As much as Elena loved the outdoors, she never imagined that she would find herself working with livestock. Though she also never imagined that she would find herself stranded in the middle of nowhere and, through some supernatural phenomenon, in a different era than her own. She still wasn't entirely sure how or why it happened, but she knew at this point after much reflection, the sword hilt was responsible. It had nearly driven her mad, trying to wrap her head around the events leading her there. She had finally come to the conclusion that she would not find any answers in her memory, and instead focused on coping with her situation.
She had kept her word to Tasseren, and kept an open mind when learning the trade of maintaining the stable. She had started with helping his teenage son, Darton, with feeding the sheep and goats and learning to be "one with the herd" in order to keep the animals calm and trusting of her. On her third day at the stable, she was introduced to working with horses. These beautiful yet powerful beasts had initially kept her on her toes, having no experience with them. Tasseren reassured her that most of the horses coming through would be well handled and trained, so the likelihood of being kicked or bit was minimal. With Tasseren's guidance, Elena's comfort and handling of the horses came exceptionally natural by the end of the day.
Over the course of a week, Elena had learned a little bit about the land of Hyrule through listening to conversations around her. She learned that the region she was in was called Necluda. Most of the travelers passing through were coming from or heading east to Hateno Village, which she remembered was the name of Morro's home near Mount Lanayru. Every now and again, a traveler, or merchant for the most part, would go north to Kakariko Village, which was home to an ancient tribe called the Sheikah. Elena was amused by the idea of something being considered ancient in a place that was ancient to her. She had heard that west of the Dueling Peaks, if one went north, there was a settlement near the castle called Lookout Landing, which was used to monitor the castle grounds for trespassers. Apparently, about five years prior, there had been an event causing the castle to become structurally unstable and deemed unsafe to be near. The settlement had been expanded into Hyrule Field, replacing the town that, like the castle, had been destroyed many, many years ago. It was the main hub for the people of Hyrule, filled with residents, shops, and merchants trading goods from all corners of the kingdom.
As intrigued as Elena was by the sounds of these places, she could only humor the idea of visiting them. Perhaps one day, pending how long it takes to figure out a way home… if she could get home, she would muster up the courage to travel again. For now, she had comfortably settled into her routine at the stable. It kept her busy, and kept her mind at ease.
As the sky was slowly shifting into shades of purple and orange of the sunset reflecting off the clouds, Elena was making her way into the pasture. The sheep and goats trotted over to her, happily bleating to see the large bale of hay in Elena's arms. As they crowded her, a few nibbling at the bottom hem of her tunic, she gently pushed her way through, avoiding the greedy goats who attempted to sample their dinner. Setting the bale down on the trough, she took her work knife out, quickly cutting the rope from the hay, and slid it back into the sheath on her belt. Tearing off chunks of the hay, she filled the trough and threw some on the ground for the stragglers.
Once everyone was happily eating, Elena made her rounds of the pasture, cleaning up the day's animal waste. She hadn't been at it long when she noticed Darton and his younger brother Shibo walking toward her. Glancing over, she noticed Shibo snickering.
"What's going on, Shibo?" she asked him, curiously.
Now trying to stifle his laugh, he looked back to Darton, who was smirking. Turning back to Elena, Shibo managed a straight face.
"Miss Elena…" he began. Elena's eyebrows lifted slightly, unsure of what to expect next. Struggling to hold in a giggle, Shibo continued. "Do the size of your ears make you not able to hear as well?"
Elena's face fell in annoyance. Looking past Shibo, she saw Darton now snickering. Whether the question had been his idea, or he was simply amused by Shibo's curiosity, she was becoming tired of the focus centered on her ears. While no one had said anything terribly rude, she had received many stares, and a few people asking where she was from. Not knowing what to tell them, she had begun avoiding speaking with visitors outside of business talk, and taken to wearing her hair down to cover her non-Hylian ears.
As she was getting ready to question the boys' choices, Tasseren came storming over, having heard Shibo's question.
"Shibo! What kind of a thing is that to ask a young lady? Apologize right now before I shorten your ears and stuff them with the skin. See if you can't hear as well then." Tasseren had his arms crossed, waiting.
Elena and both boys were staring wide eyed at Tasseren, none of them expecting that. After a long moment, Elena shifted her eyes to Shibo, amusement slowly sinking in at his being caught off guard. Looking at Elena, Shibo sighed. "Sorry." he said.
Elena smirked. "Apology accepted."
"Now Shibo," Tasseren interjected. "You will be finishing miss Elena's chores this evening."
"What? I just finished cleaning up the horse stalls." Shibo complained.
"This'll teach you to mind your own business then." Tasseren scolded.
Elena looked awkwardly between the two, then discreetly walked to Shibo, handing him the shovel. He gave her a subtle scowl, taking it from her. "Enjoy." she whispered, throwing a leg over the fence and hopping over, leaving Shibo to his punishment.
Dusk had fallen as Elena finished cooking herself some dinner. She remained near the fire pit for the added warmth against the chill night air, as she settled down with her meal to unwind from the day. It was quiet, as was usual for the evenings. As the last of the travelers who would be staying had gotten settled in for the night, Tasseren was tidying up behind the counter, his shuffling around and the crackle of the fire being all that was breaking the satisfying silence.
She was about to take a bite of her food when she heard the distant sound of wagon wheels and horse hooves. Glancing around, she spotted a wagon pulled by two horses coming from the portion of road that forked between Kakariko and Hateno.
"Hey Tasseren, you're getting some late arrivals coming in." she called toward the stable entrance.
Tasseren poked his head out of the doorway, curiously. Elena sensed some disgruntlement as well. While he didn't mind hosting late arriving travelers, getting the horses situated without sunlight made the process all the more daunting. As the wagon drew closer, she glanced over again, focusing through the dark to try and make out the travelers. There were two of them, both wearing travel cloaks with their hoods pulled up. She could only speculate that it was a man and a woman based on their stature. Setting her plate down, she started to stand up to help Tasseren get the new guests settled in when he stepped out, motioning for her to stay put.
"Finish your meal. I'll get Darton to take the horses." he said, retreating back into the tent.
While Elena remained by the fire, eating her dinner, the wagon was approaching the stable. As they passed in front of her to make their way to the horse stalls on the opposite side, she looked up to see a woman sitting on the seat closest to her. She glanced down at Elena, a soft smile of acknowledgement on her face before turning her eyes forward. Something stirred within Elena. Even as the wagon moved out of sight, she felt her attention still pulled in their direction. Curiosity of the newcomers whispered in her mind, as she tried to focus instead on relaxing with her meal, as Tesseren had told her. They were just another pair of travelers, probably merchants. There was no reason to meddle in their business, lest they may try to meddle in hers.
Trying to push out the intruding wonder, she turned her focus on the dancing flames of the fire, hoping it would cause some sort of distraction. She was just beginning to feel her mind ease when she heard it. Elena froze. She felt as though her heart skipped a beat as her breathing momentarily halted. She slowly turned her gaze to the pair that now stood at the counter, speaking to Tasseren, realization hitting her like a blow to the face. The pulsating chime of the sword hilt rang in her ears. Her grip tightened on the plate on her lap, trying to keep it in her hands as they trembled. Her heart was pounding in her chest as the memory of the fear ridden vision flashed before her eyes. As her mind was spiraling into a mess of flashbacks, Tasseren stepped out of the tent and approached her, his voice snapping her out of her thoughts. Startled, her eyes shot up to his.
"I'm sorry to bother you, miss Elena. Seems Darton has run off somewhere. I'll take care of the horses, if you would be so good as to finish tidying up inside." he said.
After a moment of registering his request, Elena nodded. "Oh, yes. Of course." she said rigidly, getting to her feet.
Slowly walking toward the entrance to the tent, she took a few slow steady breaths in an attempt to ease her nerves. She paused at the doorway, glancing to the table where the pair sat. The woman who smiled at her had removed her hood, revealing blonde hair that reached just past her shoulders. She wore simple travel clothes; a short sleeved bodice over a white blouse, and tan pants with the standard travel boots. Her cloak was dark gray with gold embroidery around the hems. Her companion, still with his hood drawn, sat with his back to the door, obscuring any observation of him, aside from the sword on his back.
Elena tentatively walked to a table near them, trying to ignore the pull of their presence. As she carefully gathered some dishes on the table, she dared a peek in their direction. The blue shade of his sword immediately caught her eye. Doing a double-take, she noticed more of the familiar detail. The blue hilt with the criss-crossed leather grip, which was a beautiful emerald green complimenting the blue steel. The wing-shaped crossguard facing downward toward the presumably intact blade sheathed in its scabbard, which was hidden under the man's cloak. Elena stared in shock. It was the same sword that had brought her there; a time before its deterioration. Suddenly, the sword gave a powerful pulse along with a disembodied 'Hello' within Elena's mind.
Elena dropped a cup from her hand, creating a loud clatter and adding to her startlement, before she hastily grabbed it again. She noticed only then that while she was entranced by the sword, the woman had been watching her. Lowering her eyes, she quickly stacked the dishes and turned to leave the room as quickly as possible. As she reached the doorway, the woman called after her.
"Pardon me, miss. If it isn't too much trouble, may we have some wine?" she said. Her voice, while very prim, had a pleasant ring to it, coaxing rather than grabbing Elena's attention.
Coming to a stop, she hesitated before turning to face them, though still keeping her gaze down.
"Of course." she said softly, and promptly turned to leave.
Once outside, she released a heavy sigh of relief, followed by intentionally long deep breaths to keep her frantic nerves at bay. Her mind was reeling. Despite her circumstance of being trapped in this strange place, she had almost begun to feel comfortable. Now, her world had been turned upside down all over again. Not only had the sword appeared a second time, but it had spoken to her.
Her steps were brisk making her way to the food shed behind the stable. She sat the dishes in a large metal tub outside before stepping into the shed, which was barely illuminated by the small lantern that hung outside the door frame. Scanning the shelves, she grabbed the first bottle of wine she saw, and a couple cups. As she poured the red liquid with her shaking hands, she considered taking a long drink herself, straight from the bottle. On top of her composure being lost at the sword's greeting, now she had to face the awkward aftermath of being caught staring at the pair of travelers inside. Taking the cups in hand, she tried to put on the most neutral face she could muster as she walked back to the common room.
While her heart was racing, time seemed to pass excruciatingly slow as she approached the table. The travelers were engaged in quiet conversation, which kept Elena hopeful that their interactions would be minimal. As she sat one cup in front of the woman, she looked up at Elena with the same soft smile, her green eyes sparkled in the lantern light.
"Thank you." she said.
Elena managed a subtle smile and nodded, afraid to speak in her shaken state. As she turned to the other traveler, she sat the cup down before glancing at him. Though he still wore his hood, his face was clearly visible, and as Elena met his gaze, her smile faded as she found herself staring into his blue eyes. Those same piercing blue eyes that she had seen in the vision from the sword, full of determination until the very end. For a flicker of a second, she tried to doubt her own sight, but those images had replayed in her memory until she knew every detail of the man's face, and there he sat… right in front of her… Alive.
Elena's breath caught and failed her for a moment. As her eyes were locked onto his, she felt his intense watchfulness. Though his face conveyed no emotion, she thought she saw a glimpse of curiosity, but was left second guessing. Even his eyes proved difficult to read. Finally coming to her senses, Elena tore her gaze away from him.
"Enjoy your stay." She faintly gasped
As she made her way out of the tent once more, the sword pulsed, calling out to her. Elena slowed her pace momentarily, feeling the allure of its call, but continued outside. She felt like she was being torn in two. Her right mind was terrified, but something in her was screaming to go back; to speak to that man. The very thought fueled her anxiety, however. What would she even say?
After walking a distance from the stable, she found herself on the road going toward the Dueling Peaks. As she stared down the pass between them, the ripple of strange events she had gotten caught in flashed through her memory. She remembered the fear and uncertainty she felt the day she arrived at the stable. She remembered the feeling of hopelessness and anger at not knowing why the sword had sent her there. She remembered feeling trapped without any direction or indication of what she should be doing next. And now, both the sword and the man shown in the vision were present, and the sword still called to her. Taking all of this in, she finally saw every step of the way that hadn't made sense until that moment. The sword from her time had intended to send her there, to that exact place and exact time.
A feeling of hope began to arise in her as she walked back to the stable. It wasn't yet the hope of getting home. She had a strong suspicion it wouldn't be that easy. The hope she felt was to at least understand why she was there. Perhaps the sword would speak to her again. After all that she had experienced thus far, it didn't seem too farfetched to speculate.
Approaching the entrance to the common room, she took a deep breath, preparing herself for all the uncomfortable scenarios that could possibly follow. She glanced in before entering, her heart dropping slightly. The man was gone. The woman still sat at their table, sipping on her wine. Looking to the other side of the room toward the beds, she noted that a few of them were occupied. Elena's brow furrowed, trying to recall the number of guests staying overnight, though she realized she hadn't been keeping count. Perhaps the man had turned in for the evening.
A little disgruntled, Elena made her way toward the shed to clean the dishes that she had left in the tub. She tried to reassure herself that she would be able to speak with him in the morning. The pair had arrived late and she couldn't imagine they would be departing terribly early. As she was pushing on the lever to the water pump, she heard a soft rustle come from the shed. Glancing over, she realized in a panic that an animal had gotten in after she left the door open when getting the wine. Cursing her recklessness, she quickly made her way over to shoo the animal out. As she was about to turn in the doorway, a hand shot out and grabbed her arm before she could even react.
The next thing she knew, her back was hitting the wall inside the shed. She made a frantic attempt to escape, only to be pushed back again, pinned by her attacker's forearm across her chest. As Elena's mind froze, a strange, almost disconnected instinct took over and she reached for her knife. She brought her fist up, blade facing outward and getting ready to stab the person in front of her. However, her defense was immediately halted when she was grabbed by the wrist, and her hand pinned to the wall near her head. Her free hand reached forward, gripping the fabric of their shirt, defensively bracing herself against them in the only way she could. As her eyes stared widely at her abductor , she realized in the dim light from the lantern outside, that it was none other than the man with the sword, his familiar eyes mere inches away from her.
"Are you sure you want to do that?" he asked, as if a warning, his voice barely above a whisper.
Elena struggled against his hold, but quickly gave up after realizing he was much stronger. She looked at him with some defiance, trying to mask her panic, though her rapid breathing betrayed her. With the shock of the ambush starting to subside, confusion and fear began to creep in. After glancing at the knife in her hand and pondering her current position, she admitted defeat and dropped it. There was a brief standstill where neither of them moved, eyes locked and the tension between them unmoving.
His eyes narrowed slightly, studying her with suspicion. "Who are you?"
Elena was lost for words. Her mind still a whirlwind of the previous minutes, she couldn't even begin to explain herself, or her recent actions. Holding his gaze, she shook her head, mind drawing blank.
"Are you Yiga?" he asked
Puzzlement flashed over Elena's face. "Who?"
"Are you with the Yiga clan?" He said sharply, a hint of animosity in his tone.
Elena stared at him, blankly. She opened her mouth to speak, though nothing came out. She needed to speak with this man, but not like this. Dismay and frustration slowly started sinking in. While she had felt apprehensive about approaching him before, with the way their interaction had played out, she was terrified now. She hadn't expected her claims to be well received before this confrontation, but now on top of that, he was distrusting and losing patience. While he wasn't that much taller, the way his demanding stare bore into her made her wish she could shrink into the wall and disappear.
"I'm going to ask you once more," His voice was cold and deliberate. "Who are you, and why were you watching us?"
Her heart pounding, Elena's eyes shifted to the sword on his back. While she had no confidence in her own words, she knew that if she was to possibly learn anything about what happened to her, it was now or never. Looking back to him, her face changed to a look of desperation. "You won't believe me…" she whispered.
Subtle curiosity crept into the man's eyes, though his hold on her remained firm. "Try me." he quipped.
"Your sword…." Elena began nervously. "I… I've seen it before."
"You, and half of Hyrule." he said flatly, unimpressed.
"I heard it!" she blurted out, feeling shocked at her own words, finally speaking her reality out loud.
His eyes widened ever so slightly, a hint of the hardness fading as he genuinely appeared caught off guard by her confession. Before Elena could continue however, the moment had passed and his eyes narrowed again, his skepticism vastly apparent. Desperate to get through to him, she went on.
"I've been hearing it since you arrived. I can't explain the sound, but… it feels like it's… speaking to me."
He remained silent, his suspicious gaze never wavering. While a part of her was relieved he didn't laugh in her face, Elena wasn't sure if this response was any better. Defeat began to take hold, as she knew the words coming out of her mouth sounded like pure madness. She released a pained sigh, regretting having said anything.
"I know it sounds crazy. I don't understand it either, but I don't know what else to tell you." her voice was quiet, not caring to hide her uncertainty.
All of a sudden, the sword pulsed. While Elena maintained her eye contact, the man broke his to glimpse over his shoulder toward the sword. When he turned his attention back to Elena, she looked at him with wide-eyed bewilderment.
"You hear it too?" she asked, studying his face in shock, trying to comprehend this reveal.
He didn't answer her. His hold on her eased slightly as he considered her for a long moment. Elena's heart raced as she waited. Finally, he released her and as Elena released her grip on his chest, he took a step back, still eyeing her thoughtfully.
"What's your name?" he asked, his tone much softer than before.
"Elena." she said softly, looking at him warily; caught off guard by the sudden change in his demeanor.
"My name is Link."
An array of emotion swelled in Elena's chest. Her nerves were shaken, still unsure of the direction this conversation was taking, but something in her suddenly felt calmer, peaceful even. Perhaps she was simply relieved to finally know this man's name. For what felt like an eternity, she had seen him countless times in her head; grieving him, a person she didn't even know. Now having a name to put to his face, felt like an intimate milestone.
"Would you come inside with me?" he asked.
Elena eyed him with hesitation.
"Please?" he said, genuinely. "I just want to talk"
As Elena was trying to convince herself that he was sincere, the sword pulsed energetically. There were no words, but she got the strong feeling that she could trust Link. Taking a steadying breath, she nodded.
Link stepped aside, inviting her to exit the shed ahead of him. They walked in silence as they made their way back to the common room of the stable. While Elena was relieved that they were passed their less-than-ideal introduction, she couldn't help but feel anxious about what was to come.
As they reached the doorway leading inside, Link's companion was still at their table. Hearing them enter the room, she looked in their direction, eyebrows lifting in surprise when she saw Elena. As they approached the table, Elena's nerves began to intensify, feeling as if all eyes were on her. Without saying a word, Link pulled out a chair, gesturing for her to sit down. Settling into his own chair, he pulled his hood down, revealing sandy blonde hair, haphazardly pulled back into a pony-tail. He spent a short moment looking at Elena, who sat in her chair tentatively, though reeling with anxiety. His companion glanced between the two of them before her eyes settled on Link.
"I see that introductions went well" she said, breaking the awkward silence.
Link's gaze shifted to her, his expression alluding to something more.
"What is it?" his companion said, slightly unsettled.
Link took a preparatory breath in, leaning forward to rest his arms on the table and folding his hands thoughtfully. His eyes lowered to the table briefly before locking onto Elena.
"This is Elena…" he began, keeping his voice low enough that the following conversation wouldn't leave the three of them. "Elena, this is Zelda."
The two women's eyes met for a moment in a silent greeting. After a brief pause, which was quite uncomfortable on Elena's part, Link leaned closer to Zelda, whispering in her ear.
"She hears the Master Sword."
Zelda's eyes widened and sharply met Link's gaze, the bafflement clear on her face. There was an exchange of unspoken words, open books to each other that Elena watched with nervous anticipation. Zelda glanced at Elena, attempting to form words to articulate her thoughts, but ultimately looked back to Link.
"That's impossible" she said, simply, keeping her voice quiet.
"The sword confirmed it." he whispered.
"Confirmed it with you?" Zelda asked, a hint of disbelief still in her tone.
Link nodded with firm regard. Her face softening with acceptance, though nonetheless confused, Zelda sat back in her seat.
"How is that even possible?" she wondered, as if to herself, turning a studious gaze to Elena.
"I was hoping you could tell me." Elena said with a little more desperation than she intended.
Her eyes darted between Link and Zelda, hoping and waiting for some glimpse of an explanation. Something about their reactions set her heart racing. She had sensed it from Link earlier in the shed, but now seeing Zelda's response made Elena realize that they clearly knew something.
"You mentioned that you had seen this sword before," Link said. While there was genuine curiosity in his voice, his eyes suddenly grew intense, fixed on hers as if searching for any hint of deceit. "... Where?"
Elena's breath caught and her mind froze. She had hoped to ask some questions herself before having to get right into her unworldly story. Her focus resting on Link, she felt as though he was staring her down in the shed all over again.
"That's a bit complicated." she said, uncertain.
"How so?" he asked, not breaking eye contact.
Elena winced internally as she felt herself becoming flustered under Link's unrelenting scrutiny, wishing again that she could disappear and not face the demand in his eyes as she had been forced to while he interrogated her in the shed. As the memory of that moment played through her mind, she also remembered the sword and the clear message it had expressed. Despite the apprehension that seemed to be surrounding their meeting, the sword had given her a resolved feeling that she could trust Link. Taking a deep breath, she faced him with a little more certainty.
"I'm not from Hyrule." she said cautiously.
"We noticed…" Zelda said, with a soft genuine smile.
Elena's thoughts halted, realizing with embarrassment how incredibly obvious yet vague that statement was. She took a moment to rephrase her statement before speaking again.
"I meant that…" she leaned forward, and continued in a hushed voice. "Hyrule doesn't exist where I'm from."
The silence that followed was excruciating. Elena sat motionless, consciously pacing her breathing, trying to remain composed. She watched Link's face closely, looking for any signs of a response, all the while hoping he saw nothing but her sincerity. Zelda studied her with curiosity, a hint of anticipation growing in her expression. With slight hesitance, Link leaned forward, intrigue nonetheless flaring in his eyes.
"Would you elaborate on that?" he said intently.
Countless thoughts ran through Elena's mind in that moment, faster than she could even register them. The hole that she had dug herself into seemed never ending as she scrambled to find the right words to explain what she had gone through. Forcing her mind to slow down, she focused on simplicity. Simple would be key. After a long moment of contemplating, she took a steadying breath.
"Alright…This will sound completely insane, so please bear with me." she looked to them, as if for approval before continuing. "My uncle was an archeologist…"
Elena paused, already seeing a hint of confusion on their faces. "Are you not familiar with that term?" she asked hesitantly.
Link glanced at Zelda with an uncertain look. Holding Elena's gaze, Zelda shook her head. "No, I'm sorry."
Elena paused to consider her words again. "He was… a researcher of ancient civilizations." Seeing Zelda's face brighten with understanding and interest, Elena took it as a good sign to continue. "He died not too long before I traveled here, and left me some artifacts from his personal collection. They were mostly papers, which had writing on them that I couldn't read… He didn't know where they were from or how old they were. One of the papers that I found was a map… I didn't know it at the time, but it was a map of Hyrule. It looked just like the map that Tasseren keeps behind the counter…"
Elena paused, taking another steadying breath. She could feel her nerves fluttering in her stomach.
"Long story short, I was able to find the location of the map, and being an avid hiker back home, I took it upon myself to travel there and see if I could learn more about where the artifacts came from" she looked to Link and Zelda anxiously. "This is where things get… weird."
Though they gave no visible reaction, they continued to listen, Zelda only giving a subtle nod of assurance.
"When I got there… there was nothing." Elena hesitantly met their eyes, faced with looks of confusion as though they didn't understand the words coming out of her mouth.
"What do you mean, nothing?" Zelda questioned, her eyes narrowing slightly.
Without a word, Elena stood from her seat. As she crossed the room to the counter, grabbing the map and returning to the table, Link continued watching her closely. The distrust had dissipated, but there was something about Elena he still found unsettling, and the fact that he couldn't pinpoint what it was, only exacerbated the feeling. Sitting down in her seat, Elena unrolled the map and proceeded to point out the route that she had traveled.
"Right here, where the castle would be… it was just a giant mound of rock and stone. And this…" She pointed to the settlement south of Lookout Landing. "All of this was gone. It was all just grass and trees… A few stone walls here and there, but nothing taller than myself. And here…" she pointed further south, pausing momentarily, seemingly lost in thought. "On my third day of hiking, I was right about here when I started hearing the sword."
"The sword?" Link asked quietly after a short lull, some confusion seeping through his steadfast tone.
Elena met his eyes hesitantly. A heaviness began to grow in her chest as the sight of his inquisitive gaze mingled with images of him being claimed by death. She nodded, silently.
"Go on…" Zelda said gently, urging Elena back on course. She glanced down at the map, trailing her eyes over the areas she had been, as she recalled the next part of her account.
"I followed the sound, and eventually found it, except… it was only the hilt… It was rusted over… very old and very… deteriorated, but the handle and crossguard were exactly like the one on your back. The blade looked like it had been broken, or just worn down over time. I'm not sure… but when I held it in my hand I… I felt a strong familiar presence from it, and I felt… sad… mournful… like my uncle had just died again."
As Elena stared absently at the table, heart pounding as she relived the sensation of her memory, both Link and Zelda observed her with visible unease. The mentioning of the sword reduced to nothing but its hilt had brought sheer alarm to Zelda's face. She looked to Link, apparently searching for a mutual understanding of what she had just heard. Link meanwhile, was fixed in his own bewilderment, waiting for Elena to continue speaking.
"Then…" Elena looked up, meeting Link's gaze apprehensively. "It showed me something… like a vision… Images of… of the sword deteriorating over time. And then…" as she trailed off, she tore her eyes away, settling to stare at the table once more.
Her heart continued to sink. Dealing with the vision of Link's death had been traumatizing enough for her. How was she supposed to tell him that she had also seen him bleed to death, when she couldn't even look him in the eyes? As she fought back the grief that threatened to send her into tears, she took a deep breath, reminding herself to keep things simple. One thing at a time…
"After that, there was an incredibly bright, golden light all around me. It was so bright, I couldn't see anything… and the next thing I knew, I fell back onto the ground, and the hilt was gone."
A long pause followed before any of them spoke. Elena could practically hear her own heart beat over the stifling silence. Link and Zelda exchanged a seemingly knowing look as if in their own conversation, putting Elena further on edge, waiting for their next question. Zelda turned her attention to Elena with an unreadable expression, though there was an intensity to her eyes that Elena had yet to see. After regarding her for several moments, Zelda seemed to sit up straighter, before speaking.
"I believe you." Her voice was soft, but firm.
Elena's breath caught as she stared dumbfoundedly at Zelda. "W-what?"
"I believe you, Elena…" she enunciated with sincerity, a smile pulling at her lips.
A wave of relief surged through Elena, feeling as if a physical weight had been lifted off of her. Overwhelmed by the sensation, she began to feel the stinging of tears creeping into her eyes. Blinking rapidly, she looked away momentarily, trying to keep herself collected. When she turned her attention back to them, her eyes fell on Link to see his expression had softened, though she could tell there were still many questions behind his gaze.
"If you don't mind me asking…" Zelda's voice broke through suddenly. "How did you come to be employed by Tasseren?"
Elena chuckled lightly, still reeling from relief. "I was picked up by a merchant, somewhere in Hyrule Field. He was traveling this way and offered to bring me here so I could get my bearings… After speaking to Tasseren and seeing a map, I realized it wouldn't be that simple… so, he let me stay here." A glimpse of worry showed in Elena's face, being reminded of her situation again.
Zelda regarded her thoughtfully, seemingly mulling over Elena's words. After a moment, she picked up her cup and took a slow sip of her wine. Setting it down, she stood from her chair, looking down at Link.
"I'm going to retire for the night."
"Do you need anything?" Link asked quietly, glancing up to her.
"No. Thank you." Zelda rested her hand briefly on his shoulder before turning her gaze to Elena. "Goodnight, Elena. I'm sure we will talk more in the morning."
Elena smiled softly, her face still radiating with gratitude. "Goodnight."
After Zelda left to gather some belongings from their wagon, the room was silent once more. Though Elena felt a sense of calm for the first time since earlier in the evening, being alone with Link set her heart beating rapidly in her chest. As she stared absently toward the sleeping guests across the room, wondering how private their conversation had truly been, she was acutely aware of Link's eyes on her. Shifting her gaze to meet his, she felt a new level of confidence in meeting his attention. While she had felt uncertain and small under his watch before, now she felt as though she was peering into something familiar… and it had nothing to do with recognizing him from her vision.
The tension broke when Link glanced down at the table briefly. Meeting her eyes again, a look of sincerity shown in his.
"I want to apologize… for our encounter in the shed." he said softly.
Elena couldn't help but laugh, trying to keep quiet. She shook her head dismissively. "It's fine… I understand how suspicious I was acting."
The softest of smiles, a smirk truthfully, briefly flashed across Link's face. The contrast left Elena feeling a sense of endearing intrigue. She hadn't imagined the man interrogating her in the shed could be capable of smiling. After a momentary lull, Elena looked at Link curiously.
"You never did answer my question." she said gently.
Link watched her expectantly, silently prompting Elena to continue.
"You do hear it… don't you?" her voice was quiet, keeping their words between just the two of them.
What little of his guard remained, slowly faded as he considered her. "Yes." he finally answered.
Elena's mind raced, wanting to ask so many questions. "What… what does it mean?" was all she could articulate. The look in Link's eyes made her intrigue feel desperate.
"You really don't know what this sword is, do you?" he asked with delicate curiosity.
Elena shook her head, eyes full of wonder, hoping to finally get an answer. Link sat back in his seat, eyeing her carefully while contemplating her answer. Lowering his gaze to the table, his hand grasped the cup before him, tapping his fingers on it thoughtfully. After taking a drink, he turned his attention back to Elena.
"That is a long story in itself, which we will share with you… but not tonight." he said definitely.
As much as that was not the answer Elena was hoping for, seeing the sincerity in Link's face allowed her to reluctantly accept it. After considering him for a moment, she looked down at the table, nodding her consent.
"Well…" she said after a moment. "I should get some sleep… early morning chores."
Standing from her seat, she met Link's eyes once more in a silent retreat. As she proceeded to make her way toward the door, she stopped half-way, turning to Link with some hesitation.
"You… you will be here in the morning… You aren't leaving before dawn, are you?" she couldn't stop the concern in her voice.
Link met her gaze with reassurance. "We will speak again in the morning. Don't worry."
As she watched him, Elena realized that all uncertainty had left her. Without even thinking of the sword's influence, she found herself trusting Link, ready to follow him to whatever end. This level of confidence was startling, but she couldn't think of any reason to argue with it. She felt as if she had found a long lost friend.
With a soft smile, she gave a single satisfied nod. "Goodnight." she said.
Link gave a silent nod, before finishing his wine. As Elena walked out of the room, his eyes followed, still pulled in by the intrigue surrounding her.
When Elena stepped outside the stable, something felt different. The air was cold and crisp, but not intolerable. It was refreshing and lively, as if she could feel every particle. She felt lighter and unburdened. As she released a sigh, she felt as though she might float away and fought the urge to laugh. The night had been a strange twist of emotions and though she felt exhausted, her mind was vitalized as she replayed every moment in her mind, in disbelief at how it had all played out. Although there were still many questions to be answered, she had a newfound hope that she had found people who could give her those answers… and for the first time since she stumbled into Hyrule, Elena looked forward to the next day.