It was cold. The air, the sheets, and even the pillow under his head. Link slowly opened his eyes, revealing the shadowed wooden beams that kept his roof above him. The room was surprisingly dark, even if it were evening. With a groan, he pushed himself up from the sheets. He looked up at the window, completely dark thanks to the snow covering the glass panes from outside. His body continued to shiver as he pushed the sheets off his lower body, revealing a set of dry clothes, different from the ones he remembered wearing. Confused, he brought a cold hand up to his throbbing forehead, trying to remember what had happened before. He could remember flashes of white and wind, staring at a spot for hours, a feeling of warmth in his chest before teleporting home and—
"Zelda?" Link whispered before quickly standing. He hurried to the railing of the loft, still shivering as he moved. He gripped the railing to stay balanced before looking over the edge. "Zelda?"
He looked down into the dark dining area, unable to see clearly what was below. Despite this, a shivering voice called back.
"L-Link? A-are you awake?"
"Zelda… Yeah… Yeah, I'm awake," he answered. For a moment, he was met with silence before she quietly uttered a response back.
"That's… good. I-I'm glad you're well again."
Link furrowed his brow. She didn't sound very pleased to hear him awake. In fact, through the cold, he thought he had heard a hint of anguish in her tone. Slowly, he moved from the railing and headed toward the staircase, carefully leading himself through the darkness of the home before making it down to the first floor.
"Why is it so dark in here?" he asked, stopping the moment he stepped off the final step.
"T-the snow… it blocked the windows and doors down here…" Zelda shivered. "And the lanterns above blew out when we came back and opened the door…"
"What?" Link asked, instinctively looking at where he remembered the windows to be. "How long was I out for?"
"About a day…" she answered through the shadows.
Using her voice as guidance, Link continued his venture through the void of darkness. Her voice hadn't lightened up. It actually seemed as though the closer he got, the more dreary she sounded. Finally, he found his way to the table. His eyes had somewhat adjusted to the darkness, allowing him to see the outline of her figure sitting at the table, wrapped in a blanket for as much warmth as she could keep.
"Why are you just sitting in the cold like this?" Link asked suspiciously. Zelda didn't answer. She continued to stay seated, not even bothering to look at him. With a frown, he asked, "where's the Sheikah Slate? I'll find a way to get us warm."
"I don't have it," she decided to answer.
"Then… Where is it?" he prodded.
"I can't tell you that," Zelda said simply.
"What?"
"I said, I can't tell you that," she repeated.
Link's jaw tightened. He could feel the frustration growing inside his chest, but he couldn't allow it to fester. While he sensed something was wrong, he knew there was something he had to fix the current issue at hand. Cautiously, he moved across the room toward the kitchen counter, where he knew a few bundles of sticks were sitting on the floor against the wall nearby. He crouched and felt around before his fingers found them. Taking note of their whereabouts, he then felt around for the cabinets which he soon found, opened, and pulled out what he hoped were a few small pieces of flint. Finally, he pushed himself up to his feet and felt around the counter's surface, where he found a knife.
This is gonna have to work, he thought to himself.
Taking everything he found, he moved to what he guessed to be the middle of the room before crouching down on the floor once more. Adjusting the bundle of sticks and placing the flint in the middle, with a quick strike, the flint sparked, lighting the bundle into a burst of flames. Zelda yelped.
"Link, what are you doing?" she said loudly, standing as she watched the flames build up.
"It's alright. I've done this before," Link said calmly.
"You've done this befo— You'll burn the house down!" Zelda exclaimed.
"It'll be fine," Link said, pushing himself back to his feet. "We can't just freeze in here. If it gets smoky, I'll do something about it, but surprisingly, that's never happened before. Now, Zelda, where's the sla—"
The moment his back was straight and he looked at Zelda, his eyes noticed the tiny glint beside her. With the room now illuminated in the flame's warm glow, he could properly see a weapon sitting on the table. Its blade was curved, burned pink in places along the steel it had been crafted from, while its long handle was covered in a dark maroon wrap. The moment his eyes landed upon the familiar sword, Zelda's face had fallen into a level of disparity that matched her earlier tone.
"I… Um…" she said quietly. "I hid the slate. I hid it so that… so that you wouldn't kill yourself out there attempting to…"
She paused and bit her lip before looking back at the sword on the table.
"I… found this…" she continued, gently placing her fingers on the sword's straps, "under the bed while looking for a place to hide it. You're the one who put it there, aren't you? It's the same sword you had Robbie overlook from before."
Link didn't say anything. He simply continued to stare at the sword on the table, watching as Zelda's fingers continued to run across its handle. Suddenly, her hand turned into a fist.
"You haven't been resting at all, have you?" she asked in a low tone. "Why? Why are you acting like this? Why is it that you can't understand what it is I'm asking of you? It's like you… It's like you enjoy fighting like this—"
"Because I do enjoy fighting!" Link said, finally meeting her eyes. "It's fun for me, and you know this! I like dueling and using a sword. I like figuring out different ways to defeat monsters. I like learning different ways of combat, using a bow or maybe a hammer— heck, sometimes even the world around me!"
"So you really think this is fun?" Zelda asked, appalled.
"I don't!" Link practically yelled. "I don't find this fun at all! This… This is different! This isn't a bokoblin, or a molduga, or even a lynel, Zelda. This is a person; a person who will change, who can learn, who's unpredictable, and someone who will do anything they can to get to us! I'm not doing this because it's fun, I'm doing this because I have to!"
"You always say that!" Zelda shot back. "You always say you have to, but do you have to do things right at the moment? Why can't you rest— actually rest— and recollect yourself?"
"Because he could appear at any time!" Link answered. "And he is here! He's been here for a while! I can tell!"
"No, you can't!" Zelda said. "You haven't been right about anything regarding the Yiga! Link, you just attacked Manny! You left him on the ground with a bloody nose!"
"That… That was an accident…" he responded, averting his gaze, yet Zelda continued.
"Just like the traveler before was?" she said. "Link, this whole time you've been acting nonsensical, you could have been resting. It's been months. Months!"
"I'm telling you, I've seen him, and if I weren't keeping an eye out, he would have possibly attacked by now!" Link said. "And you know what? Maybe, if I weren't just watching and sitting here, he would have been dealt with already!"
"Link, you wanted to not only take care of the Yiga, but go off to do whatever trials the Master Sword currently has waiting for you, moments after finishing what Maz Koshia had put you through," Zelda said. "You haven't been the same since then! If you had run into the Yiga, you would have killed him."
"I told you before," Link said in a low tone, "I will take necessary measures if I deem them worthy."
"But would the measures really have been necessary?" she asked. "You very well know you have the ability to catch and restrain him, but you're still upset. You're angry after everything that happened a few months ago, and I'm not sure what it is specifically you're angry at, but you aren't the same, Link."
"I can't be the same!" he said loudly. "I'm a knight, Zelda—no, I'm the hero. The hero that failed a hundred years ago, the hero that couldn't protect the other Champions, and the hero that couldn't save everyone. You're right, I am angry. I'm angry at myself for failing. I'm angry at the Calamity for taking everything from us, and I'm angry at the Yiga for almost taking you away from me again."
"Link, you can't go on like this!" Zelda said. "I told you before it wasn't your fault—"
"And I want to believe you, I do," Link said, "but after seeing everything I saw… It's hard to get that through my head; to just hear it and accept it. The nightmares. They… They keep reminding me…"
He sighed and brought his fingers to his nose before taking a deep breath.
"Even during those trials," he continued, "I almost selfishly gave up again. I was ready to die. But now here I am, and I've learned. Maz Koshia knocked sense into me, and now I'm fighting to not only live but to also get our lives back!"
"Is this really what Maz Koshia was trying to tell you?" Zelda asked. "To throw yourself at any situation, and simply plan not to die, while instead choosing to lose yourself in the process? And even if you were doing that… This Yiga is different, isn't he? You're not fighting just to protect everyone… You want to take your anger out on him, don't you? I've noticed it… It's been that way since our encounter with him at Vah Medoh."
"I'm just doing what I have to–" Link began, yet Zelda shook her head.
"No, that's not what it is…" she said. "Link, even when we went on our adventures a hundred years ago, you never allowed anything to obscure your moments of peace, even if they were few and far in between."
"He's messing with us, Zelda!" Link lashed out. "He's messing with me! I'm tired of it! He's trying to hurt you, he's trying to hurt me, and he's turned it into a game—"
"Link—"
"And you've allowed it."
Zelda's face came crashing down. Her eyes became watery as she took a step back, shocked at what her pointed ears had just heard. While this would usually crush Link's own heart, he simply balled his hands into fists. He had to press forward. It was his duty.
"I… I just…" Zelda stumbled, still caught off guard by his words. "I-I've just been trying to keep you from harming yourself… From doing such rash things—"
"This isn't one hundred years ago, Zelda!" Link said loudly. "I know what I'm dealing with, and it takes more than just simply waiting for it to come. The Calamity came by surprise, and the way we're headed, the Yiga will too. He's already here, and waiting… I won't let another evil catch me off guard and take something else."
Tears began to run down Zelda's face. Her eyes stayed locked onto Link's, yet the coldness behind them was far greater than even the snow outside.
"T-this isn't you…" she whispered weakly. "Link… Link, you aren't being yourself—"
"I told you already, I can't afford to be myself," he said simply. "I don't like feeling like this or acting like this… but I've tried things your way, and I've tried things Jules's way. Now it's time to try things the way I know it needs to happen, and I need you to stop getting in my way."
"B-but, I'm not in the way!" Zelda argued. "Link, when you wanted to deal with the Yiga, you weren't even properly healed from your fight with Koshia! You aren't even properly okay now! I'm only trying to—"
"Zelda," Link said sharply, forcing her voice to stop in her throat. "I'm done listening to you. Your job was to seal the Calamity, and for the most part, that's done. My job was to fight it, but to also keep you and everyone safe—"
"But, I'm not going by my title, and you know that. I don't want to be a princess in your eyes—"
"Then stop acting like one."
At this, Link practically saw all light leave from behind Zelda's teary irises. The two stared at each other, with nothing but the howling wind and the cackling fire to fill the void of silence between them. Finally, Zelda averted her eyes. She looked around the room, taking deep breaths in an attempt to keep herself from breaking down before finally closing them. After swallowing what appeared to be sobs, she spoke.
"Okay," she whimpered out between sniffles. "Alright then. I… I'm sorry for being a bother to you. I'll leave you be."
She opened her eyes, but her gaze was stuck to the floorboards. She moved from the table, leaving the curved blade of the sword on its surface. Link watched as she passed by him, still downcast as she continued to try and keep her sniffling in check. Suddenly, the weight of the words he spoke struck him. He made to turn around, to call out and apologize, and yet, he stopped upon noticing the now non-obstructed glint of burned steel that remained on the table. He furrowed his brow and tightened his jaw. If this is what it took, then so be it.
"Link."
The sudden and unexpected sound of her soft tone was what made him pull his gaze away from the blade. He looked back at Zelda, who stood halfway up the staircase, peering down at him with tear-stained cheeks. She took another breath and wiped her tears away before giving him as stern a look as she could.
"I hope you know what you're doing. Please… Whatever it is you choose to do… Come back to me."
"I already told you that's my intention," Link replied.
After another moment to take in each other's eyes, Zelda gave an almost imperceptible nod before disappearing onto the loft, leaving him alone with the sword. Link remained standing for some time, allowing the shadows that tainted the orange glow of the walls to dance around him before he took a seat at the table. Placing his elbows on the table's edge, he brought his hands together and pressed his lips to knuckles as he stared down at the Windcleaver, allowing his thoughts to consume him.
...
It had been days since the village of Hateno had been covered in snow and the storm didn't look as though it would be letting up anytime soon. The snow had become so thick, most of the doors and lower windows of buildings had been entirely blocked by the sparkling powder. The village sat shrouded in darkness. Whether it was night or day, no one knew, for the clouds above blocked any and all light from the sky above. While most of those trapped inside their homes tried to pass the time together, using each other to keep themselves happy and warm, this was not so for those in the house across the bridge away from the rest.
Link hadn't known how many days had passed. Even if the sky did reveal whether there was sunlight or moonlight above, he still probably wouldn't have had a clue. His eyes had rarely moved from the sword that sat on the table, which remained untouched as it collected a layer of dust so thin, he could count any new particle that landed upon it. Its blade continued to glow orange, reflecting the light of the campfire, which still sat burning in the middle of the floor. Just as Link had said, smoke somehow hadn't built up. Though Zelda would have usually (but still reluctantly) given him slight praise for showing off another one of his outlandish, yet somehow efficient, methods of survival, this never came nor did he go search for it. She stayed upstairs and he remained sitting in the chair, simply waiting for the storm to pass, or possibly, for something to happen.
It wasn't as though he was completely ignoring her. He would listen to the sound of her steps anytime she came downstairs for a quick snack. The sound of her moving, opening cabinets, searching for food before eventually heading back up the stairs, he listened to it all. Each time she came down, each time he wanted to say something, each time he simply couldn't, and each time she would head back upstairs without a trace. He couldn't blame her; he would do the exact same, only getting up to grab food before returning to his spot at the table, just as he prepared to do now.
After what felt like another hundred years had passed, Link turned his head, choosing to look out the window near the front door. It wasn't as though he was trying to look out the glass panes. He knew they were covered with snow, yet it was an instinctual reaction as he tried to think about how much time had passed since his last meal. It had probably been a few hours since his last one, judging by the last time he heard Zelda come down the stairs. At this revelation, he stood, deciding now was a better time than any to fill his stomach.
Stretching his back, allowing the cracks in his spine to echo, he walked over to the kitchen counter and crouched down at the cabinet level. Opening them up, he began looking through their contents for whatever snack he could find. As he searched, he allowed the ambiance around him to fill his ears. The wind continued to howl while flames in the home continued to crack. He hadn't heard anything upstairs in some time, something he would always take note of, yet would assume after some time that Zelda had simply fallen asleep.
"Nothing much is in here," Link mumbled to himself as he continued searching through the cabinets. "All the perishables are in the slate to keep them fresh…"
After a few seconds more of searching, his hands finally found something. He pulled out a small bag and looked inside. He frowned but sighed.
"Acorns and chickaloo nuts," he mumbled. "Well, I had to eat them eventually. Looks like grabbing everything I saw on the road might finally pay off. I'll just grab some rock salt and… hm? A few pieces of leftover meat? I must've covered these in salt to save them for later… meaning now. I can make a sautèed dish with this."
With the ingredients in hand, he reached in one last time and pulled out a pan. With all he needed, he stood over the counter and prepped his meal, pouring the nuts from out the bag and into the pan before adding the meat around the edges. He only needed the fats from the meat to coat the nuts themselves. With the pan of nuts now ready, he moved and sat down next to the fire, holding the pan carefully over the flame. It wasn't long before the nuts were cooked and placed in a bowl on the table.
"There," Link said, standing over the table as he looked down at his freshly cooked dish. "Looks pretty good when cooked this way. Still… it feels like something's missing."
Immediately he glanced up at the loft, where his eyes remained stuck on the darkened roof above before murmuring, "a drink. A drink would be nice to wash it down with."
Tearing his eyes away from the loft, he looked around before spotting the bottles that sat on the wall shelf above the cooking counter.
"The alcohol Bolson left me when he furnished the house," Link said quietly to himself. After a pause, he shrugged. "Gotta drink it at some point. It would be rude not to, and it's not like there's much else. All the milk is in the slate…"
Again, he moved across the room, avoiding the fire before stopping at the counter. Pushing himself onto his toes, he reached up and chose a bottle to bring down to his level. Placing that on the counter, he began looking around for a cup, wondering if this too had been brewed by Prima at some point in the past.
"Link…"
He turned, stopping his hunt for the dish he needed. There she stood, standing at the bottom of the staircase, dressed in one of her usual simplistic dresses. Her hair had been completely taken down, showing that some hair was indeed longer than the rest in order to form her braid or ponytail. Her emerald green eyes stared at him, sparkling against the orange glow from the flames in the room.
"Zelda…" Link said. "I, uh… thought you were asleep."
"I tried to, but… It's been hard to drift off recently," she said quietly, now walking toward him.
"Yeah… I get that," he answered, turning back to try and find a cup again. "Sorry, I only made food for myself."
"That's fine," Zelda replied. "Hey, Link, listen… I… I wanted to—"
"If this is about the Yiga, I'm not dropping it," he said sternly. "I told you already: he could do anything, and I'm tired of just sitting here waiting. I'll be the one to make the first move."
"And after thinking about it some… maybe you're right," Zelda said as she grew closer. Link's hands slowed slightly as his ears twitched, but they kept moving as he listened. "I… I didn't listen to you and constricted you. I let you fight the calamity, only to suddenly keep you contained after everything you've been through. I was afraid you'd do something… Without considering that something could possibly help us. I… I'm sorry. Truly…"
"You… mean that?" Link asked, stopping his hands completely. He placed his palms on the edge of the counter and lowered his head.
"I do," Zelda said. She placed her hands on Link's back before pressing her entirety against him. "From here on out, I'll help you. But for now… can you please just come to bed? It's hard to sleep without you next to me. Maybe we can… finally connect with each other, as we were supposed to a while ago…"
The two paused, allowing the ambiance of the wind to take hold of their eardrums before Link slowly began to shake his head.
"No."
"No?" Zelda asked.
"No… No, no, no…" Link mumbled. "Of everything you've done these past few months… This is easily the worst."
"Link? Link, what are you—?"
Before she could finish, in one swift motion, Link spun around her body before grabbing her by the wrist from behind. Placing one hand behind her, he shoved her down onto the countertop. She yelped in pain as her forehead slammed against the wooden surface. As she tried to collect herself, Link forced the other hand down by her head.
"Hey!" she said, trying to look back at him as best she could. "That hurts! Link, what are you doing?"
"Drop the act," Link said coldly. "I know it's you."
At this, Zelda gave a smirk.
"And I was having so much fun," she hissed.
It all happened in an instant. She lifted her foot, attempting to strike down on the top of Link's with the heel of her boot. He quickly moved his foot back, though unfortunately, this gave Zelda the leverage she needed. With surprising strength, she used her other foot to strike his other, forcing his body to start tumbling. Link spun to quickly regain his balance, causing him to lose grip on her wrists. With a backflip, Zelda put distance between them, landing just in front of the campfire with a grin.
"So? What gave me away?" she questioned.
"You didn't make any footsteps when you came down the stairs," Link said, adjusting his stance in preparation for a fight. "It was as if you suddenly just appeared in the room. Zelda also wouldn't come on to me that strongly, at least, not without stuttering or blushing."
"Hm. Don't you know her frustratingly well," she groaned. "And here I hoped I could make this easy. Though, to be fair, while hopeful, I didn't actually think it would— ah!"
Link advanced, throwing a quick jab towards her neck, yet Zelda again flipped away. She soared high in the air and over the campfire. She landed on the dining table with a thud next to the burned blade, causing it to rattle against the wooden surface under it.
"Going for the larynx? Just like that?" she asked, crouching down onto the balls of her feet. "Jeez, you really aren't playing any more games with us, huh?"
"I'm not," Link replied with cold eyes. "I am finishing this right now—"
"Hey, hey, easy there, hero," Zelda said in a soothing voice, properly taking a seat on the edge of the table. "I didn't come here to fight."
"Then what was that just now? Coming from behind me?" Link asked.
"That was an assassination attempt. That's not fighting," she answered loftily. "Assassinations usually don't come with struggle. There's no back and forth like a fight has, and I didn't come to throw blows."
"Well, I don't really care what you came here for," Link said icily. "I said I'm finishing this—"
"And I said that I'm not here to fight," Zelda said, returning the cold stare. "And I promise you that you don't want to either."
"Oh, I'm pretty sure I do," Link corrected, yet the golden-haired girl closed her eyes and shook her head.
"If you really wanna fight, then so be it," she said. "But I would definitely reconsider."
"Why's that?" Link asked, beginning to slowly shift his way toward her.
"Because, while I know I can't beat you, at least, not like this," she started before pointing up at the loft, "I'm confident I can at least take her with me before I fall."
"I won't let you," Link said angrily, yet the woman shrugged.
"Sure, take that risk," she said. "If that's how it goes for me, then fine. But, why take such a gamble when I've come to simply challenge you myself?"
This made Link pause in his steps.
"A challenge?" he asked.
"That's what I said," Zelda said sweetly. "But, I won't say anything more until you've respectfully lowered those fists of yours."
"And how do I know you won't try and kill Zelda the moment I do?" Link asked skeptically.
"So many questions," Zelda sighed, rolling her head back. "Because, Champion, while I would love to kill the princess who took our beloved Calamity Ganon away from us, I'd like to actually live to see the entirety of our retribution."
Link remained tense, keeping his fists raised as he looked at the woman sitting at his table up and down. As much as it made him sick to his stomach, the assassin seemed to be telling the truth, and as much as he hated to admit it, he didn't want to risk Zelda's life if he chose to fight. Slowly, he lowered his hands.
"There we go. Finally," the Zelda in front of him exclaimed. She slid off the table and sat in the chair opposite the one Link had been sitting in for the past few days. "What? Not going to offer a house guest a drink or food?"
"Unless you're interested in eating a bowl of nuts, you're out of luck," Link answered coolly.
"No bananas? None at all? What kind of sorry excuse of a home is this?" she asked disappointedly as she glanced over at the bowl of nuts. When Link didn't answer she groaned. "Well, can I at least have a glass of whatever drink you're having?"
"It's a fine ale," Link said, walking back over to the counter, making a point to keep his eyes on her. "Are you sure you want some?"
"Don't treat me like I can't handle a simple drink," Zelda growled. Link snorted.
"You have the face of someone who can't," he said as he began searching for another cup. "Why are you still like that anyway?"
"What? You don't like it?" Zelda said, looking down at herself. "I thought I was being so kind, allowing you to see the face of the one you loved before I ended you, at least, if I had succeeded that is. You really don't like it?"
"I doubt that's the true reason, and I don't," Link answered honestly. "In fact, I hate it. It's making it hard not to attack you at this very moment. You have no right to impersonate her. No one does, but especially not you."
"Hm… Then how about this?"
She raised her hand and snapped her fingers. In a puff of smoke, Zelda was no longer sitting in the chair. Another woman had taken her place. Her dress was much darker, her features sharper, her eyes had lightened, and her hair was now a deep shade of purple.
"How about this one?" she asked. "You like this one, don't you?"
Link, whose hands had paused, simply stared. His eyes only grew colder as the seconds passed. With another sigh, she snapped her fingers again. Her hair was now brown and shoulder length, with blue eyeliner and a dress similar to Zelda's.
"Eh? Eh?" she asked, holding out her arms. "This one makes a good amount of money and knows how to brew, doesn't she? She made me a nice ale that one time—"
"How about," Link said irritably, finally finding a second cup, "you stop putting on facades. I'd rather see that ugly mask of yours instead of you using the ones who belong to others."
The clerk snarled before turning into another puff of smoke. Finally, the familiar lanky body, dressed in the maroon, skin-tight outfit appeared. Belts covered his body, his hair was put up into a high ponytail, and of course, his white mask was on full display, showing off its red-painted eye. Different from most other masks, though, this one had a nice crack that went through it. Link snorted in amusement.
"Haven't gotten that mask fixed, huh?" he asked as he opened the bottle of wine.
"You're the one who cracked it," the Yiga seethed. "I would have gotten a new one, but my clan happens to be locked away, also thanks to you."
"I think it's funny," Link said, now pouring the drinks. "Vaguely reminds me of someone from your clan I fought in the past. Big guy… Liked to use two swords. My memory is still a bit foggy, though."
"Yes, I've heard stories Master Kohga told about him. He claimed you've been beaten many times by him, only sparing your life thanks to Kohga's mercy, for reasons we wouldn't understand," the Yiga said.
"That sounds… wrong, but alright then," Link shrugged.
Once the cups were full, he carried them over to the table and sat down in front of his bowl of nuts, offering the Yiga his. The assassin snatched it away, surprisingly not spilling even a drop of drink. Link couldn't help but admire the clan's skill in balance. He brought his cup to his lips and took a sip before lowering it back down.
"How long have you been here?" he asked.
"That would be an interesting answer," the Yiga replied.
"How many of those I confronted were actually you?"
"I can at least tell you that I don't have a broken nose."
"Stop messing with me," Link said angrily, slamming his hand down on the table.
The Yiga simply stared at him. It was impossible to see whatever expression he had thanks to the mask. What Link did notice was the mask slightly glancing up at the loft before looking back. Suddenly, the assassin started chuckling.
"I didn't come here to cleanse your mind of whatever is currently up there," he said quietly. "I came to offer you a challenge. A deal of sorts."
Link squinted his eyes, trying to contain his fury as he watched the Yiga, who was now swirling the alcohol in his drink.
"What kind of deal?" he finally asked.
"I will fight you," the assassin answered simply. "You and me. One on one. To. The. End. I won't go after your precious princess—at least, not until after our duel."
"You just want to fight me?" Link asked skeptically. "I don't understand. How is that a deal? What do you get out of that?"
"I get a chance," the Yiga said. "A chance to actually beat you. I'll be honest with you, Champion, if we fought now or later in our current situation, I'd die. Sure, I could take the princess out with me, but as I've said before, I'd like to be alive afterward. Personal preference. You see, I can't assassinate you. You're too good, no matter how much I wear you down. I can't kill the princess with you alive, otherwise, you'd go full hero on me, just like last time on Vah Medoh— if you can call that rage of yours heroic. Maybe the word feral would suit you better at this point—"
"So, you want to fight me, so you can get to Zelda," Link cut in, "and not deal with the repercussions afterward?"
"Exactly," the Yiga said.
"And what makes you so sure you can beat me then?" Link asked.
"Because you wouldn't have your greatest strength… You wouldn't be fighting to protect," the Yiga said. "And that just might give me the edge I need."
"Then why tell me that?" Link asked. "What makes you so confident I'll take up your offer?"
"Because in every other scenario… She dies."
With a free hand, the Yiga revealed a long, curved sickle from under the dining table and pointed it up at the loft, but his mask stayed firmly on Link's firm blue eyes.
"I get to her first, whether now… or if she's at work… she won't let you watch over her every second of the day, and even if you did, I'd be able to kill her before you could end me," he said. "That I'm sure of. So… Go ahead, Champion. Don't take my offer… and put her life at risk. I won't try and argue with you. If you choose to not take my offer, we can fight here and now. Why put off the inevitable?"
Link didn't budge. He kept his fierce gaze on the Yiga's upside-down blood-red eye. The assassin lowered his weapon.
"Looks like we have a deal then," he said.
The dealmaker raised his cup of wine to the recipient on the other end of the table.
"Right?"
Link still didn't move away from the eye, but he slowly raised his cup. Barely, he tapped the edge of it against the Yiga's. The assassin gave a singular chuckle.
"Then a deal's a deal," he said, placing the cup on the table. "I came to you, so now it's your turn to come to me. I'll meet you in the tallest tower of Hyrule Castle, the place where my calamity was supposed to return in all his glory. Until then, Champion."
With that, the Yiga stood and began walking toward the door.
"Why now?"
Before the assassin got far, he turned his head back to Link, who was still carefully watching him.
"Why now?" Link asked again. The Yiga grunted.
"Maybe I just got a little chilly out there," he answered. "These clothes aren't exactly warm."
"You should've drank your wine then," Link said. "You didn't even take a sip. It at least would've made you feel warm."
The Yiga snorted.
"Just because you didn't see it… doesn't mean I didn't do it," the Yiga said. "Until our duel, Hero."
In a burst of smoke, the assassin vanished. Link, still burning with fury, returned his gaze to the table, past his bowl of untouched sautèed nuts, and at the cup the Yiga left behind, where it now sat alone and empty.
"Just because you didn't see it… doesn't mean it didn't happen," Link murmured, glancing behind him at the loft. "That's what I've been saying."