A Hero's Path

by LuxDragon

Link's journey from an exuberant child to a stoic knight. A retelling and reimagining of Breath of the Wild with Age of Calamity elements added. Will be AU eventually. Pre-Calamity.

18. The Calm Before

Central Hyrule – Mabe Village

Seeing Mabe Village did wonders for Link's peace of mind. The familiar scents, sounds, and sights brought a sense of comfort he hadn't felt for nearly a year now. Even Midna was frolicking with more enthusiasm through the piles of snow around them. Epona, usually well-behaved, was alternating between a canter and a full trot, causing Link to laugh.

"Should probably get you a proper haircut," Link said to the mare as he ran his gloved fingers through her mane. "Looks like the stable hands at the castle aren't pampering you enough."

Epona nickered in reply.

Link took a deep breath of the winter air. The Snowquill outfit was doing its job, wonderfully keeping the chill at bay. Currently, there was a couple of inches of snow, with more expected soon. Still, while Midna was unaffected and Link was practically immune to the chilly air now, he worried about Epona. The mare hadn't shown any indication that the cold bothered her, but she was a proud one and would likely not admit it if the weather was getting to her.

With home so close and none of them able to contain their excitement, Link changed their pace to a full-bore gallop. He had wanted to take in the sights a bit longer, but the thought of home was far too enticing to resist, and he wanted to ensure Epona got out of the cold.

When he arrived, he dismounted and brought Epona to the stables. As he did, he looked around but couldn't find either Cremia or Romani anywhere.

"Hmm… I think this might be the first time they haven't been out to greet me," Link said to his animal companions. "Odd."

Deciding to let Epona take in the familiarity of home on her own, Link took off the saddle, bit, and bridle and put them inside the stables. Allowing Epona to roam around freely—she started romping around in the snow playfully once all her equipment was off—Link hefted his saddlebags and called Midna to follow him, and they went to the house together.

The two guards posted at the front weren't familiar, but he returned their salutes as he tromped up the steps and through the door.

"Hello?" Link called out.

His voice prompted the rapid patter of feet on hardwood floor moments before his sister rounded the corner.

"OhmygoddessesLinkyou'rehome!" Aryll shouted before running into him for a hug.

Link had the presence of mind to brace himself accordingly, so he barely flinched from Aryll's enthusiastic greeting.

"Yeah, special permission from the king," Link said. "I'm here for a couple of days before going back."

Aryll homed in on Midna and quickly started doting on the wolf. Midna flopped over, belly up, and started panting happily as Aryll rubbed all of Midna's favorite spots.

"Midna! Good girl!" Aryll said happily. "I missed you so much!"

"More than me?" Link asked, feigning hurt.

"Yes," Aryll promptly replied with a wicked grin. She perked up suddenly. "Oh, you're just in time for your birthday!"

Link smirked. "Am I?"

Aryll rolled her eyes but soon saw he was wearing the previous year's gift. "Oh, how is that quiver?"

"It's good. So good, in fact, that I had that same bowyer make one for Teboh," Link said. He placed the saddlebags on the floor and looked around. "Where's Mother?"

"Talking to one of the guards," Aryll answered. "Something happened, but she said it wasn't bad. Just weird."

Aryll's words did little to alleviate Link's worry, especially after the king's cryptic message the previous evening. Link patted Aryll on the head and went out to check on their mother.

Before he could reach the door, though, Marin appeared. She looked shocked that he was standing there.

Link managed an awkward little wave. "Hi, Mother."

Marin broke out into a wide smile and rushed to hug him. "Oh, Link! You're home!" she cried out joyfully.

"So I am," Link jokingly replied. He hugged her back. "I missed you both."

"Oh, I'm so glad to see you," Marin gushed. She put him at arm's length and studied him from head to toe. As always, he bore her inspection with bemusement. "How long will you be staying?"

"Only a couple of days," Link answered. "It's best I return to the castle tomorrow evening, though I could leave early morning the day after if I have to."

"That's long enough for you to tell us what you've been up to!" Aryll said. She grabbed his arm and started tugging. "Come on! You can sit with us for breakfast!"

"Hold on," Link said. "The king told me something important happened here. It's part of the reason I was allowed to come home. Did something happen?"

"Ah, of course word would reach the castle," Marin said thoughtfully. "The guards did send a message for help after all, and, well… I mean…"

"Help?" Link repeated worriedly. "Mother, did something happen?"

"Nothing bad; at least, I wouldn't think so… maybe," Marin said. She wasn't being evasive. To Link's ears, it was more like she couldn't find the words. "Perhaps it's better if you see for yourself. This way."

Blinking, Link nodded. Before they could head outside, though, a guardsman poked his head in the doorway.

"Lady Marin—oh, Sir Faron? You're here, too?" the guard—Ian, if Link recalled correctly—asked.

Ignoring the slight pang in his chest upon hearing the familiar words 'Sir Faron', Link said, "It's Link. Just Link."

"Oh, apologies, Sir Link," Ian said contritely.

Link was about to correct him once more before deciding it wasn't worth the effort. "What is it?"

"Uh, well, Happy Birthday, Sir Link," Ian said. "It's good you're here. It seems that you have some things that you need to see."

That raised Link's—and Aryll's—curiosity even more. Link led the way, followed by Marin and Aryll, as everyone stepped outside.

Link blinked at the multitude of gifts on the lawn. The pile was large enough that there was a chance it could fill up their modest three-horse stable. They were in a variety of shapes and sizes, from simple boxes to misshapen bags, to large wooden crates. There were even cages with Cuccos clucking away and a pair of horses tethered to the fence.

"Uh, people have been leaving offerings for you all evening and all morning—" Ian said.

"You can see another wagon coming," the other guard on duty said. She looked a little flustered as she pointed down the road.

"That's Isabella," Aryll helpfully whispered to Link.

"—and the last shift allowed them to leave their gifts over there, but forbade them from approaching your home, especially since Lady Marin and Lady Aryll—"

Aryll grinned at the title.

"—were fast asleep. Me and Isabella have been doing the same, but you can see that it's getting a little bit extreme," Ian said.

"Are all of these for me?" Link asked, astonished.

Ian nodded. "The visitors aren't just from Mabe Village, either. They're coming from all over. They're offerings for the Hero."

"Wow," Aryll said. She looked excited at the mountain of gifts, even if they weren't for her. "Can we open them?"

"I'm afraid not," Ian answered. "Niko told us that we're expecting reinforcements to arrive shortly."

"Reinforcements?" Aryll repeated, eyes widening slightly.

"Niko?" Link asked, confused.

"One of the other guards," Isabella answered. She avoided meeting Link's eyes, and a blush could clearly be seen on her dark cheeks. "He and Nevis guard the other side of your home."

Link recalled that four guards were now posted at his home instead of two since he had taken on his new role as Princess Zelda's appointed knight. "Oh."

"We're going to need help in order to search each and every package," Ian said. He was smirking at Isabella before turning serious. "Element of danger, I'm afraid."

Frowning, Link understood why the king had allowed him to go home now. "Happy birthday to me."

Ian looked sympathetic. "If you like, we can simply turn people away instead of having them leave—"

Link shook his head. "No, I refuse to let the fear of danger chart this course. If there are people coming from neighboring hamlets to offer gifts, it wouldn't be right to turn them away."

"Ah, well… certainly, yes, they're coming from the nearby towns…" Ian hesitantly said. He looked back at the approaching wagon.

Aryll tilted her head. "Are they coming from further away?"

"Some visitors claimed they traveled all the way from Akkala to offer support," Ian answered. "The last wagon came from Lurelin, all the way to the south."

Link's eyes widened. The furthest northeast he had traveled was the Eldin Province, which neighbored the Akkala Province. Akkala was on the furthest northeastern border of Hyrule. Link had barely crossed the border into Akkala during his time among the Gorons, and even then, it was only minutes from the border.

A journey from Akkala to Mabe Village would have to be a good five days at a brisk pace. For more casual or cautious travelers, it would be a full week, not including the return trip. And with the winter snow covering the roads, the pace would be at a crawl. Link's mind couldn't even calculate the time it would take with the conditions as they were at the moment.

Even Aryll's limited grasp on geography told her how far away that was. "Wow, word about Link traveled all the way there?"

"Well, some visitors at the Four Swords Tournament were from Akkala," Marin said. "They would have seen Link win. No doubt word about Calamity Ganon would have reached them as well, including Link's role."

Ian and Isabella both nodded in confirmation.

"Some were a bit disappointed that they couldn't get to meet you," Isabella said. "We explained that duty comes first, though, and that you had a posting at the castle."

"Right, well, let us know when it's safe," Link said. He vaguely gestured at the pile of gifts. "We'll… we'll figure out what to do with all of that after. Um, for now, we'll… well, we'll just have them placed in the stables, to protect them from the rain and snow. Our horses, as well as any other horses we receive, will bed down at Lon Lon Ranch. Speak to Malon and Talon about it, and mention that I sent you. They'll accommodate. As for any other animals, we'll work to see that they're placed appropriately."

Ian and Isabella saluted. "Yes, sir!"

Link saluted back and walked back into the house in a slight daze.

"You know, I remember thinking on my last birthday that you could never have too many presents," Aryll said, bewildered. "Seeing that? I knew I was right."

"Uh, yeah, right," Link said, still a bit thrown off.

"And the idea that presents could be dangerous? I never thought of that until now," Aryll said.

"Yeah," Link repeated before shaking out of his stupor. "Wait, but Mother and Father taught us never to take presents from strangers."

"Oh, well, this can't count. It's your birthday!" Aryll argued.

Link shared a look with his mother, his eyes saying, "You tell her."

Leaving his mother to lecture his sister, Link's attention was drawn to the familiar knocking on the front door. He jogged back down the hall and opened it immediately with a smile. "Hey, Ilia."

"Oh! H-hi, Link," Ilia shyly said, surprised. She looked rather adorable, with her slender frame hidden beneath the thick woolly layers of her large winter coat. "You really are home."

"Only for two days," Link said. He ushered her in out of the cold and saluted to the other pair of guards, Niko and Nevis, but Link didn't know who was whom. "How have you and Bo been?"

"Good, good. We've been prepping for winter, as always. Dad is doing fine, too," Ilia replied. She rubbed her reddened cheeks to restore warmth to her face. "Are you home for your birthday?"

"Kind of," Link said. "Apparently, something was happening here, and I came home to check."

Ilia tilted her head. "Something… happened?"

Link led her to the back door and showed her.

"What is all that?" Ilia asked.

"Birthday gifts, it seems," Link said.

"From… who?"

"Everyone," Aryll answered as she walked up to them. "They're coming from different regions to give Link presents."

"Oh, because he's the Hero," Ilia said. She turned to Link. "Are you going to open them?"

Link shook his head. "The guards are going to open them. Just in case there's a present that wasn't sent with well-wishes in mind."

Ilia's brow furrowed. "That's concerning."

Link shrugged and led her back inside. Privately, he wondered if gifts given to the king and the princess were also handled with similar security.

Probably.

"So, anything interesting happen around here?" Link asked.

Aryll gasped. "Oh, you haven't heard?! Cremia got engaged!"

Link's eyebrows shot up. "Really? Who's the lucky guy, and do I need to speak to him?"

"Mother already vetted him. Bo helped," Aryll said.

When Link's eyes turned to Ilia, she giggled. "Dad believes his intentions are pure… along with a warning to keep it that way," she said.

"That explains why I didn't see her or Romani when I came home," Link murmured.

"They're still working for us, but Mother told Cremia to take some time off for herself and Romani to enjoy themselves," Aryll said. "I've been getting help from Ilia and Malon to take care of Lux in the meantime."

Link nodded, even as he felt bad that he'd missed the initial announcement. Cremia and Romani were like family to him, and he felt that he should have been there for something so important.

Must be how Father felt when he was on deployment.

"You still haven't told me who he is," Link said.

"His name is Fado," Aryll replied. "His father runs Riverside Stable to the south."

"And how did they meet?" Link asked.

"Castle Town," Aryll answered excitedly. "Ilia and I were both there, too. Fado was getting supplies, same as Cremia. They got to talking with each other in the shop, and then Fado started helping Cremia carry all the supplies, and they kept seeing each other since!"

Link nodded in time to Aryll's words and smiled. "Well, good for her."

Aryll seized Link's arm once again and started pulling him to the dining room. "Come on, Link! Tell us what you've been up to!"

In the kitchen, Marin turned to them and asked, "Oh, Link! Have you eaten breakfast yet?"

"Not that it would matter if he did," Aryll said. "He'd just call it second breakfast or something."

Link flicked one of his sister's pointed ears, causing her to shriek and retaliate with a punch to his arm.

Marin heaved a long-suffering sigh, while Ilia giggled.

"Oh, Ilia dear, I didn't see you there," Marin said. "Would you like to join us for breakfast?"

Ilia shook her head. "I already ate. Unlike Link, one meal is enough for me."

"You too, Ilia?" Link muttered good-naturedly.

He took off his coat and offered to take Ilia's. Hanging them in the entrance hall, Link quickly took off his boots and made his way back to the dining room.

He turned to Ilia and asked, "How did you know I was home, anyway?"

"Epona came to my house," Ilia answered, smiling. "She looked to be in fine health, though her mane has grown a bit too long."

"That's what I thought, too," Link replied.

"Seeing her, I guessed you were home, and I wanted to see you," Ilia said. She was blushing a bit and shyly took a seat at the dinner table.

"I'm surprised you didn't dote on Epona longer before you came here," Aryll said.

Ilia shook her head. "I was going to brush her down at least, but she immediately ran off."

Link was unconcerned, but Aryll sat up attentively. "Where to?" she asked.

"In the direction of Lon Lon Ranch," Ilia replied.

"To check on her foals and Leo, I'm guessing," Link said distractedly. He could smell the eggs in the air… plus extras. It was making his mouth water something fierce. "Wow. Mother, that smells so good."

Midna concurred and started pawing at the floor insistently, punctuated with little whines.

Marin smiled. "Astoria introduced me to some chefs, and… well…"

"Mother's been taking lessons," Aryll said. "Just you wait. This is a great way to start your birthday!"

"If I knew you were coming, I would have taken the time to bake something as well," Marin said. "I might be able to have something ready by tomorrow."

Link shook his head. "I didn't even know I was coming. It's fine. I'm just glad to be home. Aryll and I need to wash up. We'll be right back."

As the siblings entered the washroom, Aryll turned to Link with an impish grin on her face. "It looks like Isabella might fancy you."

"The Hero, more likely," Link retorted. "Any other time, I would just be another knight."

Aryll sighed and shook her head. "Not a romantic. Of course."

"Ha-ha."

"They're siblings, too, in case you didn't know. Isabella is the younger."

Link nodded. "And the other guards? Niko and Nevis, was it?"

"Mm-hmm. There are others that work in rotations, too," Aryll replied. "They've been a huge help."

"Good," Link said.

After cleaning up, they re-entered the dining room. The food was already on the table, so Link eagerly tucked in. Midna was already eating; enthusiastically, if her speed was any indication.

"Happy sixteenth, Link," Marin said.

"Happy birthday, Link," Ilia added.

"It's so good!" Link replied, his mouth half-full and eyes wide. It was hard not to shovel as much as he could into his mouth like Midna was doing.

Marin rolled her eyes and, to the surprise of the Faron kids, flicked one of Link's ears but made no further mention of his table manners. Instead, she pulled at the sleeve of his Champion's tunic and sighed. "Where does the time go?"

"Forward," Link and Aryll said simultaneously. They grinned at each other in remembrance. It was often the same answer Revan would throw out when Marin asked that question.

It had the intended effect of making their mother laugh.

"So what have you been doing, Link?" Aryll asked impatiently.

"Besides guarding the princess, we've started checking on the Divine Beasts," Link answered. He paused to take another forkful of food, chew, swallow, and drink some milk before continuing. "We visited Tabantha, twice. First time was during Din's Season a few months earlier before going to Death Mountain. The second visit to Tabantha was only a few days ago. I just got back yesterday."

"What's going on with the Divine Beasts?" Aryll asked.

"The pilots are training with them, getting used to how they work," Link replied, intentionally keeping his answer vague. "Some pilots are doing better than others."

Marin tilted her head. "Link, Aryll mentioned this to me before; something about how you and the princess didn't appear to get along during her birthday. Is that still the case?"

Link managed to stop himself from grimacing. "Oh, yeah. That's definitely still the case."

"Why?" Ilia asked.

"I don't think it has anything to do with me specifically," Link said thoughtfully. "She's under a lot of pressure, and I'm just a convenient target. She doesn't have a lot of ways to vent, I think."

"There've been rumors about her," Aryll said. She looked around, even though there was clearly no one else in the dining room but the four of them—five, counting Midna. "She hasn't shown any powers?"

Link shrugged and finished off his plate. "Oh, that was good. Mother, that was worthy of some of the best chefs at Hyrule Castle."

Marin smiled and ruffled his hair affectionately.

"As for your question, Aryll," Link said, "I was talking about that with the king and High Priest Rauru, actually; about what her powers would look like if they were to manifest. We honestly have no idea what that would look like or what we should be seeing."

Aryll frowned and put her fist under her chin. "Well, it's… I mean… wouldn't it… oh…"

"Yeah, we just don't know," Link said. "It might be big and flashy or tiny and subtle. There's no way to know."

"But so far, nothing?" Aryll asked.

Link shrugged. "Seems to be. She's been putting in a lot of work, though. I would know; I'm standing around all the time while she's trying."

"What is she trying?"

"Prayers," Link bluntly answered. "If her powers are supposed to be those of the Goddesses, the idea is that praying to the Goddesses would grant her their powers."

Everyone at the table looked at him in varying degrees of disbelief.

"And… that will work?" Ilia asked.

"Not a clue," Link said. "At the moment, no one else has offered alternative ideas, not even Impa or Master Impaz."

After a minute of uncomfortable silence, Marin said, "Well, we just have to trust that the king and princess know what they're doing. Honestly, all of this is so far outside our depth that we have little choice but to put our faith in them."

Ilia tilted her head and turned to Link. "If there was something to be concerned about, you would tell us, wouldn't you, Link?"

Link opened his mouth to answer but found himself frozen. He looked down at the table and frowned.

Noticing his reticence, Aryll looked at him with wide eyes. "Link, you would, right?"

"He would do everything in his power to protect us," Marin said sternly to both girls. "Us knowing wouldn't change the outcome. We don't have the talent, strength, or power to help him fight directly against this kind of threat. All we can do is support, believe, and trust that he will do everything he can to keep us safe. Understood?"

The look on Marin's face brooked no arguments, so Ilia and Aryll nodded.

Link shot his mother a grateful look, even if he still felt conflicted about the question. He put it aside for now, though he knew he would need to reflect on it further at a later time.

"Well, how has practice been?" Link asked Aryll. "Still doing the exercises I taught you?"

Aryll smirked. "How about you see for yourself?"

~o~O~o~

Aryll shrieked before she was brought down to the snowy ground.

Link nodded approvingly as Aryll grumbled to herself, picked herself up, and brushed the snow from her clothes.

"You have improved," Link said.

"I hate you so much," Aryll muttered.

Link shrugged. "You were quicker, sharper, and more focused than when we last sparred. That's good."

Once on her feet, she scooped up her wooden short sword and readied herself again.

Link did the same with his own weapon and patiently waited. Aryll lightly tested his defenses and reflexes. He humored her a bit, letting the wooden blades connect with a few light thumps.

Aryll tried a feint before rapidly lunging with a stab. Link parried easily and brought the flat of his blade down for a slap against her hindside as she passed him by. Previously, it would have connected, but Aryll was able to recover this time and blocked it. Inwardly, Link approved; Aryll's footwork was lighter, more thoughtful. Before Link had left, her steps had been heavy, causing her to commit to attacks with little chance of recovering if it failed. Now lighter on her feet, she was able to put herself in a position where she could defend herself.

Or counterattack.

Link blinked once before batting aside her horizontal slash. He hadn't been surprised, not exactly, but he did have to re-evaluate his sister's progress a bit more than he'd previously estimated.

His thoughts and assessment were done in an instant as he deftly parried Aryll's next attack while simultaneously sticking his foot out and tripping her, causing her to lose her footing and rhythm. This allowed him to give her a solid strike on her backside as she fell face-first into the snow, which elicited another muted scream between gritted teeth.

Link took a few steps back and patiently waited until Aryll clambered to her feet again.

"Again!" Aryll said.

~o~O~o~

Despite her best efforts, Aryll still lost spectacularly. Link had to admit to himself that she had improved a great deal since they had last sparred, though. At the very least, Aryll had spunk and kept getting up after every loss. After several more matches, Link called a halt when he saw that frustration was starting to fuel his sister's actions and suggested they move on to archery.

"Have you ever lost?" Aryll asked. She took a moment to aim before releasing her arrow. It struck solidly in the bullseye.

Link tilted his head. "Sure, a few times."

Aryll had just pulled out an arrow from her quiver when he answered. She dropped the arrow in shock and turned to him with wide eyes. "Really?"

"Of course," Link said.

"To who?"

"A few of the knights and a few soldiers," Link answered candidly.

"When was this?!" Aryll asked.

"Um… eleven years ago now? Maybe more?" Link replied, trying to recall.

Aryll scrunched up her face and scooped up her fallen arrow amidst the snow. "How about something recent?"

Link tilted his head again and racked his memories. "Hmm… I was teaching Mipha the trident last year. She managed to win."

"How many times?"

"Once," Link replied. He smiled at the memory. "She used a move Father had taught her and caught me off-guard. It was good."

Aryll smiled, too. "I would have liked to see that."

Link nodded. "Mipha was really proud of that moment."

"She only won once, though?" Aryll asked. "How about anyone else since then?"

"Only once. Only her," Link answered.

Aryll sighed before raising her bow and drawing the bowstring back. She managed to hit the target.

Link nodded approvingly. "You're getting good. We'll have to go further away if you keep this up. At the very least, you won't have to be picking up missed arrows in the snow."

Beaming, Aryll continued to practice. She didn't get all the arrows into the center target, but at least there were no misses. Once she emptied her quiver, the siblings walked up to the target to gather the arrows.

"What about Daruk?" Aryll asked.

"We've never sparred," Link answered. "He gave me strength training to get ready for the Four Swords. He might beat me. He's probably been fighting for over a hundred years at least."

"Well, what about Master Impaz? Did she ever beat you?" Aryll asked.

"We've never sparred, either," Link said. "She taught me, and I practiced those lessons with other Sheikah warriors."

"Why didn't you two fight?"

"It's 'spar', Aryll, and because she's old," Link answered. "If she were thirty or even twenty years younger, it would have been a possibility, but she's a grandmother now."

"Oh. Right. That's true," Aryll muttered. She started pulling arrows out of the target and placing them into her quiver. "So… let me get this straight… You went years before losing just once to Mipha?"

Link shrugged. "You're the only one I've been sparring with recently. I've been defending Hyrule and the populace, mostly."

Plucking the last few arrows out of the target, Aryll paused and turned back to Link. "What does that mean?"

"It means I've been fighting monsters, Aryll," Link dryly answered. "You don't want me losing."

Aryll opened and closed her mouth a few times before putting the arrows back into her quiver embarrassingly. "Oh. That's a good point."

Link grinned at her.

Aryll sighed. "Well, I guess it makes me feel better about you if you're going to be fighting a legendary evil."

"Come on. Let's go further back and see how well you fare," Link said.

Letting Aryll try archery at longer ranges than what she was used to, Link took a drink out of his satchel while he watched some of the newly arrived guards carefully open his presents. So far, they hadn't seemed alarmed at anything yet, but they were only a quarter of the way through. Some laborers were moving the vetted packages into the stables. Ilia had volunteered herself to take the gifted horses to Lon Lon Ranch. The Cuccos were herded into the coop to join the others that Cremia and Romani would usually look after.

That thought had Link turning to his sister. "Aryll, when are Cremia and Romani coming back? I want to congratulate her before I leave."

"Tomorrow. Just in time for you to exchange well-wishes before you go," Aryll answered.

"That's good to hear," Link said. His attention was drawn back to the pile of presents when a pair of Sheikah arrived. They dismounted, tied their horses to the fence, and began helping the guards.

Curious as to why Sheikah would be there, he sauntered over. "Afternoon. Is there a problem?"

One of the Sheikah—Link didn't recognize either of them—shook his head. "We're here to check the foodstuffs."

"The food?" Aryll asked, coming up from behind Link and peering at what they were doing.

"Poisons, hidden blades or needles inside the fruit, for instance; things of that nature," the other Sheikah said.

Link scowled. "Yiga?"

Both Sheikah nodded.

Aryll's mouth fell open. "Wouldn't it be safer to throw those out, then?"

Link shook his head. "Too much of a waste, especially for the honest people that actually traveled here to deliver those things."

"The Royal Family agrees with you," the first Sheikah said. His cohort returned to their task. "If we find just one thing wrong, we must assume the whole batch is tainted and burn everything. However, if we find nothing wrong, it wouldn't be right to throw good food away. It's why we're tasked with thorough inspection. Don't worry, we're well trained in this. We won't let anything happen to you."

"You're trained to find those… um… problems?" Aryll asked.

The Sheikah smiled mysteriously. "Of a sort."

Aryll tilted her head in confusion, but Link knew exactly what he meant. Rather than clarifying, Link ushered her away. "Let them work. Break time is over. Unless you don't have anything else to show me?"

Aryll took on an indignant expression. "I've got loads more left! Just you wait, Link!"

~o~O~o~

"So who's been teaching you?" Link asked. He handed Aryll her dinner plate and smirked.

"How did you know?" Aryll muttered.

"I know I didn't teach you some of those moves, and there's no way you'd have figured it out on your own," Link replied. "Even I wouldn't know unless I had been taught, so back to the question: who taught you? Was it Dame Karane?"

"Wha—? How did you know?" Aryll asked.

Link shrugged. "I thought I recognized some of those forms. Dame Karane seemed to favor them."

Aryll stared at him. "You're really scary, you know that?"

"Aryll," Marin jokingly reprimanded. "That isn't nice to your older brother, especially with his birthday tomorrow."

Scrunching up her nose, Aryll ate her baked potato.

Link did the same and sighed. "So… good…"

Midna let out a pleased growl next to him as she happily—and noisily—ate her dinner.

Aryll giggled at him. "You and Midna are definitely a pair. You two even sound the same when you eat."

"Ha-ha," Link said. "By the way, why the interest in my losses? I thought I told you that you shouldn't compare yourself to others."

"I know that, but I would like to at least beat you once," Aryll muttered.

"You'll get there," Link said.

Aryll shot him a wicked smile. "Oh, but wouldn't it embarrass you if everyone saw that the 'Hero of Legend' got beat by his little sister?"

"No," Link bluntly answered. He smiled warmly back at her. "It means I'm mortal, just like everyone else. I can live with that."

Heaving a sigh at him, Aryll shook her head, her blonde ponytail swishing with the movement. "You're so boring!"

"And yet I'm still winning, aren't I?" Link retorted playfully.

"I'll get you yet!"

The siblings bickered for a bit longer before Marin put her foot down and demanded that they eat their dinners. Chastised, they changed the topic and talked about random topics. Once dinner was done, though, Aryll wanted to spend time with Midna and took her back outside to frolic. Link reminded her not to bother the soldiers working. They were almost done going through the gifts and placing them inside the stables.

Link helped his mother with the dishes, despite her insistence that he needn't do so, with his birthday the next day. Assuring her that it was fine, they worked in relative silence.

The morning's conversation ended up replaying in his head, when he had been asked about informing his family and friend about anything regarding his duties that he wasn't allowed to say.

He had oaths to uphold, but he also had his loved ones to consider.

The conflict must have shown on his face, because Marin reached out with her wet thumb and rubbed at a spot between his eyebrows.

Link blinked at the action in confusion before wiping the water droplets off his forehead.

"Your father had the same exact wrinkle on his head when he was thinking of something that made him worry," Marin said. "Let me guess: you have oaths to stand by, but you cannot forsake family, either?"

Link clenched his jaw. The floodgates of his memories blew open, stemming back to when he was five. Before Revan had sent him home after the Lynel incident back at Zora's Domain. His father had spoken about how his oath as a knight had come into conflict with the promises he'd made as a father and how Link would understand one day.

"We spoke about it once, back at Zora's Domain," Link quietly said. "He told me that I wouldn't understand until I was older."

"And? Do you understand now?" Marin asked.

Link shook his head. "I don't think so… but I get why Father was so conflicted now."

Drying her hands on a towel, Marin wrapped Link in her arms. "Oh, Link. You'll figure it out one day."

Hugging her back, Link asked, "How did you deal with it? The secrets and this whole other life Father had?"

Letting him go, Marin turned back to the dishes. "Oh, I learned when I became a mother."

"I… I don't get it," Link mumbled. He picked up his dishrag and started drying the dishes.

"There are things parents don't tell their children to keep them safe," Marin said. "Everything we do is out of love and concern. The fact that you're a knight doesn't change that."

"Doesn't it bother you? Not knowing about the things we know?" Link asked.

"It does… but I learned that it was always born of curiosity," Marin answered. "However, does my knowing change any outcome, or would it simply generate unnecessary worry? I meant what I said this morning, Link. What you're doing is something we simply cannot help you with, not directly. We don't have the talent or the temperament to adequately handle the situation. The only thing we can do is place our faith in you and help you however we can. Us knowing the details will not change the outcome."

"So it doesn't bother you that I have to keep secrets?" Link asked.

"Not even a little bit," Marin answered promptly. "I know you, and a mother always knows. Everything you do isn't out of malice, it's out of love. And you'll do exactly what your father always did: you'll do what it takes to protect us."

"As long as I try really, really hard to come back home," Link said, smiling.

Marin nudged him with her shoulder and smiled back at him. "That's my son."

~o~O~o~

The next morning, the guards declared that everything was fine, including the foodstuffs. Given the sheer number of gifts, however, Link offered some of the vittles or random items to the soldiers to take home—either for themselves or for their families—something they were grateful for.

Aryll fairly dragged Link into the stables to poke around the piles of gifts he had received. As Link had feared, it did pack their moderate stable to near capacity.

Marin eventually came out and helped the siblings sort through the presents, prioritizing what was useful—though Aryll was often distracted by what was interesting or attractive—and what was mere decoration. The latter were things like rugs, tapestries, homemade artwork, and small carvings or statues… anything common citizenry could do to show support but couldn't afford to buy. Link was flattered, but realistically, there was no way all of it could fit inside their modest home, though he did keep a few choice pieces and considered bringing others to his quarters at Hyrule Castle.

They worked all morning before taking a break to have some lunch before tackling their task once more.

Cremia and Romani came back around this time. Seeing Link, they wished him a happy birthday. In return, Link gave his heartfelt congratulations to the elder sibling and offered the sisters any of his birthday presents.

At first, Cremia refused such an offer… until she was led into the stables and saw what had been delivered while she was gone. Her reservations vanished after that, especially when Link informed her that he would be going back to the castle the next morning. Rather than letting anything go to waste, he insisted that the sisters help themselves to whatever they wished.

"What are your future plans?" Link asked Cremia while he moved some of the packages into the house for further inspection. "Will you be leaving Mabe Village?"

Cremia shook her head. "We don't know yet. I would like a home of our own, rather than stay in yours, but we—I mean, Fado and I—don't know how we can accomplish something like that."

"Time and rupees," Link murmured.

"Exactly so."

Link felt bad for her. There were obviously several hurdles to clear before Cremia could comfortably get married, much less consider children, but he had little in the way of help for her.

Cremia smiled at him as they placed their loads on the living room floor. "Don't worry yourself over it, Link. We'll figure something out."

"Doesn't mean I shouldn't help if I can," Link mumbled.

Aryll popped up behind Link and shook him. "Wait, Link. I remember Father once telling us that we have a lot of unused land."

Link nodded. He was aware of the estate's boundaries. It was sizable, certainly not enough to make them noble, but it was still respectable. "Right, right. He said it wasn't suitable for farming, but cattle weren't out of the question. He didn't have the funds to hire enough people to look after them and buy enough feed."

"Can't we just hire Cremia to handle it?" Aryll asked. "We could ask Malon where she gets her feed for her horses and use their supplier."

"He might give us a discount at bulk if Malon were to vouch for us," Link said thoughtfully.

Cremia tilted her head. "Lon Lon Ranch is right next to us. A small competing ranch wouldn't stand a chance."

"They mainly raise horses, with very few cattle," Link excitedly said. "You could partner with them and raise cows and goats! They would be glad to expand, especially since they don't have to take on full responsibility. If we partner with them, they could share resources, too, bringing costs down."

"And given our location, you could serve as the primary supplier for Castle Town!" Aryll added eagerly. "They might even ask for you at the castle itself if the milk is good!"

"And it shouldn't take too much effort to add a small house in addition to a small farm," Link said.

Cremia's hands covered her mouth as she gasped in delight. "Oh, you'd do that for us?!"

Marin walked into the room, carrying a few presents as well. Depositing them on the floor next to the others, she turned to Cremia. "Do what for you?"

Link and Aryll quickly recounted what they had just said. At the same time.

Laughing, Marin shook her head. "One at a time, dears."

Letting Aryll explain, Link sat cross-legged on the carpet while Marin nodded in time to Aryll's excited chatter.

"The idea does have merit," Marin said after Aryll finished speaking. "Obviously, we should speak to Talon and Malon to see if they're amenable. If they agree, we can finance a barn and see if a modest home can be built alongside at a discount. Cremia will work for us as a ranch hand, which will mean we'll have to increase her pay. It should be manageable if business works out."

In her excitement, Cremia hugged Marin before jumping back in horrified embarrassment. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I d-didn't mean—!"

Laughing, Marin pulled Cremia in for another fond hug. "It's all right, Cremia dear. We all want this to work out for you."

"Thank you, milady," Cremia said quietly. "I can't tell you how grateful I am, both Romani and me, that we found you."

"I'm happy to hear that," Marin said.

Aryll raised her hand. "I'll go speak to Malon!" She rushed out before anyone could speak up.

Link chuckled. "Well, we have a plan."

"Plan for what?" Romani asked. She dropped more presents on the floor and looked around. "What's going on?"

Cremia took over explanations this time. Romani hugged her sister in joy over the news.

"Oh, I hope it works out!" Romani said.

"I hope so, too. We'll see," Cremia replied.

Romani turned to Link and gestured at the packages scattered around them. "So what are we going to do with the rest of your presents?"

Link shrugged. "Probably distribute them around Mabe Village, perhaps? Or I could take some and give it to the servants working in the castle. Others, we could sell and drum up some rupees to finance the new barn."

"Oh, that would be a good idea," Romani said. "It feels like a waste to throw some of these away."

A little before lunch, Aryll skipped back into the house, bearing good news. Talon wanted to speak to Cremia to hash out the details but was receptive to the idea of being able to use the Farons' land to allow their few cows to graze upon and not intrude on the horses' space, as well as to allow for other cattle to round out the produce provided.

Privately, Link wondered if it was because Aryll was the one asking and how difficult it would be to say no to a nine-year-old.

Regardless, it raised the level of cheer around the household. Their elation for Cremia almost caused Link to forget what today signified were it not for Marin.

That evening, they celebrated what might have been the first big step in Cremia's future by having dinner together. At the conclusion of supper, Marin presented Link with a cake, much to everyone's delight. There was only a single candle on top, but Link was more interested in the cream, fruits, and other assorted delicious-looking additions. He quickly blew out the candle—Aryll tried to be sneaky and blow it out before him, resulting in a tie on who got to blow it out first—and allowed Marin to cut the cake before they each took a slice. For once, Aryll's portion matched Link's as the younger Farons, Cremia, and Romani happily enjoyed the delicious confection.

After wishing Link a happy birthday, everyone shuffled back to the living room in good spirits to continue organizing the presents, marvel over some, and laugh at a few others. Cremia and Romani would be taking them to Castle Town over the next week or so, selling what they could to finance their ambitious plan.

It didn't take too long to decide what Link wanted to keep. After that task was finished, he announced that he was going to borrow a wagon from Bo and say goodbye to Ilia before heading back to the castle the next morning.

Upon arriving, Bo was more than happy to help Link.

"It's good that you came. Wanted to mention, Happy Sixteen, m'boy," Bo said. He walked over to the massive cart, hoisted the chain over his enormous shoulder, and started pulling it onto the road.

Link almost wanted to make a joke about how they wouldn't need horses if Bo would tie himself to the cart instead. Repressing that thought, Link still couldn't help but grin.

Bo took Link's expression as happiness regarding his words. "Important year, sixteen. Almost a man now… though it seems like that's been on you a bit sooner than most. You takin' care of yourself?"

Nodding, Link felt himself straighten up and walk more purposefully.

Bo kept pulling the cart across the main road. Link realized that Bo was going to take it all the way to his house.

"Do you need help, Bo?" Link asked.

Bo shook his head. "Nah, I have it. Don't you worry about me. Go on, now. Say your goodbyes to Ilia. No need to dote on me none. I'll get what you need loaded up, and we'll be off at first light. Don't waste time with me. We'll get to talkin' on the way to the castle, right?"

"Right. Thanks, Bo," Link said. Turning back around, Link jogged until he could hear Ilia's soft singing.

Heading to the back of her home, he saw Ilia tending to Epona.

"Hi, Ilia," Link quietly said. He brought a carrot to Epona and allowed her to eat it right out of his hand.

Ilia smiled. Whispering back, she replied, "Hi. Just give me a few more minutes. Almost done with her."

"Take your time," Link murmured. He rubbed Epona's head gently. "Did you enjoy your break?"

Epona closed her eyes and softly snorted in pleasure.

Ilia continued to sing softly while cutting Epona's mane to an acceptable length.

"She's looking good," Link said.

"I almost want to braid her," Ilia replied.

Link couldn't tell if she was being serious. He gave her an incredulous look and shook his head. "Not a chance."

Ilia giggled and continued her work. "You're leaving again?"

"I have a duty to get back to," Link murmured. "I don't like leaving a task unfinished like that."

"There are no others to watch over the princess?" Ilia asked.

"It's not about her security. That's only a part of it," Link answered. "It's about making sure we're ready."

Ilia glanced at him out of the corner of her eye before turning back to Epona's white mane. "I think I understand."

They worked in comfortable silence until Ilia announced that she was done. She ran her fingers through Epona's mane lovingly and promptly turned to Link.

Planting her hands on her hips, Ilia leaned forward assertively and asked, "Look after her, okay?"

Link held up his hands placatingly. "I will, I will."

Satisfied, Ilia guided Epona back out. With the stable available again, Ilia placed Epona into her stall while Link walked around, making sure there wasn't anything left inside that could inadvertently harm the mare. Satisfied that everything was in order for the evening, Link stood there awkwardly.

He was surprised when Ilia hugged him tightly.

"Look after yourself, too, okay?" she asked.

Regaining his balance, Link wrapped his arms around her as well. "Yeah, I'll try."

Ilia stepped back, looking extremely indecisive. Before Link could comment on it, she muttered, "Happy Birthday, Link," before giving him a peck on the cheek and dashing back to her house.

Stunned, Link involuntarily touched the place Ilia's lips had kissed. Already, he could feel the heat flood the area. He turned to Epona, who seemed to be looking at him with humor.

"Oh, shut up," Link muttered.

Epona whinnied—it almost sounded like a laugh—in reply.

~o~O~o~

Central Hyrule – Hyrule Castle

Early the next morning, just before the sun rose over the mountains, Link was already awake and preparing to leave. Marin emerged halfway through his preparations and roused Aryll to say goodbye to him.

As expected, Bo was already there, checking the wagon to make sure it could handle the snowy roads. Ilia was there, too, hitching the horses. The wagon was already filled with the gifts Link wanted to take with him.

Aryll helped Link saddle and prepare Epona, and she said a tearful goodbye to Midna, Epona, and finally Link; she tried to be cheeky about it, but he could tell she was trying to hide her real feelings.

Aryll also promised Link that she would try to become a squire soon, following in his and their father's footsteps.

Resolving to support her, Link smiled. "Yeah, looking forward to it. Maybe you might be able to visit me at the castle sometimes, then."

"Count on it," Aryll replied.

Giving everyone one last hug—including Cremia, Romani, and Ilia—Link mounted up and directed Epona to trot alongside Bo.

Bo had patiently waited until all farewells were finished before clicking his tongue. The horses docilely pulled the cart onward down the road.

"Ain't easy, goodbyes," Bo said. "I remember when Ilia's mother was on her deathbed. Ilia wasn't even a year old. I sat by her bedside—the missus, I mean. Barely ate, didn't sleep. She was slipping, and we both knew it. Longest goodbye I ever had. Ain't easy."

Link glanced at Bo and nodded. "No, it isn't."

"Handled yourself well," Bo said. "Back straight, strong presence, confident air, but still showed that you care. Like a true man. Your father would be damn proud of you."

"Thanks, Bo," Link replied. He took a quiet breath to recenter himself. Bo's words were affecting him. It wasn't a bad thing; at least, Link didn't think so, but he felt he still needed to be strong regardless.

Thankfully, Bo let that topic drop and moved on to other things. Their conversation was easy, light, and simple… it almost felt foreign to Link after the last couple of years. Not once did Bo ask about the Master Sword, the Calamity, or Link's duties at the castle. Bo spoke of the crops at his farm, some anecdotes about his time among the Gorons, and how much snow he'd had to shovel off his property in recent days.

Link had no idea if Bo wanted to keep things low-key for his benefit or if Bo genuinely wanted to talk about simpler things.

Before long, they were already at Castle Town. It was just waking up. People were mulling about, preparing to open businesses, ready their stands, and ply their trades.

This time, Link led the way, going all the way up the causeway towards the castle. The guards stationed at all the checkpoints gave Link a crisp salute and remained at attention at their positions. Finally, they made it to the massive doors that led into the castle proper.

"Here is fine," Link said. "Thank you."

Bo nodded and stopped the wagon in front of the steps to Hyrule Castle. Link dismounted and waved down one of the servants.

"Could you and a few others bring the contents of the wagon to my room?" Link asked. "Just leave it there. I'll sort and organize everything when I get the chance."

The maid curtsied and walked off to seek help.

"Thanks again for this, Bo," Link said.

"Ain't nothing," Bo replied. "You do what you hafta do. But stay safe, hear me?"

"What I do has almost nothing to do with being safe, Bo," Link replied, smiling humorously, "but I'll try to be careful."

Bo nodded. "All I can ask of ya, then."

"Will you be all right?" Link asked.

"Aye, shouldn't be a problem," Bo said. He scratched the side of his head and looked back down the way they had come. "If worse comes to worse, I can ask one of them guards back there to set me straight."

Link shook Bo's hand, said his goodbyes, and led Epona to the stables.

As soon as Epona was looked after, Link and Midna quickly entered the castle. Turning to his lupine companion, he asked, "Where's the princess, Midna?"

Midna sniffed the floor, then the air, then trotted off to the residential area of the castle. As Link had hoped, they arrived before the princess was either awake or had left her room. Midna was about to run for the door, but Link snapped his fingers and gestured for her to heel. They stood in the hallway together, waiting, as the sun rose higher and higher. Several servants came and went, taking Link's presents and placing them in his room.

Finally, after thirty minutes, Princess Zelda appeared. When she saw him, she frowned and looked away. As usual, she pretended he wasn't there and proceeded to breakfast. Midna sensed the tension between them and whined mournfully. Link gave her a reassuring scratch behind the ears before gesturing to follow the princess. Happily, Midna bounded after the royal, trotting alongside, tongue happily out.

Link resisted the urge to sigh and fell in step behind his charge.

And here we go again.

~o~O~o~

The remainder of Farore's Season came and went without fanfare. There was a collective uptick in mood around the kingdom as the snow melted; travel became easier, and roads reopened to allow the wheels of commerce to spin at full speed.

It was at the tail end of winter and towards the approaching signs of spring and Nayru's Season that brought news from the other provinces. A meeting was held in the king's office. Besides Link and Princess Zelda, in attendance today were Robbie and Chancellor Cole.

Robbie informed the king that they had made tremendous progress with the restorations of their Guardian army. The first turret would be delivered by the end of the month once it passed all tests and checks—including those of security. He also had letters from the Sheikah researchers assigned to ensure the Divine Beasts remained functional and informed everyone that there were no problems… mostly.

"Any other news to report?" King Rhoam asked.

"One last bit of business, Your Majesty," Robbie said. He hesitated and hid his discomfort by adjusting his outrageous goggles. "Chief Urbosa has requested help with her Divine Beast. She believes there is something wrong with the weapons system."

"Is there?" King Rhoam asked.

"Our researcher stationed there, Jade, does not believe so," Robbie answered. "Chief Urbosa remains insistent, however. She requests a second opinion."

King Rhoam nodded. "Very well. Have someone sent there straight away."

"Ah… therein lies the problem, Your Majesty," Robbie said. He produced a letter from his coat and respectfully placed it on the king's desk. "From Chief Urbosa."

King Rhoam opened the letter and scanned the contents before scowling. "Is she being serious?"

"I defer such judgements to you, Your Majesty," Robbie amicably said.

"Something amiss, Your Majesty?" Chancellor Cole asked.

"Chief Urbosa wishes for Zelda to go," King Rhoam said angrily. "She claims she would trust 'none other' to oversee the repairs."

Link could understand King Rhoam's frustration. Given what he knew—or had figured out—about the Gerudo chief, Link was sure that it was a fabrication. Urbosa appeared far too proud to ask for help unless her 'failed' efforts were almost beyond salvation. But since his suspicions were only based on his gut feeling, he held his silence.

Apparently, King Rhoam shared similar thoughts, because he cast a sharp glance at his daughter. "Did you have anything to do with this?"

Princess Zelda clasped her hands and looked down at her feet. "No, of course not, Father."

"She should not be going," Chancellor Cole said at once. "The journey there will be long and treacherous. By all accounts, the Yiga Clan are most active in the Gerudo Desert. Once they learn that Her Highness is there, there is no telling what could happen."

"I accepted Chief Urbosa's last invitation to help oversee the restoration efforts of Vah Naboris, and nothing happened then," Princess Zelda said. "There's no reason to believe this journey will be any different."

"Except it is a waste of time and effort. Time and effort that could be put to use elsewhere," King Rhoam said sternly.

"I remain vigilant and steadfast in my duty," Princess Zelda said. She stood straighter. "However, I do not believe we should ignore this, especially after witnessing Vah Medoh's power. The last thing we need is a weapons malfunction. The projected power of Vah Naboris is terrifying on its own, but were it to get out of Chief Urbosa's control, the resulting devastation would be catastrophic. We are the ones that revived the Divine Beasts; therefore, it is our responsibility to ensure they are in perfect working order to avoid harm to our people."

Link and Robbie stayed silent, their heads moving in tandem with each speaker, shifting left or right as if they were watching some kind of event between opposing forces.

Scowling, King Rhoam cast a look at Link. "Your thoughts?"

Link shook his head. "Having never been to the Gerudo Desert or Gerudo Town, I don't have any valid opinion to offer, Your Majesty."

"None?" King Rhoam asked.

Thinking hard, Link furrowed his brow a bit before shrugging. "I can only say that with winter behind us, traveling there shouldn't be a problem for the moment. There haven't been reports of rain or lightning storms, though that might change shortly. If we were to ride out immediately, we should be able to make haste and conduct whatever assessments are needed before we run into such weather. Speed will be key here."

"Once again, I advise against this course of action," Chancellor Cole said stubbornly. "There would be no time to deploy any messengers, knights, or the Royal Guard to establish safe roads from here to the Gerudo Desert. The danger is far too great, even if we have Sir Faron traveling with Her Highness."

"I agree with the chancellor," Link said. "Without assuring safe passage, there will be unknown factors that we won't have time to consider. Enough that we shouldn't go at all."

"Except every moment we delay, Chief Urbosa cannot proceed with her training in using Vah Naboris. She will have to remain on standby until I get there. That's far too much time wasted," Princess Zelda argued. "By all accounts, Vah Naboris is the most powerful of the Divine Beasts. With it under her control, she might even be able to rout the Yiga Clan, thereby making them no longer an issue pressing forward."

All eyes turned to the king, who was frowning heavily as he re-read Chief Urbosa's letter.

Link had learned enough about governing from Mipha's courses that King Rhoam was trapped in a political bind. On the one hand, to ignore Chief Urbosa's request would be a diplomatic mistake. On the other hand, even though King Rhoam probably knew that Chief Urbosa was lying, without evidence to prove it, it would be extremely unwise to decry her in such a manner.

In short, Hyrule had restored a weapon that could harm Gerudo citizens, and it was King Rhoam that had the technical specialists—including his own daughter and heir—that could repair it to ensure the Gerudos' safety. As a mere pilot, Chief Urbosa's primary responsibility was the ethical and moral handling of such a weapon, not its upkeep.

All Chief Urbosa had to do—all that she could do—was report any problems with Vah Naboris and request aid for repairs. It was the better plan, rather than blindly poking around with a sharp spear to see what would happen.

"Chief Urbosa is crafty. Really crafty," Link muttered.

"One day, you'll learn women usually are," Robbie whispered back. "Best be on your guard."

They both stood straight when King Rhoam stood up.

Sighing heavily in either irritation, annoyance, or frustration—or all of the above—King Rhoam glared at his daughter. "Very well. You and Link shall ride out first thing tomorrow. We shall send a contingent of Royal Guards and knights immediately to secure the way today. A carriage will be provided with the necessary supplies. Finish your task quickly, and return home. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Father," Princess Zelda replied at once.

The question was directed more towards the princess than Link, so he merely nodded respectfully.

"Go," King Rhoam ordered.

Summarily dismissed, everyone shuffled out of the office. Link followed Princess Zelda and Impa—who had been waiting outside—back to the residential wing of the castle, where the princess absconded to her quarters to pack for the trip ahead.

Just as Link was about to enter his room, he heard Robbie calling out to him.

"Ah, Link! How wonderful to see you once again!" Robbie exclaimed enthusiastically. "First off, I heard it was your birthday not too long ago. Sixteen now, correct?"

Link nodded. "Thanks, Robbie."

"Well, my gift to you!" Robbie handed Link a long canvas-wrapped present. "I burned candles to their stubs to get this ready for you. And the sheer number of materials I had to scrounge up was no small feat, either. Especially since Purah and I have quotas to meet!"

Taking the present, Link carefully unwrapped the bundle to reveal a bow… at least, he thought it was a bow. It was nothing—nothing—like he had ever seen before. It was lighter, thinner, and smaller—about half the size of a regular bow, making Link wonder how it would work—but made of materials that Link couldn't discern by touch alone. Taking it in his hand, he held the bow upright when the limbs suddenly expanded to a full-sized bow.

"Wow," Link said. His eyes widened at the feature, and he turned the bow in his hands to figure out how it worked.

"Extraordinary, right?!" Robbie asked excitedly. "Should make it easy to take with you on any manner of adventure you find yourself on!"

Link nodded. Settling the bow into his hand once again, he gently pulled at the string. It drew back with surprisingly little effort, making Link wonder how it could launch any arrows at all. However, when he let it go, the bowstring snapped forward with a satisfying twang with speed and force that nearly surprised Link to the point that he almost dropped the bow. He fumbled with it before grasping it firmly with both hands.

"Wow," Link said again. "Has anyone tested this yet?"

"You will be the first," Robbie answered. "We thought you should get the honor. Plus, I need to see if further adjustments or improvements can be made!"

Link nodded excitedly. First, he went to Princess Zelda's room, knocked on the door, and asked Impa to stay with the princess so he could test his new bow. Once the matter of security was dealt with, Link led the way down to the archery range. It was a bit of a walk, but Robbie didn't seem to mind. He insisted that they pick up Link's Royal Guard Bow in order to run comparison tests against his new bow. During the trip, Robbie chattered on about the various Guardians they had managed to get activated, or about the reports he had read from Kenway regarding Vah Medoh's tests, or a Sheikah girl he was fond of called Cherry that had recently been posted to the Royal Ancient Lab.

~o~O~o~

Link was a bit flabbergasted at the first shot. Usually, he would have to adjust a tad high to compensate for the arrow drop. This time, the arrow embedded itself firmly into where he had pointed, rather than aimed. It was the first time in years that he'd struck the outside edge of the target; he hadn't had a miss like that since he was a child first learning the bow.

Robbie looked painfully smug and rocked back and forth on his heels.

Link lowered the bow until the sight window was in line with the target. Resting an arrow into the shelf, he drew it back and released.

The arrow struck the target dead center.

The feat was repeatable, and Link emptied his quiver, with all arrows—save one—stuck in the bullseye. Through it all, Link hardly put in any effort at all. It was the most relaxed he had ever been since practicing archery; there was barely any muscle tension or tightening of his chest, back, or shoulders. It felt so easy now.

When Link got to the target to inspect his work, his eyes widened at the sight. The arrows were almost three-fourths of the way inside the target. He turned to Robbie in disbelief.

"As you can see, the power of that bow is rather significant," Robbie said proudly; not quite smugly, but close.

Link looked back at the arrows, the way the arrows were coming out the back, and the sheer amount of power that must have gone into it. Already, his mind was spinning with calculations. He had stood at the standard practice distance of 100 meters. Without the need to compensate, the arrows had flown straight and true into the target with power to spare. That meant the range the bow was capable of was…

Link couldn't even fathom it without some serious long-distance testing.

Robbie seemed to read his mind and grinned. "Shall we go further out? It's best to know the effective range of your new bow!"

After thoroughly testing the bow for the next few hours, Link marveled over the gift Robbie had given him.

"This is fantastic," Link said.

"I'm glad you think so," Robbie said proudly.

"Thank you for all your hard work."

Robbie waved him off. "Oh, it set off a torrent of inspiration in my mind. This was rather difficult to make by hand, but during the process, I got the idea that I could make some kind of oven, based on ancient technology, that could make dozens of these!"

"That's exciting," Link said.

"Yes, well… sadly, the idea remains firmly on paper," Robbie replied, deflating slightly. He perked up and placed a fist on his chest. "Still! Everything is impossible until made possible! I won't give up!"

"Nor should you," Link replied. "You're doing good work, even though you're so busy."

"We're trying to raise as many functioning Guardians as we can," Robbie said. "After all, they will support our ground troops against any monsters Calamity Ganon will use. The more Guardians we can restore, the more lives we can save."

Link looked down at his gift and felt a hint of guilt in the pit of his stomach. "This must have taken a lot of time and effort."

"It did, but I felt it needed to be done," Robbie said. He was looking unusually serious now. "We haven't had a chance to speak since the day of my tests regarding that Guardian Stalker many months ago. When the princess was nearly… Well, I almost resigned, you know. I was in a terrible place. I honestly thought what had happened was my fault."

"It wasn't, though," Link said.

"I know that now," Robbie replied with a strained smile. "You could not imagine the relief I felt when Impa told Purah and me that a traitor had been responsible."

"I'm just glad things worked out okay," Link said.

"Impa also told us that you were the one to consider the idea," Robbie said. His countenance remained as profound as before. "You exonerated me."

"I didn't really… I mean, that's a bit much, isn't it?" Link mumbled embarrassingly.

Robbie shook his head. "You know how much the princess means to us, the Sheikah. If she were killed, the penalty for such a tragedy would be death. And it would be expected of me to take my own life, as a matter of honor. If she were injured, then the minimum punishment would be exile. Execution would remain a possibility. Believe me, resignation from my post was the smallest of punishments that day."

Link's eyes widened. He recalled how frantic Robbie had been that day, but he thought that the researcher was displaying one of his personality quirks, not genuinely panicking about his perceived failure.

"The Goddess Hylia and the Sheikah share a close, deep connection, ever since we were chosen to be her shield at the dawn of Hyrule's creation," Robbie said with somberness. "For the princess to be harmed under my watch… it's unforgivable."

Link could only nod. Mentally, he was revising his opinion of the Sheikah and their duty—devotion—to Princess Zelda.

"I wanted to thank you in person for quite some time," Robbie said. "I had planned to be the one to brief His Majesty on our progress instead of Purah so I could come to the castle, but I remembered the schematics Impa had of the Master Sword, and I thought I could fashion a bow."

"The Royal Guard Bow," Link said in realization.

"Ah, it was a unique project, and during the course of creating that bow, I became inspired," Robbie said. "I finally found a way to convey my gratitude to you. I used every ancient part we could spare to fashion that new bow, spent hours into the night tinkering and refining it, sought counsel from Tomoe, and utterly annoyed Purah with my ceaseless efforts to make the perfect bow."

The grin across Link's face couldn't be helped. "Somehow I don't think that last point carried any hardship for you."

Robbie finally smiled back. "I made that bow as a symbol of my gratitude, Link. I hope that it serves you well, protects our princess, and assists in the defense of Hyrule."

Link found himself clutching the bow more tightly than normal. "Thank you, Robbie. I will do my best."

Robbie patted Link on the shoulder. "No, thank you."

~o~O~o~

After parting ways with Robbie, Link sought out some other members of the Royal Guard and inquired how to prepare for the journey ahead. He had never been to the Gerudo Desert and wanted to be ready for anything. Several guardsmen were happy to give him some tips on how to survive—they certainly didn't hold back on the harsh environment that Link was about to wade into—as well as what sort of clothes he ought to bring.

In the end, the advice Link got was: scorching hot in the day, bone-chillingly cold in the evening, with a small buffer zone in between to enjoy before it started all over again.

With that knowledge(?) in hand, Link returned to his room and started packing for the journey the next day.

There was a knock on the doorframe, followed by a familiar, "Hi, Link."

"Hi, Impa," Link said, sparing her a glance before rummaging through his dresser. "Glad you're here. Saves me a trip. I need a favor. When Her Highness and I leave, could you make sure that Midna goes home safely?"

Impa nodded. "Oh, of course! The desert is no place for a wolf."

"I appreciate that, thanks. I'll have a letter drafted for you to take to my family so they understand the situation," Link said. "Have you ever been to the Gerudo Desert?"

Impa shook her head. "Never. Worried?"

"Just looking for advice where I can," Link muttered. "It can't be worse than Death Mountain… or Tabantha in the winter… although from what I gathered, it'll be like being in both places at the same time."

"Hmm. Lovely vacation spot, then," Impa replied. "Worried?"

Finding his Sapphire Earrings, Link put them into his bag. "No, just want to be ready for anything, that's all. So, what brings you by?"

"I heard Robbie finally managed to give you his birthday present. He's a couple months late, I know—"

"It's the thought that counts," Link said, smiling. He glanced at the weapon rack at the side of his room. It carried all manner of armaments now, though Link only kept most of them for sentimental reasons. There was a typical broadsword used by the rank-and-file of the Hyrulean Army. Link had trained with it for some time before switching to the Sheikah-made Eightfold Blade. That, too, was on the rack. There were his bows and shields as well, ones he'd trained with or used for a time before getting newer and more effective ones.

Impa followed his gaze and smirked. "Almost looks like my room."

"Really?"

She nodded and ran her fingers over the hilt of the Eightfold Blade. She avoided the Master Sword. Eventually, she poked around the knickknacks around Link's room. Prior to his birthday, Link had never bothered decorating his space, apart from the weapon racks.

"All this from your birthday, huh?" Impa murmured.

"I was surprised, too," Link said. "There was a lot more, but we couldn't keep everything, so we sold those."

Impa nodded. "Well, it's nice that you made this space your own. It was always so… lackluster."

Link eyed her thoughtfully. Before he could respond, he heard footsteps in the hall. They turned to the doorway expectantly.

Midna appeared first, bounded over to Impa, and rubbed against her legs insistently, prompting a giggle and an obligatory rub.

Moments later, Princess Zelda stopped just past the door. Seeing her, Link and Impa stood at attention.

"Regarding our trip to the Gerudo Desert… will Midna be coming with us?" Princess Zelda asked.

Link shook his head.

"I see," Princess Zelda simply replied before turning back around and going down the hall towards her room once again. Midna barked once before rushing after the royal.

Internally sighing, Link glanced at Impa. "What brings you by?"

Impa jerked before bonking her head. "Oh, right. I have a letter from the king to Urbosa. Here."

Taking the letter, Link carefully packed it away. "Right."

"We're sending out Royal Guardsmen and knights right now to check the paths," Impa said. "You're leaving tomorrow?"

"First light. At Her Highness's insistence," Link replied. "I get the feeling she wanted to go immediately, but thankfully, rational minds prevailed."

"Chief Urbosa and the princess are close friends, almost family," Impa said. "There was one more thing I needed to let you know."

"What is it?" Link asked.

"Uh, see, the Gerudo have a firm policy regarding Gerudo Town," Impa said before hesitating a bit. "No men allowed."

Link blinked. "Including me?"

Impa shrugged. "I believe the letter is the king urging Urbosa to make an exception for you."

Frowning, Link asked, "Exactly how firm is my mandate to look after Her Highness?"

"Like a rock." Impa gave him a sympathetic look. "I sent a letter to Gram. She's sending some Sheikah to the Gerudo Desert, and hopefully, they'll keep the Yiga from trying anything."

"They're really that active down there?" Link asked.

"One of Chief Urbosa's biggest problems," Impa answered. "We're sure that's where they're operating from, but to explore the desert to find their hideout… it's difficult, if not impossible. I don't know if the people we're sending will be of any help, but for the sake of the princess, we have to try."

"Right," Link muttered. He re-evaluated the Yiga's craftiness. If they were able to evade someone as competent as Urbosa, then they were a bigger threat than he'd first assumed. "Thanks for letting me know."

Impa opened her mouth, but when she had nothing further to say, she snapped it shut and settled for nodding. It wasn't until she was at the threshold that she managed to find her words.

"Link, I know you've been really patient with the princess, and… I wanted to say how grateful we've been for that," Impa said right before she darted away.

Link managed to avoid sighing as he spoke aloud in the empty room. "Yeah. I get the feeling I'm going to need as much patience as I can muster for this trip."

~o~O~o~

Author's Notes:

Playing Tears of the Kingdom, and I'm loving it. What tickles me most? Purah called Link "Linky", which means it's canon. Called it.

(I don't remember if she called him that in BotW, but she was a "kid" then, so it doesn't count.)

Speaking of TotK, there's been a crazy uptick in views on my story now since its release.

Eh, probably a coincidence… right?

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