The mid-morning sun shone down across the lush exterior of Forest Haven. A calm silence filled the air, only broken by the gentle flowing of the river, and the quiet noise of Link untying the King of Red Lions from its spot by the island's coast.

Medli sat near the front of the boat, her gaze drifting across the water as she let her mind wander.

Despite the unfamiliar surroundings, and the slight chill, she had slept fairly well. Her internal clock had woken her a while before Link, so she had passed a little time taking one last flight around the island. Once Link had awoken, the pair had bid farewell to the Deku Tree and Makar, before making their way down to the boat to start getting ready to leave.

Medli's eyes turned towards the King of Red Lions' intricately carved head. She ran a hand along the wood, a somber frown on her face. Despite Link's best efforts, she was sure, the boat had begun to show its age. The paint had faded and chipped in several spots, and one of the head's horns had broken off.

Saddest of all, though, were the lion's eyes. They were cold. Lifeless. She remembered, during Link's adventure, she had seen the boat talk, and laugh... it seemed able to control itself, as much as Link did. But ever since the end of his journey... from what Link had told her, with the King of Hyrule no longer around, this was... just an ordinary boat, now.

"...Do you mind if I ask something?" she quietly spoke up.

"Hm?" Link, who had just finished undoing the mooring ropes, turned to glance over at Medli. "Sure, go ahead."

She felt a little bad even asking, but... "Have you ever thought about getting a new boat?"

Link winced a bit. He looked into the King's eyes for a moment, letting out a sigh. "I keep putting it off," he said as he stepped aboard, the boat wobbling briefly before settling back into balance. "It feels sad to think about just packing him away and replacing him, after everything. But I suppose I'll have to do it eventually. I'd hate to see him get too badly damaged, if more time and storms have their way on him."

He paused, giving a small shrug as he glanced over the boat's interior. "It probably wouldn't hurt to get a slightly larger boat, anyway. It'd give a little more room for cargo or other passengers. I think I've still got enough rupees saved up to get something decent, at least."

Medli nodded thoughtfully. "I think... from what you've told me, the King would probably be happy to know that some part of him has still been helping you for this long, even after he himself is gone."

"...Yeah, probably." Link smiled, staring off into the distance as he thought back to the earlier days of his adventure. "You know, he called me 'surprisingly dull-witted', when we first met."

Medli had to stifle a laugh. "Did he really?"

"Mhm. To be fair, he probably wasn't wrong, back then. But even if he was a little stern and serious sometimes, he really was nice at heart. He wanted the best for everybody. If he were still here, he'd probably say something like... 'Don't let your longing for the past cloud your vision for the future'. Something wise like that."

Between Link's overly gruff impression and the face he had put on, Medli couldn't manage to hold in her giggles this time. Link smiled, letting out a quiet chuckle of his own, though from the glance he cast at the King's wooden face, Medli knew he really had been mostly serious.

The pair started to sail away, their conversation turning to lighter things for a while as they watched the waves go by. But once they'd gotten a bit of distance from the island, Link pulled out his sea chart and Wind Waker, and performed the Ballad of Gales once again.

Just as before, Medli tightly gripped onto the mast, screwing her eyes shut as the winds rapidly picked up around them. She took deep breaths to try and center herself. She was a little calmer than last time, having a better idea what to brace herself for, but to say that she was still on edge would be an understatement.

Then Link stepped up beside her, and without a word, grasped her free hand with his own.

Medli jolted slightly in surprise. Her eyes darted up, meeting with Link's. Both of them blushed, but Link gave the Rito a silent, reassuring smile.

A few seconds later, the cyclone picked them up and lifted them into the air. Medli flinched a little, but her eyes stayed locked on Link's. She squeezed his hand, drawing a bit of strength from his confidence.

The storm howled in their ears, the boat spinning higher and higher. It was a horribly unsettling feeling, knowing she was soaring through the air but having absolutely no control. But somehow, in the moment, none of it seemed quite so bad this time.

Almost before she knew it, their flight was over. The wind calmed, and the boat settled back down into the water. Medli blinked, her senses finally returning to her, before she drew in a sharp breath and quickly averted her gaze downwards. "I-I, um... t-thank you," she managed to say.

"Ah... y-you're welcome." Link finally let go of her hand, before reaching up to awkwardly rub the back of his neck. He loudly cleared his throat, and began to look around at the surrounding waters. "A-Anyway, uh..." He pointed a hand out to the west. "Here we are."

Medli lifted her head to follow Link's direction. She remained silent for a moment, both to look out over the island in the distance and to regain her composure a little. "So... this is Outset?"

"Yep. Not quite as grand as somewhere like Dragon Roost, but you know. It's home."

Medli smiled. "I'm sure it's lovely." She would have gotten a brief look at it before, back when Link had originally brought her to the Earth Temple. But between how distracted she'd been at the time, and the fact that they didn't stop to linger here for long, she honestly hadn't remembered any details. If anything, the handful of pictographs Link had shown her over time were all she'd really gotten to see.

After a couple minutes of gently drifting along, the pair disembarked on Outset's shore. While Link busied himself securing the boat, Medli took a moment to look around.

Right away, the island was probably most similar to Windfall. But while Windfall was lively and bustling, this little village had a much more cozy air. Rough wooden cabins with thatched straw roofs sat scattered around this side of the island, each one a little unique in its construction. A simple dirt path wound between them, occasionally lined with bits of fencing or plain little shrubs. There was less greenery than Forest Haven, as expected, but still noticeably more than Dragon Roost.

A short distance away, a young woman carrying a vase of water on her head had stopped along the path, gazing curiously at Medli. Medli raised a hand in greeting, and the woman's expression softened as she returned the wave.

"Hey, Sue-Belle," Link called out, looking up from his work. "This is Medli, a friend of mine. She's just visiting; I wanted to get to show her our island finally."

For some reason, there was a faint spark of recognition in Sue-Belle's eyes at the mention of the Rito's name. "I see." See nodded at Medli, a warm smile on her face. "Well, I hope you enjoy your visit, then." With that, she continued along her path, heading up towards one of the nearby homes.

Link stepped up beside Medli. "Heh... sorry. We don't really get a ton of visitors, all the way out here. Especially not Rito; Quill's probably the only one who comes here, and he doesn't usually stay to chat much beyond delivering the mail."

"It's fine," Medli said with a shake of her head.

"So," Link started, gesturing out at the rest of the island, "where do we start?" He pointed a finger at a particular house up to their right. "That's home right there. Do you want to head there first, or go look around the rest of the island? Grandma's probably home right now, but Aryll could be anywhere at this hour."

Medli hummed in thought. "I think I'd like to look around."

Link nodded. "Gotcha."

With that, the pair headed in the other direction, quickly reaching a simple wooden bridge which connected the twin halves of the island. Medli walked along slowly, letting herself take in all the scenery as they went.

"I played around over there quite a bit when I was younger," Link said, pointing at a handful of stone platforms just off the side of the bridge. "Was fun trying to hop between them without falling into the water." He turned, his head lifting a bit to focus on the top of a lookout tower near the distant shore. "And that lookout tower... nobody really uses it for lookout much, since ships don't really come all the way down here that often, so it mostly just turned into a place for me to go to think, or for Aryll to watch the gulls."

Medli smiled. "Kind of like my little spot back on Dragon Roost."

"Yeah," Link said with a grin. "Just like that."

Soon enough, they reached the other side of the bridge. Passing by another couple houses, they reached the base of a tall hill. Link kept leading the way up the winding path, his gaze focused up on a point ahead.

"You see that forest over there?" Link asked as they neared the top of the hill. "That's where I ended up meeting Tetra the first time, after that stupid bird dropped her out of the sky. There's also a Great Fairy's fountain over there... though I'd certainly hope that shouldn't be needed during this visit, considering-"

"Boo!"

The pair both flinched back slightly as a younger girl poked her head out from atop the hill and yelled out. She giggled cheerfully. "Hehe! There's that face I missed getting to see!"

Link let out a quiet huff, a lopsided grin on his face as he lifted his gaze towards the girl. "Yeah. You got me this time, Aryll. Saw us coming?"

"I saw your boat, out in the distance!" Aryll replied as she started to walk down and around to meet the pair on the path. "I figured I'd stay up here, and..." Her eyes widened a little as she caught sight of Medli, and she let out a soft gasp. "Ooh!"

Aryll sped up a little, eyes sparkling excitedly as she came to a stop just in front of Medli. "I didn't see you at first! You must be Medli!"

Pushing down a hint of nervousness, Medli nodded. "That's right. And you're... Link's little sister, Aryll."

Aryll smiled and returned the nod. "It's nice to meet you! Big brother's told us so much about you, you know." She glanced over at Link. A silent exchange seemed to pass between the siblings, light mischief in Aryll's eyes met with a sort of wariness in Link's. In the end, Aryll let out a soft giggle, but seemed to relent.

Link and Medli resumed their leisurely walk up the hill. Aryll followed along beside Link, a bit of a spring in her step as she went.

"I guess this explains why you're back again so soon," Aryll said. "Not that I'm complaining! But I was surprised to see your boat out there already, since you only left like two days ago."

"I wasn't expecting it either," Link said. "But I'm glad it worked out. Though it does mean I didn't get a chance to stop at Windfall for those candies like I said I would."

Aryll reeled back in exaggerated shock. "How could you, big brother? You promised." Then she shook her head with a soft laugh. "It's fine. This is better, anyway."

Finally, they crested the top of the hill. Medli looked out over the side, eyes soaking in the view. She could see so much of the island from up here. She gazed down at the bridge they'd walked along, all of the houses they'd passed... she could even just make out a couple people milling about on the paths down below.

Aryll stepped up next to Medli to look out across the island too. "It's real nice, isn't it?"

Medli nodded. You couldn't quite get a view like this on Dragon Roost. You could get a truly staggering view of the ocean from atop the peak... But since the volcano stood right in the center of the island, and since the village itself had been built into the mountain, you couldn't really look over very much of Dragon Roost from any one spot, the way you could here.

After a while, the trio eventually turned to leave, starting on their way back down towards the village again.

"So," Aryll asked, "how long are you going to stay?"

"Probably only through tonight," Medli said. "It would be nice to stay longer, but I'd rather not be away from my duties on Dragon Roost for too overly long, if I can help it."

"Aw..." Aryll's face fell a little at that. But only for a few moments, before she managed to perk back up. "Well... I guess we'll just have to make the most of today, then!"

Medli smiled. "I suppose so."

Soon enough, they arrived back at the building that Link had pointed out as his house. Aryll was the first to reach the door, eagerly dashing inside. "Grandma! Link's back! And he brought Medli this time, too!"

As Medli followed Link up to the entrance, she spotted an elderly woman standing a short ways inside, talking with Aryll. The woman turned towards the pair as they stepped inside. Her eyes widened a bit, and a soft smile graced her wizened old face. "Oh, my... Well, this is a pleasant surprise."

Carefully, Link's grandmother made her way toward them. She pulled Link into a gentle hug, lingering there for a moment, before pulling away and turning her focus on Medli. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Link has spoken of you often, when he talks about his travels."

Medli gave a deep, respectful bow. "Likewise. I am glad to meet you, er..."

The old woman gave a quiet chuckle. "You can just call me Granny." She glanced back at the rest of their home. "I am afraid we do not have much here, but you're welcome to our hospitality for as long as you're on Outset."

"Thank you."

Medli stepped further into the house, taking a look around for a moment. Granny was right that it was a little small. The whole house was only really two rooms, if that — plus a ladder that appeared to lead to a small loft. Still, what was here gave off a pleasantly cozy air. Old family photos decorated the walls. A well-cared-for potted plant sat near the doorway. Around a corner, there was a small but functional kitchenette, and a basic wooden table that appeared just about big enough for three or four people.

The bedroom stood just to the right of the entrance, featuring a trio of beds lined up in a neat little row. Sunlight shone in from a nearby window, streaming across the plain white covers.

Just as Medli was starting to wonder where she would be sleeping, Link beat her to it. "I can sleep up in the loft," he said. "You can take my bed, while we're here."

"Link..." Medli understood the concept of putting a guest first, but she still didn't like the idea of kicking him out of his own bed, just so she could sleep a little more comfortably.

"Don't worry about it," Aryll chimed in. "Big brother's always been a heavy sleeper." She let out a giggle. "He used to doze off up on the lookout all the time. Not to mention a couple other spots. The loft should be no problem."

"Oh?" Medli turned towards Aryll, the uneasy expression on her face fading a bit in favor of curiosity.

Before she could ask anything, though, Link stepped up and cleared his throat. "Er, so Grandma... would you mind making your soup again tonight?" he asked, changing the subject a bit. "I know you just made it the other night, but it'd be a shame for Medli not to get to try it while she's here."

Granny smiled. "Of course, dear. It's no trouble." She turned her head to look at the clock. "Though that's a long ways away, still. I'm sure you all will have plenty you'll want to do in the meantime."

Conversation continued on for a little while after that. Medli took off the small shoulder bag of things she'd brought from home, setting it by the wall as Link and Aryll discussed what to do first. Soon enough, they seemed to settle on the lookout.

Aryll eagerly skipped out the door, gesturing for the others to follow. Link shook his head with a chuckle, before turning back to look at Medli.

Medli smiled. She glanced around the quiet home for a moment longer. After exchanging a friendly nod with Granny, Medli made towards the door too, stepping out into the warm sunlight alongside Link.

"What's it like to fly?" Aryll asked, her eyes pointed at the sky.

Medli hummed in thought. "It's... difficult. There's a lot of things you have to balance, to keep yourself in the air sometimes. But it can be a rush. Especially when the wind is working with you."

"It must be so freeing, to soar above the clouds with the birds. I've thought about what it'd be like to be a seagull, sometimes. I don't think I'd want to be one forever, but I'd love to get to fly, even just once."

Link couldn't help but smile as he watched Aryll and Medli continue to chat. He'd had a feeling the pair would get along well, once they finally had a chance to meet.

The three of them stood atop the lookout tower. They'd been up here for nearly half an hour now, just talking amongst themselves and trading questions back and forth. Link joined in whenever he had something to say, of course, but for the most part Medli and Aryll were carrying the conversation well enough on their own.

Eventually, the topic turned to Medli's attendant duties, and from there to her skills with the harp. At Aryll's eager request, Medli tentatively pulled out her instrument. She took a couple of breaths to focus herself, before closing her eyes and starting to play.

Link would always be impressed at how effortless Medli could make this look. Her fingers seemed to dance along the strings, gracefully plucking out each note without a hint of hesitation. He recognized the song she'd chosen as one of her favorites; it was lively, but also pleasantly calming, and he couldn't help but smile as he listened.

As the beautiful tune continued to fill the air, Aryll seemed to notice Link's gaze. A wide, teasing smile spread across her face. She stifled a laugh, before stepping closer and leaning in to whisper in a sing-song tone "big brooother is in looove".

"Hush," he mouthed back silently, a faint heat rising to his cheeks. Thankfully, Medli didn't seem to react, still too focused on her playing to notice the siblings' exchange.

Link tried to focus on the music. He believed it was some sort of Rito festival song, if he recalled correctly. From what Medli had told him, the song was not really made for the harp — though you wouldn't know it, listening to her play it.

Eventually, Medli's song finally came to a close. Her fingers stilled, she finally opened her eyes, fidgeting slightly in embarrassment as both siblings began to quietly applaud.

"That was really great!" Aryll said.

"Oh... it really wasn't anything special," Medli replied. "My nerves got the best of me, there. I made so many little mistakes..."

"Well, I didn't really notice anything," Link said. Perhaps he just didn't have enough of a musical ear to pick up on the imperfections. But he would just as soon chalk it up to her being too eager to critique her own skills. "It seemed just as perfect as you always do."

Medli's blush deepened, though she couldn't quite manage to hide a pleased smile at Link's comment.

Aryll glanced between the two of them, an amused glint in her eye, before she spoke up again. "So, what else do you like to do for fun?"

"Besides practicing with my harp, you mean?" At Aryll's nod, Medli gave a quiet hum. "Well... there's flying, of course. Even if I don't do it as much as some of the other Rito back home, a quick glide around the island can be nice to calm the nerves. Otherwise... I like to stargaze, when the sky is clear enough. And... Sortaire's nice, too."

Aryll tilted her head a bit. "Sortaire?"

"It's a game some Rito like. Link and I play it sometimes, along with another friend back on Dragon Roost." Medli glanced back towards the house. "I brought my playing cards... I could go get them, if you're curious. It shouldn't take too long."

"Sure."

Medli glanced between Aryll and Link for a moment, before giving a soft nod. She spread her wings, gently lifting off and heading for the mainland, leaving the two siblings alone on the lookout for now.

A brief silence settled over the two siblings. Aryll continued to watch Medli go, seeming a bit fascinated by the Rito's flight. But after a moment, she turned towards Link. From the look in her eyes, Link could already tell where this was going.

"So, have you told her?"

Deciding to play dumb, Link answered back in an innocent tone, "Told her what?"

Unamused, Aryll gave him a playful shove. "You know what I mean," Aryll said. "You don't really hide it that well, big brother."

Link shrugged. He really had been meaning to make some kind of a move, at some point. He'd just... been waiting for the right moment, is all. At least, that's what he'd told himself. In particular, he'd been waiting on a good chance to gather some better golden feathers... but then, he supposed he'd taken care of that last night, and he still didn't manage to say anything then. So perhaps it was a bit of an excuse.

"You visit her island all the time," Aryll continued. "You talk about her a lot when you're home. And you get this... goofy smile on your face..." She reached up to gently poke him on the cheek, and he halfheartedly took a step back. She giggled. "Honestly, I keep half expecting you to tell us you're moving all your stuff to Dragon Roost, just so you can spend even more of your time there."

Link smiled. "I mean, I wouldn't rule it out. Someday, anyway."

"Well, you're gonna have to say something to her first." Aryll's teasing expression softened a bit, her voice taking on a more heartfelt tone. "C'mon. You're my big, brave brother, remember? You've faced down giant monsters, sailed through storms... this should be nothing, right?"

Link huffed out a laugh. This sort of thing required a very different sort of courage... but it was still a fair point. "Yeah, I suppose not."

As they'd talked, they kept their eyes trained on their house in the distance. Before long, they managed to spot Medli stepping back out, lifting off and beginning to fly back over to them.

Before the Rito could arrive, Aryll quietly spoke again. "Just think about it, you know?"

Link nodded. It wouldn't make sense to say something right this minute... but there was also no point in stalling the matter forever, waiting for the 'perfect opportunity'. His hand drifted down to his spoils pouch. When the chance arose... he would be sure to take it.

Medli stumbled slightly as she landed on the lookout, though she managed to steady herself without having to lean against the railing. "Sorry for the wait," she said. Reaching for her side, she retrieved a small deck of playing cards, holding them out for Aryll to take.

"Hm..." Aryll quietly flipped through the cards for a moment. "So they are like the regular cards I've seen before. Though, I think the Hylian versions use some different symbols than these..." She cocked her head a little. "And I think they only have four suits, not six."

Medli nodded. "There are some differences, yes. Though I believe some of the games played are still relatively similar." She took the deck back from Aryll, carefully picking out a handful of cards from the set. "Though for Sortaire, you don't have to worry about most of it. All that really matters are the symbols."

She glanced around the lookout tower, a slight frown crossing her face. "I suppose this isn't really the best place to play. But it will do for a quick demonstration, anyway." She leaned down and began setting the cards she'd picked out on the deck of the lookout. "So, first you want to pick out one card of each suit, to start the piles..."

Slowly, the day wound on, from morning on through noon and into the early evening. Time seemed to pass all too quickly, whether Medli was hanging out with Link and Aryll, or being shown around the island, or any of the other ways they found to pass the time.

Medli found she quite liked Outset Island. The climate, while still a little cooler than she was used to, was pleasant enough. The scenery was nice; she ended up flying more than one circuit around the island as the day progressed, spotting a little something new each time. And the locals, especially Link's family, were all very friendly.

Aryll proved to be a natural at Sortaire. She was a bit more patient than her brother, more willing to take a moment and ensure each card got into the right pile rather than playing for pure speed. Within a few tries, her scores were creeping relatively close to Link and Medli's. They also tried a couple other games with the cards; these did not hold Aryll's attention for quite as long, but it was still a fun time in the end.

Later in the day, Medli spent some time back at the house with Link's grandmother. Granny was all too willing to share stories of Link's childhood — especially, to Link's chagrin, embarrassing ones. In keeping with Aryll's earlier comment, Granny recounted one afternoon when Link had managed to somehow climb his way up onto the covering over the nearby well, and proceeded to doze off for a nap up there. Another time, he apparently tried to ride on one of the neighbors' pigs, only to get quickly launched off and take a long tumble through the mud.

Not all of the stories were like that, though. Many were just simple, wholesome memories of days gone by. Granny recalled that Link's first word was 'sea', aptly enough. She noted that Link had been much more quiet when he was very young, rarely speaking except to his family. A Link that hardly ever talked... somehow, Medli struggled to picture that.

With more than a hint of pride in her eyes, Granny also recalled how eager Link had always been to help look after his younger sister. Whenever little Aryll would wake up scared from a nightmare, or wander off somewhere she shouldn't, or even so much as scuff a knee, Link was always there to comfort her.

The thought put a bittersweet smile on Medli's face. She wasn't sure how long Granny had been caring for the siblings on her own, but she couldn't imagine it had been easy. Link's readiness to help watch over Aryll, in whatever little ways he could, would surely have helped lighten the load a bit. And was no doubt part of why the two were so close even today.

In truth, the more Medli continued to listen to Granny, she found herself reminded a lot of her late teacher, Komali's grandmother. She had always been incredibly warm and kind; from the moment she took Medli under her wing, she had treated her like one of her own. She was somewhat insistent about teaching Medli to become an attendant - looking back, Medli suspected her mentor had long known that Medli would one day have to become a sage. But she was always patient with Medli, guiding her through her studies of both the harp and the old language with the warmth and care she would have shown her own grandchild.

...Medli missed her. After her passing, Komali's father, the Chieftain, had taken up the mantle and worked to continue Medli's training himself. He was a kind man, too, and Medli knew he tried his best. But the rigors of leading the Rito ate up a lot of his time.

Medli shook her head. She pushed away those thoughts for now, refocusing on the task at hand.

Eventually, as day had given way to evening and the time for dinner drew near, Medli offered to help Link's grandmother in the kitchen. Granny briefly tried to resist, saying that as a guest she didn't need to do anything of the sort. But Medli insisted that it was the least she could do to thank them for their hospitality. Granny gave in after that, and the two set to work.

True to her word earlier, Granny was making her much-talked-about soup. First, Medli was tasked with gathering the ingredients and setting them all out. After that, she filled the pot and settled it over the fire to simmer as Granny diced the ingredients and added them one by one to the mix.

As the pair continued their work, Granny eventually spoke up. "So, you are from... Dragon Roost Island, is it? The same as our postman?"

Medli nodded. "It's quite a ways up to the north-east from here. There's a volcano in the center; our guardian Valoo sits up on the peak, watching over the island."

"Hm. I've spent more or less my whole life here on Outset, so it is hard for me to picture what all of the other islands out there are like. But I'm sure it's nice."

"I haven't really left my home island very often, either," Medli admitted as she carefully stirred the pot a bit. "Link's been changing that a little lately, but it's still incredible to think how many other islands there are out there. I'm sure it's... exciting for someone like Link, getting to roam about the seas and see so many different places."

For a long moment, Link's grandmother went silent. Her face was oddly conflicted; her smile was warm, proud, but there was a sense of melancholy in her eyes all the same. It took Medli aback, just a little, and she briefly wondered if she'd said something wrong.

"...You know, Link's father was a sailor too," Granny finally spoke. "That boy... from the moment he got his first taste of the sea, you could tell he'd fallen in love. You could hardly keep him away from it." She sighed and shook her head. "Sometimes when I look at Link, I feel like I'm looking into the past. He really does take after his father... a little too much, in some ways."

Medli almost didn't catch those last few words, quiet as they'd been. She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. A part of her wanted to ask, but she didn't want to pry into such personal matters. So she remained silent, waiting until the older woman began to speak again.

"I'm glad Link has something that makes him so happy. And I'm proud of everything he's done, and how much he's grown. But I still can't help but worry about him every time he sets out." Granny let out another sigh. "A part of me still wishes that Link had never left. That he and Aryll could have just lived here in peace and quiet for their whole lives, without getting wrapped up in any of the things that happened out there."

Medli opened her mouth to respond, only to close it a second later. She paused, taking a moment to think through what to say. "I, um... I understand how you'd feel that way. But, well... Link has done a lot of good out there. He's touched a lot of lives. Not even counting stopping Ganondorf. If... if he'd stayed on Outset his whole life, then... a lot of people like me would have never even gotten to meet him. And that would be... unfortunate."

About halfway through her words, she'd started nervously looking down at the floor, unsure of how her words were coming out. But when she raised her eyes to meet Granny's gaze again, she found the old woman looking at her with an odd, unreadable look in her eyes, her head tilted slightly askew.

"What is it?" Medli asked.

In an instant, the odd look was gone, Granny's warm smile returning as she softly shook her head. "Oh... it's nothing. You just... reminded me of someone else for a moment, that's all." She let out a gentle laugh. "Perhaps history doesn't always repeat itself in bad ways, after all."

Medli didn't quite know what to make of that. She could take a vague guess, but... again, it seemed a rather personal topic.

Before she could think about it too much, Granny continued. "In any case, I know it's all a foolish thought anyway. Link would always have found his way onto the sea eventually, one way or the other. It's plain to see it's his calling. And I could never ask Link to give that up."

She smiled at Medli. "That said... it does my heart good to know that he has people who care about him out there, at least. I know that he's a strong boy, with a solid head on his shoulders, and that he can probably look after himself out there. But with any luck, having someone like you waiting for him on the shore will give him that much more reason to keep himself safe out there."

Medli blushed a little. "W-Well... I don't know if I'm really that important. But if I ever think that Link isn't being careful enough, I'll certainly try to talk some sense into him."

Granny's smile widened. "That's all I ask, dearie. And I think your presence carries more weight than you think. I wasn't kidding earlier when I said Link has spoken of you often."

Conversation petered out for a while after that. Granny had taken over stirring the pot by now, carefully watching as it continued to simmer over the fire. A hearty and delicious smell was already starting to rise from the soup. Medli's stomach let out a faint growl, much to her embarrassment.

"I can handle things from here," Granny said. "Could you be a dear and go tell Aryll and Link that supper will be ready soon?"

Medli nodded. "I can do that."

She stepped out of the house, taking a moment to gaze out at the sun setting over the ocean before starting to look around. It didn't take her long to find Aryll; she was sitting down by the beach, and appeared to be making some kind of doodle in the sand. Medli called out Granny's words to her, and Aryll nodded, putting a couple quick final touches on her drawing before turning to head back to the house.

Link took slightly longer to find. Medli didn't immediately spot him anywhere around where she was. But once she took flight and started looking around from the air, she quickly found him up near the top of the south-eastern hill. Medli landed nearby, and started to walk closer. Link sat on a large rock, his legs dangling over the side as he stared out through his telescope.

"Hey, Medli," Link quietly spoke as the Rito approached. He must have heard her land, she supposed.

"Hey, Link." Medli briefly turned to look out where Link's telescope was pointed, only to tilt her head slightly in confusion at the empty span of ocean to the south. She brushed it off. "Granny wanted me to tell you that supper will be ready soon."

Link nodded. "I'll head back in a minute."

A couple seconds passed in silence. Link finally lowered his telescope, before he scooted over a bit on his rock and brushed off the open space next to him. Medli bashfully took the invitation, sitting down a couple inches apart from Link.

"Do you ever wonder about what's out there?" Link asked. "Beyond the boundaries of the Great Sea, I mean."

"...Sometimes," Medli replied. "When you live your whole life on an island, it's hard to not get a little curious, now and then. But admittedly, I have always been relatively content to remain in my quiet little corner of the Great Sea, for the most part."

A small half-smile settled on Link's face. "I always used to be the same way, when I was younger. I liked to go up to the lookout tower, or up here, to look out and imagine what other islands were like. But I was happy enough to let it stay just that. I wasn't in a rush to leave the safety of home, and try to venture out across the open seas. But then, well... you know."

Another silence, slightly heavier than the last. Medli glanced back over her shoulder. They should probably have started heading back by now. She didn't really want to keep Link's grandmother waiting. But after a moment, Medli shook her head. A few more minutes wouldn't hurt.

Besides, if Link was asking about what lay beyond the Great Sea... well, it wasn't hard to figure what was on his mind.

"Do you..." Medli opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to muster the words. "Do you... wish that you had gone with Tetra, back then?" It was a question she'd wondered for some time. Given the way he spoke at times like this, his tone wistful, almost longing... it would make sense.

To her surprise, though, Link's response was almost immediate. "No. Not really, anyway. It's..." He paused, shaking his head. "I do think about it, sometimes. What it would've been like, sailing around with her crew. I don't think it would've been a bad life; certainly would have been exciting, I'm sure. But..."

"...But?"

Link sighed. "There's still no telling how long they're going to be out there. How long it's going to take for them to find what they're after. And even if they had come back to the Great Sea, every now and then... how much of Aryll's life would I have missed out on, if I'd gone with them? Would... would Grandma even still be here, when I got back?"

Medli stayed silent. What was there to say, really? It was a sad thought, but... it would certainly have been a possibility.

Eventually, Link shook his head again. "Sorry. Not exactly the cheeriest topic. I just... I can't really talk about this with Aryll or Grandma, you know? I wouldn't want them to think I regret my choice to stay, just because part of me still wants to see what's out there." He turned to look at her. "So uh... thanks for listening."

Medli cracked a tiny smile. "It's no trouble at all." If anything, she felt honored that he trusted her enough to confide this kind of thing at all.

A thought occurred to her. She wasn't sure if it would help, but it seemed appropriate at the moment. "You know... my people have a saying: 'None of us can fly forever; even a wandering soul needs a place to roost'."

Link cocked his head a little. "You mean... like a place to call home?"

"Hm... it doesn't have to be a physical place. It's more about..." She paused, gesturing vaguely with a hand as she searched for the right words. "...It's about having something to keep you grounded. Something that acts as your foundation, and that helps give you direction in life. There are many things that can serve as your 'roost' in that sense; whether it is your faith, or your duties, o-or the people you care about..."

"I get you," Link nodded. "If you just try and wander through life without anything to anchor you... you're liable to crash, when a storm comes."

"Something like that, yes." Medli wasn't sure she'd explained it all that well, so she was glad that Link had gotten the gist regardless. "Of course, its not as though you have to choose just one. Often it can be helpful to have multiple sources of strength and direction, to guide you through both good times and bad. But the point stands. "

Link let out a thoughtful hum. "I suppose... I have felt a little aimless, lately. Half the time I just sail because I want to, more than having any particular direction. I just wander where I feel like, mostly... and there really is a part of me that still would like to go explore beyond the Great Sea, if I could. But..."

He smiled down at the compass hanging from his neck. "...when it comes down to it, I know where my home is. That's my anchor. Aryll, Grandma..." Link's face took on a slightly pinker tint, his smile a little more bashful as he turned to look at Medli again. "...A-And honestly, you're right up there with them, at this point. I can't really imagine not having any of you in my life."

Medli blushed heavily at that. He had said that so earnestly... it took a long moment for her to manage to work up a reply. "T-That's... very nice of you to say."

She almost didn't notice Link reaching down to a small purple pouch on his belt; for a moment, it looked like he was just shifting in his seat a little. So she continued. "I... for what it's worth, I-I'm glad you decided to stay, too. You've been... a very dear friend, and I..." She trailed off as a hint of gold caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. Curious, she turned and lowered her gaze-

-And her breath caught in her throat.

Gently clutched in Link's hand was a small bundle of about four golden feathers. They seemed to almost shimmer in the sunset as Link held them out to her, a bashful grin on his face.

For a moment, Medli could only stare, dumbstruck. Eventually, she managed to reach out and accept the feathers, numbly running her fingers over the set of golden plumes.

They were... just about flawless, as far as she could tell. Probably from peahats rather than kargarocs, if her untrained eye could be trusted, but frankly she couldn't bring herself to care either way. They were beautiful.

And he was giving them to her.

She wanted to believe he understood what that meant. Among the Rito, these were considered courting gifts; a token of starting a new relationship, or of deepening an existing one. She wanted to think he'd know better than to offer one to a mere friend. But she had to know.

Medli tried to open her mouth to speak, only to have to swallow past a lump that had formed in her throat. She tried again. "Y-You... these... you know...?"

Despite her flustered, utterly broken sentence, Link seemed to understand. He gave an awkward chuckle, his blush deepening a bit. "Y-Yeah. I know. You, uh... you don't have to accept it, if you don't want. I-"

"N-No!" Medli reflexively clutched the feathers tighter to her chest. "No, I... I'm h-happy to accept. I just... just w-wanted to be sure."

With slightly shaky hands, she separated out one of the feathers. She twirled it in her fingers, before she reached up to tuck it into her hair just behind her ear. She turned her head to give Link a better look. "H-How does it look?"

Link gave a beaming smile. "It's perfect."

Medli's heart felt like it could beat right out of her chest. She had imagined this sort of moment more times than she would admit, but now that it was actually happening... it almost didn't feel real.

A gust of wind blew across the hilltop, sending a bit of a chill down Medli's spine. In response, Link scooted a little closer. Medli took the offer, leaning over and cozying up against Link's warm side. Shyly, she hooked an arm around his back to hold him close, and felt him do the same in kind.

She let out a quiet sigh. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt quite this content.

Perhaps there were more words that could be said. But they could wait for another time; for now, neither of them felt the need. This little moment... had already spoken enough, as far as Medli was concerned.

After another minute, Link finally broke the silence. "C'mon. We probably should head back."

Medli nodded. The two got to their feet, making their way up to the edge of the hill. With wings and deku leaf outstretched, they glided down towards the bridge, before walking hand-in-hand the rest of the way back until they reached the house.

Of course, they were more than a little late by the time they finally arrived. Aryll looked to be about to complain about them delaying supper... but when she noticed the new adornment in Medli's hair, she seemed to stop short. She giggled softly, giving Link a wry grin as she settled back into her seat.

Medli was sure her face was red as she and Link made to sit down too. Thankfully, the enticing smell of the home-cooked soup provided a welcome distraction. Granny smiled warmly over at the pair. "Well... now that we're all here, let's get started."

As Granny began to finally divide up the soup, Medli glanced around the cozy little cabin one more time. She breathed deeply of the delicious smell, letting the quiet, homely atmosphere wash over her.