the golden kingdom of their youth. "It is my pleasure to be here. Link has spoken very highly of you."

"He does?" whispered Hoz, as if surprised. He cleared his throat before gesturing to the men behind him. "We have all wished to meet you. Many of us heard tales from Sir Link during his journeys across Hyrule. We have fought with him from the rivers of Faron to the snows of Hebra, and even here in Necluda. He always spoke highly—and dare I say, quite fondly—of you, Princess Zelda."

She sighed, dipping her head slightly. Her hair was nowhere near long enough to mask her entire face, but it did disguise some of the exhaustion Link knew Zelda felt. She had a limit to how many people she could meet at a time and how long she could remain with them. It had once been better, but that had been before the Calamity, when her future promised more than war and chaos.

Link thought to interject on Zelda's behalf. But before he could, she dismounted. She turned and unbuckled something long wrapped in plain cloth from her saddle. Link watched her unwrap a thin sword. She then came forward, the blade held tightly in her left hand. Link wondered where the blade had come from. He didn't recall her ever acquiring it. She approached Hoz until there were only a few feet between them.

"Please, good man. Kneel."

Hoz shot Link a confused look. He only smiled. Hoz sighed and kneeled, as commanded.

Zelda drew her blade and rested the flat upon Hoz's left shoulder. "I, Zelda Nohansen, Crown Princess of Hyrule," she began. She tapped the shoulder, raised it above his head, and tapped the right shoulder. "Hereby name thee, Hoz, a Knight of Hyrule." The sword came back up and tapped the left again before falling to her side. "Rise, Sir Hoz."

Sir Hoz rose to his feet, tears in his dark eyes. He sniffled, smiling broadly, and then saluted Zelda as Link had done earlier. "I am your loyal man, from now until my death, princess. Would you like to inspect our work?"

The men gathered, soldier and worker alike, repeated the salute. Link swore they all stood a little taller, as though their captain being honored brought honor onto them all.

Zelda smiled; it looked false to Link. He sensed there was something shaken in her gaze, but it was well masked. "I would love to, Sir Hoz. I would also speak with some of your men." She returned to her mare and brought her forward, handing the reins to the same woman holding Epona's, along with her blade. The soldier appeared happier to take her princess's horse than the hero's, but Link would not fault her for that. Zelda was special, and they all loved her.

For most, he suspected, Zelda was a symbol of Hyrule and of a bright future, not a woman with faults and failures like them all. He smiled at a sudden realization; theirs was a love of a symbol, while his was a love for a woman. The people of Hyrule and their children would not only fight for Hyrule, but for their princess. They could never speak with Princess Zelda, but her name would be upon their lips when fighting the monstrous hordes gone to ground in the dark corners of the world.

He could not say if that was a bad thing or a good thing. All he knew was that it was true, and that he hoped the day Hyrule needed to summon her forces to fight back the forces of evil never arose again. The tragedies of the Calamity and the Upheaval would remain tragedies of the past. Link would be content if he never needed to take up arms again. He would remain ready though; his father's favorite saying had always been, "Prepare for war in times of peace, and prepare for peace in times of war."

Link went to Zelda's side. The wary hollowness he had spotted began to fade. He wanted to ask what troubled her, but he suspected it related to the men of Fort Hateno and their reaction to what she had done.

Memories of the Calamity? Link wondered, recalling the horrific battles they experienced in the woods of East Hyrule Field and along the dangerous route they took to reach Bletchley Plain, just beyond Fort Hateno. They had suffered greatly in those panicked, terrible hours before he had been struck down and she went to Hyrule Castle, to hold Calamity Ganon at bay for a century.

We have spoken little of those days, and of all that passed before I freed her from her struggle. He glanced at her. But should I?

They were guided along the main wall of Fort Hateno, slowly being restored with metal mined and forged by the Gorons and stone quarried from the mountainous terrain of northern Faron. There were a few Gorons present, all bearing the red-and-grey tartan Yunobo had adopted following the defeat of Ganondorf. Link had his and Zelda's packed into their bags. They would be calling upon Goron Town and he wished to dress them both appropriately.

"Presently, our focus is on restoring the main wall," said Sir Hoz about halfway down the wall's length. "After that, we are thinking of clearing the wood behind the wall to build a storehouse, barracks, and a small training yard. Mostly for archers, but swords and spears as well."

Zelda nodded thoughtfully. "How many men will be required to man this post?"

Sir Hoz hummed as he rubbed his small goatee. "Perhaps ten men. A captain, along with three shifts of three guards. Fifteen at most, though I would request that include a carpenter or a stonemason. Maybe both. Oh, and a Goron smith. Their work should not go to waste after all the assistance they have provided."

"I will speak with Purah about who might be available to come from Lookout Landin—"

"Caston, Your Highness." Hoz flushed, realizing he had interrupted Zelda, but he continued on. "Apologies, but it is no longer called Lookout Landing. The people living there have renamed the settlement, though they won't take on the old name. A memory of Castle Town, but not Castle Town as it was in, well… your time."

Zelda stopped. "Caston. Caston." She hummed, her gaze turning to Link. "What do you think of the name?"

"It's fine, though I would be… nostalgic for the Castle Town of old."

Unsaid was the mess left behind by the Calamity. He remembered the malice spread everywhere, the assortment of possessed Guardians stalking the ruins. Link had been unable to force himself to pass through the decayed city walls. Too haunted was he by memories of the past. It had been easier once they cleared the old town, but even now he avoided that portion of Hyrule. Perhaps this new Caston would be a place he could tread without memories of yore hunting and haunting him.

"That's a surprise to hear, Sir Link," said Sir Hoz as they resumed walking. "I have heard that you avoid the old town whenever you came to the Landing—and you would fly through the sky northward."

"Exploring the castle and the depths beneath it proved… fruitful, at the end of my quest."

Of course, Link had only gotten to the castle by using the tower at Lookout Landing—Caston, he had to remind himself—and gliding down to where the grounds were not coated with gloom. He shivered, remembering that foul substance. His first encounter with coalesced gloom had been in the cave beneath Lindor's Brow. Certainly, it had arisen there because of the nearby Shrine bearing one of Rauru's Blessings. Witnessing those clawed hands emerge and screech had put a fear in him that haunted him still, long after Ganondorf's death.

"I imagine so, Sir Link." Sir Hoz paused as they came to a tower, new and built into the cliff face beside it. "Some of the men who came directly here with me saw a… thing on the outskirts of the old Castle Town. It appeared to be a pool of gloom, yet the pools surrounding the chasms and in the Depths evaporated once the Demon King was destroyed."

Link stiffened. "…did hands emerge from the pool? Five of them, as large as a man?"

Zelda gasped while Sir Hoz rubbed his chin. "I do not think so, but then I did not see it," the captain said. "Let me fetch my witnesses."

Sir Hoz went off to where many of his men loitered, shooting glances toward Link and Zelda. The princess grabbed Link's arm as she put her back toward the others. "You cannot think one of… one of those is still out there!"

"I don't know," Link admitted. "I visited the cave under Lindor's Brow and the great Zonai mazes spread out across the kingdom following Ganondorf's death. The hands did not appear, but then I had destroyed them shortly before going after him." He sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "I'm quite certain I went after the ones I recalled, but if there were any I had not encountered…"

"They could still be out there." Zelda sounded terrified, saying that. "Are we doomed to fight this battle, age after age?"

"I hope not, but then it is rare that a hero is called upon, Zelda. The old kingdom, before Rauru and Sonia, only ever saw a dozen arise across ten thousand years—and only in times of terrible strife or dark evil."

"And you know this how?"

Link shrugged, unable to speak. Yes, he had found relics of those ancient heroes, but those were merely items. He had strange dreams, memories of other lives; he recalled flying upon the back of a great bird and riding upon Epona through Hyrule's familiar yet not. Once he had sailed upon the open sea, and other times he had been forced to travel the lands only ever on foot. And yet he knew in his bones all of those had been before the time that Zelda had found herself in.

His Zelda, for he also remembered the other ones, those Zelda's the heroes before him had saved and fought beside and cherished in their own ways.

"Link," said Zelda, drawing him out of his thoughts. Her hands came up and cupped his cheeks. "Please, tell me."

"I remember them," he whispered. "The heroes who came before me. I recalled them and their journeys during the course of my last… adventure. I found many of their relics in the Depths, perhaps in the Hyrule that was before—along with the Zelda's they knew."

A tear streaked down Zelda's face. Link blinked and then frowned. Why was she crying? It was his pain, his burden to bear. He reached out and brushed the tear away. More came; enough he could not keep up even with both of his hands upon her face.

"You don't need to brush them away, Link," said Zelda, a teary smile finding its way to her face. "They're for you and your pain. For the burden forced upon you by providence."

He nodded slowly, a touch confused by her words. Part of him wanted to tell her about the other Zelda's, about their strength and wisdom, of how painfully they reminded him of her in their separate ways. But now was not the time.

"Okay, then," he said.

He spotted Sir Hoz heading their way with three men in tow. Link stepped away from Zelda, to buy her a few seconds to regain her composure. There was power in her title and image. As her knight, he was honor-bound to protect her in all ways. A princess was more than her person, after all.

"Sir Link, this is Thom, Aren, and Caol," said Sir Hoz, gesturing to the three men. Thom was heavy-set with orange hair and a smiling face that looked a touch wilted. Aren was tall and lithe, bearing the bronzed skin and dark hair of Lurelin. Caol had dark eyes and brownish hair that likely looked close to blond in the right light. "Men, this is Sir Link."

"Aye, I remember him!" said Thom. "I was one of Captain Flaxel's men, who worked with you dealin' with pirates in the south and that nasty fortress in the north!"

"You fought well," Link replied. "And Aren. I believe I saw you at Caston a few times."

"Indeed, Sir Link. I came there after the sandstorms in the desert settled. I tried to help in the fighting around the bazaar, but the Gerudo women would not allow us to fight beside them." Aren shrugged. "It is what it is. I gained some of their approval after we came to the Landing."

Link turned to Caol. "I do not think I know you, but I met many on my journeys."

"This is the fifth time we've crossed paths, though if I am honest, I thought nothing of you until the third." Caol looked away, a slight grimace yanking his face to a side. "You saved my life when I was ambushed by a pair of White Bokoblins. I could have handled one, but not the second."

"It was nothing," said Link, raising a hand. "I only hoped to help a traveler in need." He frowned then. "A couple times they turned out to be members of the Yiga Clan. I had to fight them, as well."

The men blinked and stared at him oddly. Sir Hoz coughed loudly; only his three men jumped. "Your report for Sir Link, if you will."

"I'll start," said Aren. "I spotted the patch first, in the flatlands beyond where the walls all but give way to the grasses of the field. I thought I was seeing something since I had never encountered gloom beyond what I saw from the Castle. I called these two over"—he said, gesturing to the men with him—"and we investigated it. A hand emerged from the pool, but it never did much beyond crawl about like an invalid." He shrugged and muttered, "It spooked us so bad we ran back to base. We were mocked and laughed at."

"You got lucky," Link said. "During the worst of the chaos following the Upheaval, I encountered similar—but significantly worse. Five hands emerged. After releasing a horrific scream, they would race toward me. On the occasions I encountered them while traveling across Hyrule, the sky turned red like during a Blood Moon until they were destroyed or… vanished."

The men shivered and even Sir Hoz looked terrified.

"I hunted them down after the Demon King was destroyed, but I had never encountered a patch that acted like what you described." He glanced back toward Zelda, who watched them with a cool, disengaged look. "Perhaps once we come to Caston we can take a look. We're expected in Zora's Domain soon, and from there we'll travel north and visit the Gorons."

"So you will handle it?" asked Thom.

"When I can," Link said. He smiled when the three soldiers sighed, relieved. He was proud of how they accepted his simple promise. He had built up friendships that way, promising to help and doing exactly that. It was not always easy, but he always saw it through.

The three men headed back to their duties shortly after. Link turned to Sir Hoz, crossing his arms. "About Hudson and YunoboCo…"

"They have been aiding in the reconstruction efforts elsewhere. We thought it prudent to reach out to them."

"Okay. I wanted to check. There have been times when I have heard… disquieting rumors. You can certainly remember, six years ago."

Sir Hoz's cheeks pinked. They had met back then, shortly before Link's first encounter with Koltin. That relationship had proven useful back then and proved valuable again.

"I understand. Is that all you and the princess require?"

Link glanced at Zelda, who had finally started their way, and then up into the sky. Low grey clouds had rolled in, dimming the field between them and the Dueling Peaks. "A tent for the night," he said softly. "We have bedrolls and blankets, but I had not expected to night here with Zelda. Our late departure delayed us too much to continue on."

"I will see to supplying a good tent as a token of appreciation from the men." Sir Hoz saluted and then headed off.

"Will there be a problem for the people near Caston?" asked Zelda. Link nearly jumped, having not heard her footsteps.

"I hope not," Link admitted. "They should stay away from the location for now, but matters might change."

"Then we will need to head for Caston, after we pay our respects to Sidon and the Gorons."

He glanced at her with a slight furrow. "Are you certain?

Zelda nodded stiffly. "I will need to face my past, and my failures, at some point. Perhaps we can learn more about the situation there from Purah."

"Perhaps," he agreed.

An hour or so later, they settled down in a nicely sized tent, set up by two men who had taken up arms during the Upheaval. The men tried to request they stand outside their tent all night, but Zelda dismissed them.

"You need your sleep," was what she said. Link knew she wanted nobody too close should she wake wanting.