The moon had now risen high above the town, covering the buildings of Hateno in a blanket of dim, white light. While most of the buildings were dark, the windows of the Ton Pu Inn were still illuminated with a faint, orange glow. inside, Bolson, who had kept the dance party alive for an astounding hour and a half straight, had relinquished himself from the fun in order to rest with a final drink at one of the tables. With the music now slowing down and the main attraction gone, the laughter and cheer that had been echoing through the inn for the past few hours had finally started to die down to a quiet, yet relaxing murmur. Some had started to leave for home or the beds upstairs, others casually chatted, and the rest slept peacefully at their tables.

Though things had slowed, the waitress that had worked that night still remained fairly busy, whether it was getting the remaining (still awake) customers their final drinks or cleaning the dining hall by sweeping or wiping down the tables. As she went about her duties, cleaning with a small, happy smile on her face, from across the room, one still-hooded guest watched her from one of the tables against the back wall. With one leg over the other and his hand on the table, loosely holding the handle to his mug of milk, he smiled as he watched over her.

Despite what she may think, she already fits in, probably even more than me at this point, he thought as he brought the mug to his lips. To think there are some in this town who don't feel that way.

He glanced over to the other table that sat against the wall, where the two known gossipers of the town sat. After being passed around while drunk in the sea of dancing that had taken place only a little bit ago, they now looked tired and sullen as they sat quietly together, opting not to say anything more the rest of the night. Link chuckled to himself before looking out into the slowly thinning crowd.

It's been awhile since I've just been out like this, he continued to think as he set the mug back down on the table. There are those here I haven't spoken to in months, even though Zelda and I came back not too long ago. I really haven't been talking much with anyone, have I? When I look at all this, I feel kinda…

His eyes found their way back onto Zelda, who was now seemingly laughing at a joke Bolson had said as she passed by him.

"Lonely?"

Though he didn't let it show, the slightest bit of surprise jumped in the chest. He looked over to see a woman taking a seat at his table.

"Prima?" he asked. "What are you doing over here? Shouldn't you be managing the counter?"

"I stopped the drinks for the night," she said casually with a sigh. "I think everyone here has had enough… What are you doing over here by yourself?"

"You know, just watching," Link said. He brought the mug to his lips again and finished the drink before setting it back down on the table.

"You tend to watch over everyone a lot," Prima said as she leaned back in her chair. "We all know; it's how you've come to help us so much in the past. The thing is, you've always smiled, even while doing so. I guess it's just strange to see you so…"

"Silent?" Link asked.

"That's a good word for it," she replied.

"Then you guys don't know too much about me," he said, but Prima shook her head.

"But we do know you," she said. "Maybe we haven't known you as long as someone like Zelda, but we do know you; the strange traveler— with an odd personality— that appeared in the village one day. Sheesh, the first thing you asked me when we first met was what I like, and as strange as it was, it was just you trying to help someone out. Though, it was still weird, and I hate that you did that. But, I'm assuming many of your first interactions with everyone went something like that…"

"I apologized. You keep bringing that up," Link grumbled, yet this only made Prima giggle. "What's your point?"

"I guess what I'm trying to ask is, why are you over here instead of with your village?" she asked.

"Because I'm not just some strange traveler," he answered. "I'm a knight, and recently, I've been reminded that I'm also still a hero, as much as I don't like to call myself that. There's also things that are going on that I need to take care of, like dangerous people that may be here."

"Sounds the same as it was before, and you still found time to be happy here," Prima said.

"Yeah, maybe, but this is different," Link said. "This time, it feels like right when I stop focusing, that's the moment the bad will strike. Literally."

"Well… maybe that's what the bad wants you to believe," Prima said. "But hey, I'm just a clerk at the greatest inn in Hyrule. As a traveler–or hero— you live in a world completely different from mine. I just hope you aren't pushing away what's important."

Link's eyes instinctively glanced over to Zelda before raising an eyebrow.

"You got all that from just seeing me sitting alone over here?" Link asked as Prima pushed herself to her feet.

"That, and maybe Zelda talks about you here and there," she answered.

"What does she say about me?" he asked. Prima simply grinned.

"Not for me to spill!" she teased, bringing a finger to her lips. "Besides, it's not like I haven't noticed that you hadn't really been coming into town like you used to. I thought that was a good thing: one troublemaker that we didn't have to worry about. But… it gets kinda quiet here in Hateno without you here, you know? And I don't think I'm the only one that thinks that."

With a kind smile, she took the now empty mug from the table.

"It was good to see you, Link," she said. "I hope to see you around more."

"Now I really wanna know what you two talk about if you really want to see me more," Link said. "You know, with how you treat me thanks to the cricket incident."

"You did that to yourself," Prima said with a frown. "Besides, with Zelda here… I guess I have a newfound fondness for you."

With that, she walked away, leaving Link alone to wander off into his thoughts.

So first Purah, and now she talks about me to Prima, huh? I swear… He sighed internally as he returned to watching Zelda. Well, I guess it's not that bad. The people in the village miss me? But, I'm around, I'm just… I guess Sayge was pretty excited to see me again back at the dye shop, and looking back, so was Purah, in her own way.

His eyes slightly softened as he watched Zelda pick up a few empty dishes from the tables. After a moment of hesitation, he stood from the chair and slowly walked through the room before stopping behind his lover, who had started wiping down the table she had cleared. Gently, he reached out and brushed his fingers against her waist, trying not to startle her into dropping the tray of dirty dishes she had in her free hand. The employee jolted at the touch and looked down at her waist, and then up at the person who had touched her in such a place with a furrowed brow. The moment her eyes met the familiar blue ones she had grown to love, they relaxed.

"Hello, you," she said. "What are you doing up? Are you heading home?"

"Nah, not yet. I… like watching you work actually," he answered.

"O-oh," Zelda said, slightly caught off guard. Her cheeks slightly reddened. "I-is that so?"

"Y-yeah," Link said, bringing a hand to the back of his head, "but I guess I just wanted to bother you a little bit."

"Well… I wouldn't call this bothering me, really," she said quietly, "but I'm not sure Prima would like me standing around while work needs to be done. Then again, if it's you I'm talking to, she may actually be alright with it."

"It would give you guys more to talk about, wouldn't it?" Link said with a grin. Zelda's eyes grew wide as her cheeks flushed even more.

"W-w-what did she tell you?" she asked.

"More than you'd like, less than I hoped for," he chuckled. Noticing her eyes were still glaring at him, he added, "not enough context that I could piece anything together."

"O-okay… Good," Zelda mumbled.

The two grew silent, unable to break away from each other's gaze. Soon, Zelda copied Link's awkward grin before they began chuckling.

"And here I thought it was the alcohol that was making it warm in here," a voice suddenly said. The couple jumped, with Link taking a few steps back before noticing Prima strolling past them with a tray of empty dishes of her own. She laughed before yelling, "all right everyone, let's wrap it up! Most of you have store or farming duties tomorrow, so those who rented a bed head to them, and those who are going home, head there."

Echoes of agreement began to murmur through the building, followed by the villagers starting to stand from their tables. As everyone began to stumble out the hall, Link and Zelda had already turned their attention back to each other.

"I guess that's my que to leave, isn't it?" Link asked.

"N-not if you… don't want… to…" Zelda quietly trailed off, averting her eyes. Her face was now practically growing red. "You… said you like watching me work, right? I doubt Prima would mind if… if you stayed and waited for me to finish up."

"Really?" he asked. "Then maybe I'll—oh, watch out—"

Quickly, he took Zelda by the shoulder and pulled her closer to him, hoping that she wouldn't lose balance of the tray she was holding. Confused, his partner looked around before feeling the faintest breeze behind her. She looked over her shoulder to see a person walking by. They weren't recognizable. In fact, they seemed to be just another traveler, judging by the thick winter clothing and backpack they were carrying around.

"Hey, be careful," Link called out to the traveler. "You almost bumped into her."

"Did I?" the traveler asked, turning on his heel to face the two. With a kind smile, he raised a hand in apology. "Sorry about that. I'll be sure to watch my step next time."

With that, he followed the rest of the villagers out the dining hall.

"Thank you, Link," Zelda said, taking a step back. "I— Link, what's wrong?"

She had stepped back in order to look back into his eyes again, admittedly wanting to bring back the atmosphere the two had shared only a few moments prior. Link, however, hadn't looked back at her. Instead, his eyes had hardened and had kept a strong gaze on the doorway the villagers had gone through.

"Zelda… Who was that?" he asked.

"What? Link, what's wrong?" Zelda asked. "I hope you aren't mad that he almost bumped into me; it was an honest mistake. Besides, I shouldn't have been just lounging near the center of the—"

"No, it's not that," Link said. "It's just… What's his name? Where did he come from?"

"I'm not sure, actually," she answered, looking back at the doorway. "He didn't order a bed, and just asked for water. We don't charge for water so there wasn't much reason to get a name. According to Prima, we get travelers we don't know here for a quick rest all the time. Besides, it was much too busy to start a conversation. Why? Do you know him?"

"No… I don't," he said quietly before sighing. "Sorry, you said it's not a big deal, right?"

"No, it's not," Zelda said. "See, I knew you were bothered about that."

"Well, you know me," he chuckled. "Here, I'm gonna go cool off. I'll wait for you outside, then we can walk home together."

"What?" Zelda said as he began to head towards the exit. "But, I thought you wanted to—"

"I don't wanna be a distraction since I'm upset," Link called back. "I'll be right outside. No better place to cool down than in the snow, right?"

"I suppose so, but—" Zelda began, but Link had already disappeared.

"He didn't want to stay? I would have let him," Prima asked, walking up to her.

"He did at first, but then someone almost bumped into me, and I guess that bothered him," she explained, still watching the doorway. "He just seemed a bit over protective, especially for something so minor."

"Well, this is the same guy that snuck through the back door—with a hood on— to stop some nagging ladies from bullying you," Prima sighed. "That seems pretty in character for him, at least to me."

"I-I guess when you put it that way… But you didn't see him. It was strange, even for Link. I hope it isn't about the other thing," Zelda mumbled to herself. After a thoughtful pause, she looked away from the door. "Sorry, I've been standing here instead of cleaning for quite awhile, haven't I? I'll get back to work so we don't have too much make-up work to do tomorrow."

"Actually, you won't be here tomorrow," Prima said. Zelda blinked.

"What do you mean I won't be here?" she asked. "Have I done something wrong?"

"Not at all," her boss laughed, "but you do need a break. Once we finish up here for the night, why don't you take the next two days off?"

"T-two days? Are you sure?" Zelda asked.

"I'm sure," she said before beginning to walk off, but before she could get far, she stopped. "Also, before I forget—"

She turned and walked back to her employee before reaching into the pouch on her hip. After rummaging around for a moment she pulled her hand out and held it out to her employee. Confused, Zelda held out her free hand, allowing Prima to place whatever she had been holding into it. Her eyes grew wide.

"Prima!" she said, looking down at her hand. "I can't take this: this is over 400 rupees!"

"Um, yes, you can," Prima laughed. "It's called pay. You worked for it, so you earned it. It's yours. Now, let's finish up here."

"O-okay," Zelda agreed as her employer walked off. She looked down at the rupees in her hand again before smiling, ready to finish off the last of her cleaning duties for the evening.

...

Link hurried down the stairs of the inn's front into the darkness of the night before stopping in his tracks on the snow covered pathway. He watched as the crowd of villagers were dispersing, with each heading to their own homes and shops. He gritted his teeth, anxiously looking around before finally catching sight of the traveler from earlier, who was casually strolling down the path.

"Hey!" he called out, rushing forward towards the man's backside. The traveler turned around, along with a few other farmers who were curious as to who was shouting so late at night.

"Oh, hello there," the traveler said. "I'm sorry, did you still have business with me? I did apologize earlier, but are you still bothered? I didn't think I offended you that much—"

"Cut the act," Link said darkly, moving his face close to the travelers. "It's you, isn't it?"

"I-I'm sorry?" the travelers asked with a confused smile. "Have we met somewhere?"

"Don't play games with me," Link growled, grabbing the man by the collar. He pulled them closer together, so close that their noses almost touched. "I figured you had, but even I was starting to doubt. To think you would really come into a village— my village. Actually, no… With how well the clan can disguise themselves, I'm more surprised none of you tried this sooner."

"Sir, I really don't know what you're talking about," the traveler said with panic in his eyes. "Are you sure we've met before? If we have, I apologize, but I don't remember—"

"What were you doing in there?" Link asked. "Watching Zelda? Trying to figure out when you would strike? When you would kill her?"

"Sir, I don't know what you're talking about!" the travelers said loudly. Link's heart began to pound in anger as his grip on the traveler's collar grew tighter. Before he could say anything more though, a voice cut in.

"Link, what are you doing?"

In response to his name being called, he glanced over to see one of the farmers heading towards him. He was an older man with graying facial hair, wearing overalls and a red bandana around his neck. Concerned, he grabbed Link by the wrist that held the traveler in place.

"I don't know what's goin' on here, but you needa let this man go," the farmer said.

"Dantz, you need to get back. You don't understand," Link said. "This isn't a regular traveler. He's dangerous."

"I'm dangerous? How am I dangerous?" the traveler asked. "I just stopped in Hateno for a drink of water and to warm up for a moment. I haven't caused any trouble here at all!"

"Yet, but you will, especially to Zelda or me," Link growled, yet Dantz did not remove his hand.

"Link, I know you've been a bit distant lately, and I know you see things in the wild we don' know about," he said, "but we get travelers all the time that we don't know. What makes this man here any different?"

"That's the thing, I don't know him!" Link said loudly. "I've never seen him before! Ever!"

"Are you saying that you know every single person in these lands?" Dantz asked.

"Yes, I am!" Link said angrily.

"Boy, that's ridiculous!" Dantz said. "Now, you know how we are in this town: we greet everyone with kindness, the same way we did you, someone else we didn' know at the time. Let this man go, or I'll have to tell Mayor Reede what's going on."

Infuriated, Link looked back into the traveler's panicked eyes. They were still filled with fear, while his hands were now raised in surrender. In their reflection, he could see his own eyes, which even he had to admit had a red, murderous intent behind them. Reluctantly, he released the traveler's collar.

"T-thank you," he said to Dantz. "I-if you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way."

Quickly the man turned and started jogging down the road towards the village exit. Dantz released Link's wrist, though the disappointment in his features remained.

"What's the matter with you?" Dantz asked while Link watched as the traveler ran off. "How could you attack that poor man?"

"I'm telling you, that's not a poor man, Dantz!" Link said, looking up into the tall farmer's eyes. "That was a Yiga! A Yiga, and now he's free, again!"

"A Yiga?" Dantz repeated. "Link, there ain't been a Yiga in this village ever. I heard they can be a bother on the road, but they don't usually attack anyone."

"Well, they attack me!" Link said. "And they also attack Zelda! They have before! The moment they have their eyes set on us, they strike—"

"Well, did he strike this time?" Dantz asked. Link felt something lodge in his throat.

"N-no, he didn't," Link said, clenching his fist.

"So he was in there with Zelda the whole time, and came face to face with ya, and someone as dangerous as that, still didn't attack ya like you say they would? And just to make sure I understand this right, you only think he's some Yiga fellow because you didn' recognize him from your travels?" Dantz repeated. Reluctantly, Link nodded his head. With a sigh, the farmer continued. "Link, I dunno what's goin' on with you right now, but you can't just attack our visitors. Travelers are how we make most of our money here in Hateno. You are one of us now, and I know you're kind because you helped me with the deer population, but we can' have you messin' business up for us. Think about that next time, all righ'?"

"Yeah… Yeah, all right," Link said, lowering his head. "I'm sorry."

With a nod, Dantz walked off, rubbing the back of his head. The moment he was out of sight, Link immediately made to chase after the traveler, but yet again, someone stopped him.

"Link!" a much sweeter voice called out. Pausing in his tracks, Link looked behind him to see Zelda hurrying towards him with a bright smile on her face. "There you are! I thought you had gone without me!"

"What? Oh…" Link said, glancing back down the road before focusing on her. "No, I was just… Sorry, I got caught up in a conversation. All done with work?"

"I am, and take a look!" she said cheerfully, holding out her hands.

"That's… a lot of rupees," Link said. "Prima gave you that much?"

"She did! I guess she makes more than we realized over the weekend, right?" Zelda said happily. "Now we won't have to worry about money anymore! One less thing to stress over."

"Yeah, one less thing…" Link repeated quietly.

"Link?" Zelda asked, beginning to look concerned, however, he simply smiled at her.

"Here, let's head home," he said, beginning to walk. "We can put those in our rupee wallet."

With the smile returning to Zelda's face, she began walking beside him.

"I also have the next two days off from work," she said. "So we'll be able to… you know… Spend some time together."

"Yeah… We will, won't we?" Link said. "Hey, Zelda, I have a question."

"What is it?" she asked, noticeably curious and somewhat disappointed that he had changed the subject.

"Do you think it's unrealistic to know everyone in Hyrule?" he asked.

"Everyone?" she repeated.

"Everyone," he confirmed.

"Well, the population is a lot smaller than it used to be," she said thoughtfully, "but it still seems like a stretch to know every single person, don't you think? Why do you ask?"

"It's just what a farmer and I were talking about before you arrived," Link explained carefully. "I didn't recognize that traveler and I thought it was weird. He said there's no way I could know everyone in Hyrule, and well, I disagree."

"Well, I have noticed that you seem to know a lot of people, no matter where we go," Zelda said, "but to know everyone? Are you that confident that there aren't at least a few people you may simply not know?"

"I was," Link said with a frown, "but now? I guess, I'm not sure anymore…"