To Link's mild surprise, there wasn't much of a fuss as he approached the settlement. Some of the children playing outside looked up at him with curiosity, and a few of the adults gave him a glance. Apparently, they already decided he was trustworthy and didn't need to be asked who he was or why he was there. Clearly this was a place that had strangers come and go often. It was as he got closer that he finally started to realize where he was.
It turned out the decoration of a horse's head on the main building wasn't there for show. Attached to it were stables with various horses at rest! They were healthy animals, strong and well-fed. The adults at work were mostly tending to the horses, getting hay ready for them or brushing the animals to keep them clean and groomed. The kids running around weren't doing much to help, but seemed to be wearing the same type of what Link could only see as uniforms as the adults. Children of the stable workers, probably.
As Link got even closer, he saw that the stable was even guarded, men with spears were keeping watch around the small settlement but paid little mind to Link. Clearly it wasn't highwaymen that the people there were worried about, it seemed that monsters lurked around these parts as well. He also observed a man with a very large backpack with a decoration on top like a beetle's horn. This man was talking to another man, the two seeming to be haggling. There were even some dogs roaming about, looking healthy and happy as they followed some humans about or laid down in the grass and relaxed in the sun.
Even though Link knew he was heading towards a village, this small slice of normal life before him came as a surprise. A part of him expected most of Hyrule to be like the Great Plateau, full of monsters and the skeletons of ancient buildings. Though he supposed it had been a full century since Calamity Ganon brought its dark wrath upon the kingdom. Plenty of time to rebuild and make the best out of the destroyed land.
Clearly this stable here was a place where travelers could rest and trade, Link wishing he had some Rupees to get a horse with. It only took him a moment to realize he once more remembered something so casually, the currency of Hyrule being Rupees! In his mind's eye, he could see the multicolored gems. Once more, he was frustrated by how he could remember things like that, but his own past was something he just couldn't access on his own…
Thinking of it, this was a good chance for Link to gather more information on what the world was like, and maybe he could rest for the night as well. Even sleeping outside again was fine if he was amid civilization. Surely no one would mind if he just sat against the building and slept that way. He hated to admit it, even to himself, but he felt sort of nervous seeing so many people. The Old Man was one thing, and Brigo was just one guy, even if his sudden appearance somewhat startled Link at first. It was almost amusing, all the trekking, mountain climbing, and monster fighting didn't make him as nervous as talking to someone new. He assumed it'd get better with time, of course, just had to get used to it!
As Link pondered this, he got quite close to the stable, one of the children in uniform running up to him, a young boy with a cheery grin. "Hey! I've never seen you around here before!" The child exclaimed, looking Link over, and especially eyeing the Sheikah Slate. "Are you new here? Are you from far away? What's that on your hip? Are you here to buy a horse?" He rambled on, asking the questions too fast for Link to properly answer any of them.
Honestly, the fact it was just a curious kid that got to him first put Link at ease. In a strange way he was almost reminded of the Korok he met. A small, harmless, innocent encounter. It was only then that he realized he never came up with a fake backstory for himself. No way he could go around saying he was from a century ago and that his goal was to destroy Calamity Ganon. Might as well stick with something vague for the moment.
"This is my first time here, actually." Link replied, getting down on one knee to more properly talk to the boy. "I'm from pretty far away, you mind telling me what this place is? Seems pretty cozy."
Apparently, this wasn't the answer the boy was looking for. Maybe he wanted to hear that Link was some warrior from another land or something equally impressive. After Link's response, a bit of the glimmer left the child's eye, though he remained polite. "You must be from pretty far if you don't know the Dueling Peaks Stable, mister. Everyone stops through here! You can rent a horse or sleep at the inn or buy food too!" He pointed at the man with the beetle-like backpack. "Beedle is always coming through these, he has stuff to sell, but he's kinda weird."
Link nodded along, having had a feeling about most of these things to start with, but the confirmation was nice. "I see. Who owns the stable? I wanted to see if I could work for him so I can eat and sleep at the inn." He reckoned it was getting late in the day, so better to stop here and rest for a day rather than keep going and having to sleep outside again. "And how far is Kakariko Village from here?" He should've opened with that…
"Oh, you want to talk to Tasseren." The boy said, pointing to a man in one of the uniforms standing in front of the stable. He a nice looking man with dark skin and a watchful eye. It didn't seem like he had too much of an interest with Link at the moment, though. "Kakariko Village is pretty far, a whole bunch of hours away. Tasseren will probably let you sleep here if you work for a bit, mister!"
A whole bunch of hours wasn't quite so helpful, but Link decided he'd just ask Tasseren. "Thanks for the help, kid. I appreciate it." The boy took this as a sign to scamper off, joining another small boy in mindless running around. It was nice that kids were still able to just be kids, to an extent. Granted, he still had no idea just how bad Hyrule as a whole was, but if his trip from the Great Plateau to here was any indication, there weren't too many settlements to see.
Link approached Tasseren, the man taking prominent note of him as he arrived and offered the blonde stranger a welcoming smile. "Ah, welcome, don't think I've seen you here before!" He greeted, gesturing vaguely to the stable's main building. "I'm Tasseren, the owner of this fine place! Do you need a place to sleep? Some food? A horse to rent, maybe?"
"That's just it, I don't have any money. I was hoping to work for some food and a place to sleep for the night. I also wanted to know how far Kakariko Village is from here." Link explained, having to wonder just how much wealth there even was in the kingdom considering its near destruction a century ago.
Tasseren nodded, seeming to understand Link's plight, as if he was far from the first to ask for the exchange. "I see, well, that's pretty common. You'll have to put in a couple hours of work, but a nice hot meal and a warm bed will be waiting for you." He replied with a kind smile, almost seeming to feel bad for Link, probably assuming him a poor and starving vagrant. Not that that was far from the truth. "And if you left for Kakariko Village right now, you'd have to rush to make there before the sun fully sets. It's up to you if you want to get an early morning start."
Link could rush onward…but…honestly, the idea of a hot cooked meal served to him, and an actual bed was so very tempting. His back and limbs were aching from sleeping against trees and on top of Sheikah Towers. And maybe it was just him trying to convince himself, but he pondered that Impa may go to bed early, so he should get to Kakariko Village during the day.
"Okay, it's a deal. Whatever you want me to do, I'll do it." Link figured that after climbing a mountain and fighting through monsters, a couple hours of manual labor wasn't going to be too huge of a deal.
"Alright! A deal it is!" Tasseren said jovially, reaching out a hand to shake that Link took. "Now let's see how about you start with some firewood? Take an axe leaning against the stable and chop down one of the nearby trees. Just don't wander too far, there are Bokoblins scattered about the field behind the stable."
That explained the guards more accurately. And they must have been doing their jobs rather well since no one in the settlement seemed particularly worried. "Alright, I can handle that." The young man replied, opting to get to work right away.
The day went by remarkably fast as Link worked about the stable. He felled a tree and made an adequate pile of firewood from it, and rather easily too. After that, Tasseren had a list of other things for the young man to do. Feeding the horses, brushing them, cleaning after them, and saddling some up for those renting them. Link found he was able to get a horse prepared with ease, making it clear he had plenty of practice with it in his past life. Made him wonder if he had a horse of his own that he was particularly attached to.
Link was even tasked with helping keep guard along the back of the stable, given the weapons and shield he had. It was a quiet post, with the other men keeping watch not being too chatty, too focused on looking out for danger. Indeed, at some points during the hour-long shift, Link saw a few Bokoblins off in the distance as well as another Sheikah Tower way off past the field, but he had no time to make a detour there. As for the Bokoblins, they seemed to be chasing some small animals through the tall grass, but the creatures didn't wander too close to the stable. There were also wild horses roaming about in the field and relatively close to the stable, explaining where they got the rides in the first place, but the Bokoblins appeared to stay away from the horses too. It seemed even the monsters had the intelligence to stay away from people in large numbers and animals that could kill them with a single kick. Link could only hope the Bokoblins in the area didn't begin to outnumber the people, who knew what'd happen then…
Another thing of note in the fields east of the stable were a large amount of destroyed Guardians. It wasn't just one or two, but dozens of them scattered across the large expanse. Link was wondering what could cause such a widespread destruction of the automatons, and he asked one of the guards, but he claimed the field was like that for as long as anyone could remember. It must have happened during the Calamity, that's what Link guessed at least. Staring at the field, he felt a sort of…itch inside his skull that he couldn't understand the reason for…
After the sun set, and after some miscellaneous extra chores, Tasseren cut Link loose, telling him to clean himself in the nearby pond as dinner was being made for him. The young man didn't need to be told twice, having worked up quite a sweat after the day's work. One of the dogs even followed him as he went to the pond, shedding his gear as he took the clean water and splashed it across his face and his body. Thinking of it, it was the closest thing to a bath he had since waking up in that unusual room. He probably smelled pretty bad before the wash…
After the wash, and a bit of dog-petting, Link went back to the main stable where its chef, Tasseren's wife, had provided a lovely meal for him. Some well-made steak, cooked mushrooms, and an assortment of steamed vegetables on the side. It was delicious, and it was gone far too soon, the young man enjoying every bite of it. One thing he noticed as the day went on was that no one aside from the young boy tried to pry into his business. Even as he got his meal, he accepted it with a thanks and sat at a table alone to enjoy it. Link figured that so many travelers came through just wanted to keep to themselves that those at the stable just stopped asking questions.
Served him just fine. In all honesty, the thought of conversing for long periods still made him feel somewhat uneasy. Even just being around so many people was off-putting to him. He was just so used to being alone for such long stretches that being around dozens of other humans for hours was just alien to him. Link assumed that he'd get over it with time, after all if he managed to stop Calamity Ganon, he'd have to settle back into society.
For the time being, it was time for rest. There were numerous beds alongside the wall of the main stable, nothing fancy, but compared to Link's usual sleeping conditions, they looked like small slices of heaven. While he shed his gear and placed it next to the bed, he kept the Sheikah Slate on his hip, just in case. Didn't seem like anyone around had curious hands, but that was the most important object he had, and he had to be careful.
Such worries melted away the instant Link lied down in the bed, letting out a pleased sigh as he sank into the mattress. It was a comfort he hadn't felt since he woke up without his memories, and he wasn't able to fight against it. Within a few short moments, his eyes shut, and he was knocked out almost instantly. The exhausted young man entered a heavy, dreamless sleep that ended way too soon. He woke up after what only seemed like a second or two to see it was daytime once more, about seven in the morning. Others around him were getting up, and he knew he had to do the same as much as he hated the idea.
Link got up with a stretch, his back and limbs feeling so much better! A single night's sleep in a real bed was what he truly needed! His body was about as life as a feather, and he had a lot more energy than he was used to, practically feeling like he could just run the rest of the way to Kakariko Village. With no reason to linger on at the stable, he ate one of his apples and said farewell to Tasseren and his wife, thanking them for the deal. He made one quick stop to refill his bottles with the nearby pond water before setting off once more.
He checked his Sheikah Slate one more time to double check he was going in the right direction, glancing back at the stable and its inhabitants as he walked away. It would've been nice to get a horse, but if a day's work just meant one meal and a bed for the night, it'd surely take a long while for him to work enough to get a horse. At least he knew he'd be in Kakariko Village by the end of the day. Probably around noon or early afternoon at the pace he was going. Hopefully there wouldn't be many monsters along the way, thinking there'd be plenty of foot traffic from the village and what he assumed was the closest slice of civilization.
These thoughts of a peaceful trek only increased as Link crossed a large stone bridge covered in moss and clearly hadn't been tended to in decades. Despite how sturdy it still managed to look, he practically thought it'd crumble as he set foot on it, which thankfully didn't happen. There was even another traveler on the bridge, a middle-aged man with greying brown hair that was resting at one of its rails and looking at the water below. For a second, Link wondered if he was considering jumping. The look in the man's eyes was one of exhaustion and sadness, like he had nothing else to live for.
"Hey, are you okay?" The blonde asked before he even realized he wanted to ask. He knew it was what Brigo would want him to do…
This slightly startled the stranger, who looked back at Link with a grateful expression. "Oh, don't mind me, young man." He said, his voice tired, but determined. It was clear Link misread the man's expression, he wasn't as far gone as he had appeared. "Just taking a quick breather. The Dueling Peaks Stable is close by, isn't it?"
A wave of relief washed over Link as he gave a small nod. "Yeah, it's not too far from here. Just a bit to the south." With that, the stranger gave a word of thanks and Link went on his way. He couldn't help but glance over his shoulder a few times while the bridge was in sight to see what the man did. Thankfully, he eventually saw the stranger move on towards the stable. It was still jarring for the young man to engage in conversations, he felt stiff and out of place conversing with others. Maybe once he reached Kakariko Village and was surrounded by even more people, that'd change a bit.
For the next few hours, not much happened. The path, the only path forward so Link knew he was going the right way, went up very slowly as he went on. Nothing at all like the mountain back on the Great Plateau, of course. While he was keeping his eye out for danger, none made itself evident and he had to wonder if a lot of Hyrule was like this or just a few routes between settlements. The path was enclosed, rockface or sheer drops on either side, so there weren't exactly many ways for monsters to worm their ways in.
However, just as Link was thinking about this, he saw something that made him stop in his tracks. Off to the side of the road was a most unusual creature! Not a monster…at least he didn't think so, it wasn't like the Bokoblins or the Moblin. It was certainly tall, though, at least twice as tall as Link was for sure. At a glance, it seemed to be a living tree of sorts, in the vague shape of a person. It had stubby limbs and a rotund body, a satchel showing intelligence similar to the loincloths and weapons wielded by Bokoblins and Moblins.
It had two large branches of sorts at the top of its head, with what seemed to be large eyebrows made of wood and a leaf through its nose that looked like some kind of a beard. "Oh no, oh no…" The creature murmured as Link got close, the thing having a strangely high-pitched voice for being so large, but it was an unmistakably male one. "Those horrible creatures…! Oooh…!"
After observing the unusual entity for a second, Link came across a shocking conclusion. It was a Korok! Like the one he encountered at the Great Plateau, except far larger! At least…he was pretty sure it was one. The thing generally looked the same, but it was so radically different at the same time, especially with its massive height. Still, the young man approached the supposed Korok carefully, ready to fight back if it lunged at him.
However, it didn't seem to even notice Link as he got closer, not even when he was mere feet away. It just kept muttering to itself, seeming highly distressed over some nasty creatures. "Uh, excuse me. Are you alright?" Link asked, far too curious as to what was going on to be able to just walk by and pretend he didn't see anything.
This caused the large Korok-like being to jump a bit, letting out a startled noise. It didn't attack, though, if anything it seemed more fearful of Link than he was of it. "Y…You can see me?! A child of the forest?! I thought us Koroks were invisible to you human folk!" The living tree spouted out, seeming to look Link over, though with no visible eyes, that was merely a guess from the young man.
"I can see you just fine, and hear you too." Link responded, starting to feel more at ease that the tree creature was no threat to him. "You wouldn't happen to be a Korok, would you?" Might as well just ask and get to the bottom of it.
"Me? Why, yes, I am! My name is Hestu!" The overgrown Korok said, as if it was quite obvious. "I never thought I'd meet a human that could see me! It's been a hundred years since someone could do that! How did you do that, mister?!"
So, there was some sort of strong magic involved with these Korok things. The smaller one Link encountered could easily hide away if people were nearby, but Hestu was gigantic and didn't blend into his surroundings at all. "My name is Link, and I really don't know why I can see you. Are you sure you're actually hidden…?" He was starting to wonder how much was really going on in this Korok's head.
"Why of course I'm hidden! I've been here for hours and people passed by without even looking at me! Not until you, I mean." Hestu explained, then looked down at his empty hands. "Oooh…! Those horrible monsters…!" He bemoaned, sounding on the verge of tears.
As strange as this all was, Link couldn't just walk away when it sounded like Hestu was about to break down sobbing. "What monsters? You don't look hurt, so what's wrong?" He asked, glancing the Korok up and down for any signs of injury. Since monsters were doing something bad to him, apparently it was just humans that couldn't see him, perhaps.
"My maracas!" Hestu cried, waving his empty hands as if Link was blind for not noticing the instruments' absence. "Some of those Bokoblins stole my maracas and ran off! I can't go back home without my music!" Once more, he let out a whine as if he was going to cry at any moment. It made Link wonder if, despite his size, Hestu was young, at least by Korok standards. It'd explain his voice as well as his mannerisms.
"Oh, well…are the monsters nearby?" He wasn't in the mood to waste time on this, but if the Bokoblins were close by, he supposed he could take a few minutes to help. The guilt would eat at Link if he just walked away as well.
Hestu gasped, somewhat dramatically. "You'll help me, kind human?! Oh, thank you! The mean monsters are just around that corner! I can't fight, so you'll need to get the maracas back for me!" The large Korok pointed to a path that curved out of sight. "You look strong, so it shouldn't be a problem for you."
There were monsters that close?! How long had they been there, and why did they remain in solitude? Well, whatever. That didn't matter. He got his rusty sword and shield ready as he gave Hestu a determined look. "You just stay here and I'll be back with your maracas, okay?" The sentence sounded ridiculous to Link, but it was too late to turn back…
Hestu nodded, which basically meant nodding his entire body, eagerly as Link started to slowly make his way around the bend. The young man made his footfalls as silently as possible, wanting to get the drop on the nearby Bokoblins! It only took a few moments for him to hear the blabbering of the hideous creatures, and only a few more to peer around the corner and properly see them.
A small blessing. There were only three Red Bokoblins in a small clearing at a cliff's edge. How they got up this far with no one noticing was beyond Link, they never seemed particularly stealthy. They were sitting around a put-out campfire, the bones of some small animal scattered about the grass. Two of the monsters were holding a red maraca each, shaking the instruments around and letting them rattle about. It took Link a minute to realize that the noises from the monsters he was hearing were the Bokoblins laughing at the maracas shaking. They were as easily entertained as children, clearly.
He could take them out with his bow easily, but he didn't have a lot of room to run back if he missed and the Bokoblins closed the distance. Link feared if he went back to where Hestu was, they may attack the Korok…which raised the question why they left him unharmed to start with. Maybe they thought he was a strange tree, or they were so entertained by the maracas they simply didn't care about him. Or, more disturbingly, they saw he had no meat to eat so didn't see fit to kill him.
Link had no idea why he was pondering these things and decided to just attack! Speaking of attack, the Bokoblins weren't well-armed. No bows on their side, only clubs and slabs of wood as shields. With this in mind, he quickly sprinted from cover and charged at the monsters. They barely had time to react to his presence before Link shoved his rusted sword through the chest of the nearest Bokoblin, killing it in an instant.
The other two Bokoblins shouted in anger and surprise as they got their weapons ready. One of them swung their club at Link harshly, but he blocked it with his shield. Unfortunately, this was too much for the nearly destroyed object, as it practically crumbled into pieces from the impact, making it entirely worthless. He swung his sword at this same Bokoblin, striking it on the side of the head. The rusted blade pierced about halfway through its skull before snapping in half, the blade now near-useless as well. At the very least, the second monster fell dead on the ground.
With a cry, the remaining Bokoblin swung at Link, who weaved around the attack and stabbed the monster into the throat with the remains of the rusted sword, which was just sharp enough to pierce the soft flesh, causing the Bokoblin to collapse. As it died on the ground, Link picked up the maracas and left the monster to its fate, not feeling the need to replace the sword he lost given he still had a club, but he did take one of the wooden shields. It was better than nothing, after all. Still, he hoped that if Impa was going to help him once he reached Kakariko Village, she'd do so with some new equipment to help on his journey.
As Link walked back, he gave one of the maracas a shake and heard it rattle. It only really dawned on him that he risked his life for something so unimportant. Three Red Bokoblins were hardly a threat, but there was always the chance he could've slipped up and died back there. Of course, if he left those monsters to their devices, they could've attacked a passing traveler, so that made him feel a bit better.
Hestu was right where Link left him, and the large Korok let out a cry of joy as he spotted his maracas. He eagerly took them from the human as they were handed over, laughing merrily as he shook the instruments. On top of that, he even danced along with the small song he played, humming and singing nonsense as he tested the instruments out happily.
"Oooh, they're still perfect!" Hestu cried out, hopping up and down as he shook the maracas some more. "Thank you, human! I'd never have gotten these back without you! Come on, dance with me and I'll play you a song!"
Link was mildly amused by the dance…but shook his head at Hestu's offer. "I'm not going to do that. You think you'll be okay from now on?" Despite his size, the Korok didn't seem capable of protecting himself. If three Bokoblins were enough to harass and scare Hestu, something like a Moblin would be terrifying for him. There could even be monsters out there that'd be glad to kill a tree-like being even if Bokoblins didn't seem interested in actually harming him.
"I'll be okay, mister, don't worry about that!" Hestu exclaimed, stopping his dance, but still shaking his maracas lightly. "I do need to be going soon, though. Grandpa will get upset if I'm gone for too long! Hey, if you ever find yourself in Korok Forest, come find me, and we can dance the day away!"
Grandpa? Koroks had those? And a forest all of their own, it seemed. Link saw another Korok back on the Great Plateau, was that what he meant? Not that it really mattered, he had no real plans on going to any particular forest. "Right, we'll see. I'm going to head out now, okay?" He really needed to get back on his way…
"Aw, okay! I'll rest here for a bit before leaving! I'll see you around mister human!" Hestu happily exclaimed, continuing to dance and shake his maracas even as Link walked away.
It was nice to help someone, but Link couldn't stop and listen to everyone he came across. If Hestu hadn't been quite so pathetic, he would've been tempted to just walk off. Not that he disliked aiding people, but every second counted. Who knew how long Princess Zelda would be able to hold Calamity Ganon back? That made him wonder if, even if he rushed, he'd have enough time to save Hyrule. There was no telling the number of steps he'd have to take or how far he'd have to travel. It took him so long just to get off the Great Plateau, after all.
Trying to be at least a bit positive, Link had to remind himself she had been holding Calamity Ganon back for an entire century without pause. Surely, she could hold on for just a bit longer. That made Link think about how he was even going to combat the miasma-like beast swirling about Hyrule Castle. Was there some sort of weapon he was meant to get, or a spell he had to use? If either of those were the case, someone else would've stopped Calamity Ganon long ago.
So, it had to be something that only Link could accomplish, but he couldn't think of what that'd even be. The only thing he had no one else did was the Sheikah Slate, as far as he knew. Or heck, maybe all the Sheikah had one. Either way, it was helpful, but nothing substantial enough to stop such a monstrous being as Calamity Ganon. He was good at swordplay, but he couldn't imagine there'd be a weapon that could smite such a large being…
As Link walked, he found himself surrounded on either side by high cliff walls, finding an odd comfort in being so enclosed. Nothing could sneak up on him from the side, and no crevices for creatures to lurk in and jump out at him from. Though he couldn't imagine this route would have any more monsters aside from those three Bokoblin. People wouldn't be traveling to the stable from here if it was crawling with monsters, after all.
And yet…Link felt eyes on him. With every step he took, the gaze of several pairs of eyes struck him. No matter where he looked, however, he saw no source to this sensation. He even looked up at the top of the cliff walls and saw nothing looking down at him. While he didn't feel any malice in the stares, it still made him uneasy. The young man even stood still, straining his ears to maybe hear someone or something moving nearby…but there was nothing.
He was tempted to yell out but decided not to. Link didn't feel he was in any danger, so he decided to just move a bit faster and get to Kakariko Village. Despite himself, he couldn't help but glance over his shoulder or up at the top of the cliffs every so often to try and get a peek at his stalkers, but never succeeded.
Eventually, Link felt the sensation leave him, and he had to wonder if it was just his imagination or not. Maybe it was just some curious animals that were following him for a bit. Yet, something told him the gaze was from something with intelligence, not just some wildlife nearby. He looked about once more, hoping for a sign of who, or what, was following him, yet there seemed to truly be nothing there.
A few more hours passed, and they were uneventful. No travelers passed him by, and there were no signs of any monsters or distraught Koroks as the time ticked on. Link wondered how Kakariko Village managed to stay in one piece through the destruction of Hyrule. It seemed pretty out of the way, so maybe its location was enough to guard it from Calamity Ganon. Not that he had much reference of what other large settlements were like aside from the ones on and right near the Great Plateau. Were most places husks of their former selves, or had they carved out a living for themselves like the stable?
He was taken out of his thoughts when he saw the first sign of civilization since leaving Hestu behind. In front of him was a wooden archway that stretched the entire path from wall to wall. It had a metal object at the center of the top beam which resembled an eye. There were also cloth banners hanging down with eye symbols as well, specifically matching the one on the Sheikah Slate. He had to be close! This motivated Link to hasten his walking, even as he felt eyes on him once more, though he had to wonder if it was the symbols or those unseen stalkers again…
For a few minutes passed the archway, he encountered nothing else, and he wondered if he was really close at all. That was, until, a second archway met him, the same design as the first. Not long after that was a third archway that mirrored the first two. Right past this last structure were roped strung up across the way and above Link's head from wall to wall. Attached to these ropes were wooden tags which clacked lightly in the breeze. Link paid these tags little mind, as right around the corner from them was exactly what he had been hoping to see!
Opening up in front of Link was a sizable village, larger than what he was expecting! The village was layered, going steadily downward as each layer held wooden buildings, trees, and gardens with fruits and vegetables growing. On the far side was a small waterfall with a building all by its lonesome that radiated importance. Link saw a good few dozen people milling about, he assumed they were all Sheikah as they were wearing similar clothes to each other. Strangely, though, they all seemed to have white hair! Were they all elders? It was hard to tell from where he was, but…
"Hello there, young man. First time here?" A female voice called. Link jumped a bit to see an elderly woman sitting on a stool off to his side. She was in his blind spot, so he missed her entirely! At his reaction, she let out a small chortle. "I didn't mean to startle you!" The woman said, but was still laughing just a bit. "You just looked so stunned at everything, so I assumed you've never been here before."
He couldn't exactly be annoyed at her for just greeting him. Link had been so wrapped up in looking the village over that he didn't realize anyone was close to him. "Yeah, this is my first time here. Didn't know everything would be so…" Fishing for the right word, he paused for a moment. "…put together."
This got another light laugh from the elderly woman. "It's true, not many places in Hyrule are like this. It's tucked away and guarded well. You probably felt eyes on you as you approached, hm?"
So that was it! Somehow, there were people following Link, observing him to see if he was going to be trouble for the village! He had to wonder how they remained so hidden, though, and he doubted the old woman would simply tell him. "I was wondering what that was. It seems your village is in good hands."
"Mmm…Yes…" The old lady mused, glancing Link up and down, her gaze lingering on the Sheikah Slate for a moment. "You're a special one, aren't you? The device on your hip tells me so. You came a long way to get here, didn't you? What's your purpose coming to the village?"
Of course, yes, a Sheikah would recognize the Sheikah Slate, at the very least from the eye symbol. "I'm from pretty far." He had no clue if the Great Plateau was considered far, but he wasn't going to spill where he came from entirely. "I came here to see Impa."
The woman stared at Link in silence for a solid few seconds. Her warm eyes became focused and sharp, as if she were trying to stare directly into his very soul. If she somehow managed that, she must have approved of what she saw, as she raised a hand and pointed to the far building by the waterfall. "Lady Impa resides there. Not just anyone can see her…but with that device on your hip, you should have no issue."
Link never stopped to consider how special the device on his hip would be to the Sheikah. It was right there for him when he woke up, so he assumed it belonged to him at some point. No one at the stable had one, not even the Sheikah elder before him had one…they must be truly rare. Given the powers the one he had possessed, that certainly made sense. "Thank you, ma'am. I'll go and see her right away."
At that, the old woman waved Link away as he slowly made his way down into the village proper. It was still stunning for him to see such a large community entirely intact. No destroyed buildings, no Guardian remnants…no sign that anything was amiss in the rest of Hyrule. Link supposed it made sense; it seemed the Sheikah had a leg up above the rest of the kingdom if the Sheikah Slate was anything to go by. They probably used some sort of advanced technology to keep themselves safe, not that there was any evidence of this as far as Link could see.
Getting closer to the other Sheikah, Link realized something unusual. It wasn't just the elders that had white hair, everyone did! There was a man not much older to Link tending to some carrots, and he had stark white hair, for instance. A small child even ran by whose hair was the same shade. Another thing of note was that all the Sheikah seemed to possess red eyes. The old woman, due to her age, squinted rather heavily, so Link hadn't gotten a good look at her eye color.
Speaking of the other Sheikah, the residents of the village took relatively mild note of Link's presence. No one seemed worried about his presence, offering warm and welcoming gazes or a nod of greeting along with a wave, which Link would return. Some of the older ones gave a surprised glance at the Sheikah Slate on the outsider's hip but didn't stop him to speak of it. The casual nature of the Sheikah told Link that visitors weren't exactly a rarity. Given the nearby stable, that certainly made sense, it was hardly a perilous journey from there to the village. With the skilled scouts keeping watch as well, the Sheikah probably felt entirely safe within their home. Link was just glad to see such a nice slice of humanity in the world, and hoped there were more villages or towns like it.
As he approached the building that Impa was meant to be in, Link looked off to the side and saw an opening in the rockface, a massive tree and some graves near a cliffside with Hyrule Castle far off yet visible in the distance. Even from such a distance and in the safety of Kakariko Village, Link felt unsettled as he gazed upon the cursed husk of a building.
Shaking this off, he looked to his other side, seeing an unusual Sheikah man working on a painting. What made him so odd was his hair was tied in a knot, the top of which looked like a paint brush. Just past him was a small shrine with lit torches and a statue of Hylia sitting on a tiny island in the midst of a very small pond. Just seeing the visage of the goddess put Link at ease.
The Hylian then went up to the building pointed out to him, two Sheikah men on either side of the staircase leading up to it. They had bows and arrows on their backs, and sheathed knives on their hips. As the young man approached, the two men quickly stood at attention, blocking the stairs and giving Link a look of suspicion. "You there, outsider!" One of them called out. "What business do you have with Lady Impa? Who are you?"
Link couldn't blame them for being so cautious, guarding the leader of their community so heavily. "My name is Link, I need to see Lady Impa for something important." Honestly, he wasn't sure how to even word that. What was he supposed to say, the ghost of Hyrule's king told him to come here? They'd think he was insane if he said something like that. Remembering how the old woman from before reacted, he took off the Sheikah Slate and showed it to the men. "Can I go through?"
At the sight of the device, the guards' eyes widened, and their stances lightened. "That's…! If you have that, you can go through, yes! Sorry for impeding you." One of the Sheikah said as they stood aside.
"We have to be careful, you understand, I'm sure." The other said, staring almost in awe at the Sheikah Slate. This told Link that the device was truly rare, maybe it was even the only of its kind.
"I understand, I can't blame you for being cautious." Link responded, just glad things didn't escalate any further.
As the Hylian walked by the guards, one murmured to the other, barely picked up by the young man. "You don't think he could be…that couldn't be possible, could it?"
Alas, Link couldn't hear the response as he climbed the stairs, feeling a weight off his shoulders as he finally reached his destination. Which was strange since it hadn't even been that terribly long since he left the Great Plateau. As he reached the door, he heard movement on the side of the walkway surrounding the home. He figured that could be Lady Impa, so he walked around to investigate.
There was a young woman around Link's age on the floor, down on her knees and washing the wood with a cloth. Like everyone else, she of course had white hair and red eyes, her hair done in an intricate bun with a Sheikah eye drawn or maybe tattooed on her face. None of the other Sheikah had this, so it made Link think she had some higher role than them, was she Lady Impa?
Yet, he didn't ask. Link found himself staring at the woman, who was so wrapped up in her work that she didn't notice the young man's presence. It wasn't something he thought about until then, but he hadn't seen a woman his age since he woke up, and the Sheikah before him was rather pretty. He glanced at her lips, and her soft eyes for a moment, and even wondered how soft her skin was. Quickly, he shook these thoughts away and cleared his throat to get the woman's attention.
"Hm? Ah!" The young woman looked up at Link and let out a small, startled yelp. In an instant, she shot to her feet and took a step back. There was a bit of fear on her face, but she was also blushing heavily, clearly very flustered. "Who…are you? Wh-Why are you here?" She asked with wide eyes, sounding like she was about to flee.
He hadn't meant to scare her that way, feeling a bit bad about the startle. The poor woman was just a bundle of nerves, it seemed. "Sorry, the guards let me through. I'm here to see you, Lady Impa." Link responded, kicking himself for scaring her and for those thoughts. He had to focus on his mission!
"Oh! Uh, you have it all wrong, sir. I'm Paya, and Lady Impa is my grandmother!" The Sheikah woman responded, quickly spotting the device on Link's hip, her eyes widening even further. "Th-That device…! A Sheikah Slate…?! Who are you…?! That's very special, you know! You're the legendary hero my grandmother spoke of, a-aren't you?! Your name was…um…Li…Link…right?!"
Legendary hero? Link wasn't so sure of that, but it seemed Lady Impa somehow knew he'd return with the Sheikah Slate in hand. It wasn't too hard to believe, someone had to put him in that chamber, and others had to have known about it. "I'm Link, yes, it's urgent I speak to Lady Impa, is she around?"
"I-It's really you?! Oh, Goddess…um…yes! Please, my grandma is w-waiting for you inside! Please, go in, Master Link!" Paya exclaimed, not even able to fully look Link in the face. Her face was heavily red, and she kept raising her hands, as if to cover her face, but catching herself at the last moment. Yep, she truly was just a bundle of nerves…
Paya quickly led Link back around to the front, the young man tempted to ask her more questions, but knew Lady Impa would do that. From the way Paya and the guards spoke, the mysterious Sheikah woman seemed to know a great deal about Link, hopefully more than the King did. Maybe Lady Impa had some knowledge that was passed down, like who Link's parents were or how he grew up and what he was like as a child. Really, she could tell him just about any unknown information about his past and he'd gladly eat it up.
He wasn't sure how much he liked being called 'Master' but he let it go. Paya dropped her cloth, covering her face as she murmured something under her breath as Link went inside the abode. The interior of the home was dimly lit, but Link didn't look around very much. No, his focus was straight ahead, to a small old woman kneeling on top of three pillows, a large mural partially hidden behind her. This Sheikah woman wore the usual cloaks that the others wore, along with a large hat with the eye symbol upon it, metal eye shapes hanging from chains on its rim. As Link walked in, the old woman gazed at him with her red eyes, a smile crossing her face. It was a warm look, as If she were gazing upon an old friend. Without hesitation, he motioned for Link to come closer as she spoke to him.
"It's been such a long time, Link. It's so good to see you again…!"
A/N: At least, Link arrived at Kakariko with a lot of exposition to be told in the next chapter. I figured it made sense for this Link to not exactly be a social butterfly given how long he's been alone, even if he was asleep through the last century and has amnesia. Not the type to chat about the weather or anything like that, he's too focused on his quest. At the very least, I made him more human and less instinct, the short observational bursts from the first few chapters now entirely gone as he sort of settled into himself. I thought it was odd how most Sheikah don't actually have red eyes in the game, so I just gave them back. It felt more appropriate.
And no worries, no Korok seed gathering for this Link. Not a chance am I going to touch that.