Chapter 2

The flowers at the castle courtyard had bloomed. Blossoms of all sorts of hues and colors were free to let go of their wonderful fragrance, and entrust it to the wind to carry it all across Hyrule. Even this beautiful scenery, however, couldn't comfort the young princess, as she stood by the fountain.

"Is that your choice?"

Link couldn't bring himself to meet her gaze. Her voice didn't betray any emotion, but he knew how she was feeling. He merely nodded, letting the water's flow fill the silence. Words were unnecessary at this point.

"...Very well. The kingdom of Hyrule is indebted to you… and so am I. You should listen to your heart. If your heart tells you to leave, then… that's what you ought to do."

It took him some courage, but Link forced himself to look at her. Her apathetic eyes were fixed on the endless sky above. If he didn't know any better, he'd think that she was genuinely unphased by his imminent departure.

"You have my blessing, Link. May you find the purpose you seek."

"Thank you… Zelda."

With no further pleasantries, Link left the courtyard, his homeland, and his princess behind. Only after he was out of sight, did Zelda allow herself to shed the tears she had been holding back.

…

As his vision was clearing up, Link saw a blurry silhouette hovering over him.

"Thank goodness! A part of me was afraid you weren't going to wake up," he heard someone say.

He couldn't discern any of the person's features yet, but that sweet voice and the long hair let him take a fair guess.

"Z…Zelda…? Is it… you?"

"...Huh?"

Link blinked once, twice, then thrice for good measure, until his surroundings finally felt tangible. He was lying in someone's bed, it seemed. A stark difference to all the camps he'd usually set up and sleep in. He went to speak, but a coughing fit stopped him from doing so.

Once it was over, he saw that he was being offered a glass of water by that woman whose voice he'd heard. Impolite though it may have been, he scanned her from head to toe.

She reminded him a lot of his princess, although he couldn't explain why. They didn't look all that similar. She had red hair instead of blonde and brown eyes instead of blue. Instead of a crown, a big red flower was decorating her hair, and she was wearing a blue summer dress, rather than a royal pink and white gown. A pendant with a red gemstone was the only piece of jewelry she was wearing, in contrast to Zelda's earrings, necklace and bracelets.

Even so, it's like this woman had the same aura as Zelda. That aura of elegance and warmth. Perhaps it was for the best that she wasn't the princess, though. He wouldn't want her to see him in this sorry state.

She was looking at him with an expectant expression. Unwilling to continue staring, Link sat up and took the glass, before gulping it down with unparalleled gluttony.

"Thank you," he said with a sigh once he was done. "Who are you? Where am I?"

"My name is Marin. I found you washed up on the shore, so I took you here, to my house. Welcome to Koholint!"

One by one, images of turbulent seas and pummeling rain flashed before Link's eyes as she spoke.

"You… found me?" he asked, just now realizing how lucky he was to still be breathing.

"Yes, just earlier this morning."

He swiftly clasped her hand in both of his.

"Tell me, how can I repay you for saving my life?"

Although she was a little startled, Marin waved off his question.

"Nevermind that. I'm only relieved to see you safe."

Exhaustion caused Link to sink back down on the bed. So this was how it felt to be saved. In all his adventures, he couldn't recall ever being on the receiving end. It felt unnatural. He looked around the house to get a better feel of his surroundings. The interior was fairly modest, all things considered.

"Hey, Marin? Where did you say I am?" he asked quietly.

"You're in Mabe Village, on Koholint island."

Link frowned in confusion. He had not once heard of such a place before. He wondered just how far away the storm had carried him. As he was contemplating this, a large mustachioed man waltzed in through the door across the bed. The young hero had to do a double take.

"Oh, father! You came at the right time!"

"Well, Link," the man said, "it's good to see ya finally came to. Name's Tarin."

Link kept staring, befuddled. This man looked astonishingly similar to his dear uncle. Their builds, their round faces, their black hair and bushy mustaches all matched. The man must have noticed his confusion, since he proceeded to ask, "What? How did I know yer name?"

"Yeah…"

Tarin nodded along.

"Sure is weird, ain't it? Well, you wrote it on the back of this shield," he pointed out, while placing said shield against the wall, right next to the rest of Link's belongings, namely his tunic and his pouch.

"Some other stuff washed up, but I couldn't get 'em. Critters everywhere," he said seriously. "How are ya feelin', kid?"

Link made an attempt to get back on his feet. He still felt tired, but thankfully he hadn't sustained any serious injuries.

"Better. Thank you both so much for your help. I don't want to overstay my welcome, so I'll get going."

Marin immediately objected.

"What!? You can't leave so soon; you haven't recovered yet. Don't you want some dinner at least?"

He hesitated. Had this offer been proposed to him a year or so earlier, he would have probably declined outright. He was an adventurer through and through, and that meant he had to provide for himself, by himself. He wouldn't want to accept outside assistance, because he feared he'd become used to it and take it for granted. Now, though… it was a different story. He didn't have much of a choice in his state. Not to mention, he was starving.

"...Alright. If it's not too much of a burden."

It was late afternoon, and the small village of Mabe was bathed in a faint pink hue. The clicking of cutlery could be heard echoing from inside the house. Dinner was served. Fish soup. It smelled so good, Link had to hold himself from devouring it like some feral beast.

"So, Link," Tarin said between spoonfuls, "where are ya from?"

Before he could answer, Link noticed that Marin was looking at him with interest.

"I hail from the kingdom of Hyrule," he answered simply. Upon noticing the confused stares he got, he couldn't help but ask, "Have you heard of it?"

They both shook their heads.

"Koholint is isolated from the rest of the world," Marin explained.

Maybe it wasn't too unreasonable, Link presumed. He had no knowledge of this island prior to this day, so it made sense its inhabitants wouldn't know about his homeland, either. A long pause ensued as they continued eating.

"What do you plan to do once you've recovered?"

"Marin, what kinda question is that?" Tarin complained.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry. I was just curious."

Link twiddled with the spoon, deep in thought.

"Probably explore this island for a bit. See what it's like."

Marin nodded, seemingly content.

"Ah, I see. Y'know, you do look like the type," Tarin commented. He took another spoonful, before asking, "What do ya do for a livin'?"

Link nearly choked. What was he supposed to say in response to that? That he was a hero? An adventurer? An explorer? None of these were false, but they probably wouldn't believe him. He didn't want to come off as a charlatan or a lunatic to these people.

"I…"

"..."

"I used to be a knight," he eventually replied, "but I had to give up on my training. I don't really do much of anything as of late, other than travel from place to place."

Tarin nodded in acknowledgement and left it at that. Marin didn't say anything, but curiosity was eating her inside out. She yearned to know more about this stranger. A travelling knight… His life sounded like something right out of a legend. She held herself, though. She could wait until the time was right. Until then, she'd have to take this one step at a time.