Chapter 26: Begin Again
Link was a broken mess. His legs shook with each step and the weight of the pack pressed him relentlessly in to the earth. Each single muscle fibre felt as if they were aflame. His entire body was soaked through with sweat.
The day before, the column had marched a long distance in to the late night and quickly set up camp. Walking with the heavy pack had gradually gotten harder as it continued to press against his body. Still, he pressed on. He felt determined to finish the task he had been given. People in the column had been kind enough to provide him with water. Even Zelda had helped a little by quietly giving him one of her pieces of tablet, though she said little.
The march home continued at a steady pace. Link tried his best to keep up, but every muscle was tense now as the fatigue continued to build in him. As he readjusted the straps on his pack, he heard a familiar voice.
"There you are! Was thinking you forgot us" Sabbah said, as she and her sisters caught up to him. They carried very light packs, a lot of the soldiers didn't want to burden them after they had been so instrumental in defending the shore.
Link smiled. Talking to her would be a welcome distraction from the silence between him and Zelda.
"There's no way I'd forget you! I just...kind of got myself in to trouble and had to be somewhere else" he explained
"Oh, we know. How you hit Colonel in metal armour." she said with a raised eyebrow. "Would you guess what happen to you in Gerudo lands if you do that?"
"Not really"
"Hands cut off!" she exclaimed dramatically. "Still, glad you have your hands."
"Yeah...me too." he said weakly. He didn't feel like attacking anyone any more. "So what happened to you all over the past few days? I don't think I saw any of you" he asked, wondering what had happened to them.
She explained that as the camp had lowered its state of readiness after the death of the Kraken, Sabbah had elected to teach the Gerudo language to a few soldiers, including Peyton. His natural grasp of foreign languages made him the ideal student, he had been assisting others with learning it too.
Then those new faces had been learning at an astonishing pace too. She was tutoring three men, but they had now learned enough of the Gerudo language to assist with translating. They were far from fluent, but they were closer than a great many others. Her sisters had wandered around the camp, assisting other soldiers. Some of them had seen Link's fight with Williams but had to return to their work.
"What will you want to do after all of this, Sabbah? We would still like to establish relations with the Gerudo" Zelda said
She had been quiet for so long that Link had been shocked to hear her speak again. Still, it was a valid question worth following.
"Well, probably discuss Hyrule's offers and needs. Can not speak for all Gerudo, but the more I have to tell, then more likely to get good response. Our people value stories and knowledge" Sabbah explained.
"You are welcome for as long as you wish to stay with us" Zelda replied.
"You are sure? Even after what happen in your Ordon Village?"
She was talking about the man she had beheaded, a captive. There had been tension between the two of them after Zelda had learned about that. She had also implied that Sabbah would need to answer for it.
"I want you to speak to the family of the man you killed. To beg them for forgiveness, if you wish to make amends for it" she replied calmly.
"I will." Sabbah said, without missing a beat.
Link felt yet another surge of pride for her. He had expected some kind of resistance or hesitation. Perhaps her time in Hyrule and working with the soldiers had changed her perspective.
"Working with you both, and the nice army men, has shown us a great many things we did not understand. If we made no effort with you, then we would be ashamed to go home. I will answer to his family"
"Thank you, Sabbah" Zelda said, exhaling gently.
It had seemed like a large weight was taken off her shoulders hearing her agree so rapidly. It wasn't just the poor soldiers death that weighed on her, but how it could taint relations with all the Gerudo if nothing had been done about it.
Link wondered how well he could handle court life. So many individual things appeared to have wide reaching consequences. It made his head spin the more he tried to think about it.
They walked further along for a while in companionable silence. Link was starting to struggle under the heavy load of the pack. Sweat continued to roll down his face under the gentle autumn sun. Sabbah gave him a canteen of water that he almost drained in an instant. He thanked her and readjusted his straps as he carried on. Even if it was meant to punish him, it would help keep him fit. At least he hoped.
A rider from the front of the column rode towards them at a steady canter. Zelda straightened herself as they approached.
"Your majesty, Captain Williams requests your presence. He wishes to discuss camping options" said the rider.
"Very well. Lead on" she said flatly as she rode out of the formation, heading to the front.
Link felt a pang of frustration again. He knew she was hurt by him and that she needed time to process it. But it had been two whole days without her saying anything about it. He wanted to try and talk to her, but had no idea how to even bring the subject up. Somewhere private, as Prince Ralis had suggested, sounded ideal. That part would have to wait though.
He narrowed his eyes as he tried to focus and think of what he could do. He wondered about trying to joke with her, but that felt as if he was avoiding the issue and downplay it. Then, he wondered about just idle conversation. That felt weak in his mind. So then he imagined just offering his support with anything she needed, but then that felt fake.
For every idea he had, he managed to shut it down.
"You are quiet" Sabbah said bluntly.
Snapping out of his thoughts, he blinked.
"Yeah...sorry" he said with a small shrug, the pack making the movement difficult.
"Why? You are allowed to think about things. It was observation" she explained.
"Because I like you Sabbah. I don't want you to feel like I'm ignoring you." he replied honestly.
"You are sweet boy. Now if only you could be sweet with Zelda again."
Link let out a dry laugh.
"Yeah, I would like that. But I have no idea what to say to her. Whatever I think of keeps sounding stupid or false to me."
"Oh? So you have been thinking about her then?" she asked.
"Of course I have! She's important to me. But she's been quiet and I don't really know why. I mean, I know I said something horrible to her, but it feels like she just doesn't want me around. So I'm not sure what I should say to her to try and make things better" he explained, eager to get the confusing thoughts out of his head.
"Hm" Sabbah replied simply. She then started speaking with the other Gerudo walking near her. Whatever they were discussing, they all had something to say about it. Though he couldn't understand what they were saying, he could see their expressions.
Most of them seemed eager to talk at least, so they were enthusiastic. Their body language was animated, as if they were trying to motion the thoughts out of their heads. Then, nodding as they agreed on something.
Whatever was being said, he was eager to hear it now.
Sabbah turned back to him. "I think we have had idea. Might explain why she stay 'distant' from you" she offered.
"I'd love to hear it." Link said, wondering what they had realised, that he may not have.
"Zelda is wise. Is the arbiter of wisdom as chosen by your goddesses, yes?"
Link nodded.
"That is the problem." Sabbah said.
"...How exactly?"
"Well, it is simple. You are only wise from experience. You have to do something wrong first, before you know it is wrong." she explained as she gestured with her hands, emphasising her point.
"From that, you may do more things wrong, then learn that those are wrong! So it all pile together. You become wise from that and know, from experience, how to handle those things if they happen again!"
She was animated now, excited by her idea. Link felt he knew where she was going with the explanation too, which excited him in turn.
"Zelda has had life where she has had a lot to learn of. She had to, for role as leader of Hyrule. Talking well, magical ability, how to behave with nobles, how to see through plots. That and far more."
Link felt amazed at the insight. It was starting to make sense. He waited for the final part eagerly.
Sabbah leaned in a little closer, the smell of cloves came from her.
"However, in term of love? Of talking to people she like? Or how to deal with the thought someone she like may hate her? She has no idea!" Sabbah explained in an excited whisper.
"She can not be wise in this because she never experience it before! And, because she so used to knowing what to do, she feel scared and powerless to handle it. So she stay quiet, until she has an idea that may never come to her."
All at once, the confusing fog in his mind lifted. With it, weight from his shoulders. At least the mental weight, the physical weight was still there.
He couldn't believe it. The explanation had been so simple, yet something he hadn't even considered.
"Sabbah...I owe you so much whisky for this...Thank you, all of you!" he said, almost stammering his gratitude.
"Hah! And I will not let you forget it." she replied smugly. She looked pleased with herself, having been able to articulate all of the Gerudos combined thoughts.
He leaned toward Sabbah, whispering to her. "How to you say 'all of you' in Gerudo?" he asked.
"Kullukunna" she offered.
Link turned his head to the other Gerudo and spoke aloud.
"Kullukunna? Shukra!"
They didn't respond, but they did look happy behind their veils. Some of them responded to Sabbah.
"They say you are welcome. One says you should just talk to Zelda"
"Oh, I will. I feel like I can think clearly, finally. Now, let me tell you about different types of whisky…" he said happily.
He told her about the different vintages and how different processes changed the flavour. Sabbah listened eagerly, wanting to know more about the drink. The eventually both decided that they would drink together in Telmas bar, along with the other Gerudo.
Though his pack was still weighing him down, he felt lighter somehow.
Zelda eventually came back from the head of the column and joined in next to Link once more. Sabbah and her sisters backed off, saying they wanted to talk with Peyton and the other soldiers who had been learning their language. Though Link was grateful for them giving him and Zelda some space to talk.
"Welcome back. What did you discuss?" he asked her.
"Nothing much. We will reach Castle Town tomorrow so we will camp a few miles from here" she replied, still stoic.
"Good to hear. It'll be nice to take this pack off for a while."
She nodded wordlessly. He needed to keep trying. If she didn't know how to process her own feelings as Sabbah had suggested, they would make no progress at all.
"Have you eaten much?" he asked
"Yes. Some rations whilst I was at the head of the column"
Good. At least she wasn't outright telling him to be quiet.
"I have to wonder about rations, you know? I often think of how long someone could subsist on dried food and water before it made them insane" he said.
"I...do not know" she replied, somewhat taken aback. Link saw the crack he could widen.
"Well, hopefully you wouldn't need to. As good as it is having something to keep you going, nothing satisfies like a full hearty meal. There's a bar in town and they serve mashed potatoes with sausages and gravy. It's the closest food has ever come to being divine I think."
She smiled, ever so slightly.
"That or beef stew" he suggested
"I hate stew." she replied quietly.
Link smiled this time. Finally, they were at least talking again. He kept his face straight, but felt like dancing.
"You hate stew? It speaks very highly of you"
Her smile grew just a little wider.
"A stew is always too much. All those flavours mixed together…" she replied, sounding slightly more relaxed. Just a little.
"Well I suppose so. I wouldn't want to eat stew all the time either." he said, trying to keep the momentum gentle. "So, of all foods in the world, what's the best then?"
She thought for a moment, Link waited with bated breath.
"Potato salad."
"Oh, good choice!" he enthused. "Everyone's recipe for it is different but it's hard to get it wrong. Some spring onions in there, a little cheese and apple…"
"Apples in a potato salad?! I am not so certain about that variant" she said, curious and disgusted at the same time.
"No, it's really nice! The sweetness plays with the sting of onions really well!"
Her enthusiasm was building.
"Apples to balance out onions, in a potato salad? I suppose you think a cheese board is an acceptable desert too?"
"Absolutely! Pairing it up with a coffee works really well!"
"Oh, you have got to be joking…"
Finally, blissfully, they started talking again. There was still an undercurrent of tension, but even having a conversation about food felt like leaps and bounds over what the past few days had been.
They continued debating food for a while longer, discussing the proper application of cheese to dishes and the amount of sauce suitable for steak.
Zelda seemed relieved to be able to talk with him again, just as much as Link was with her.
Still carrying the heavy pack drained his stamina as he started to run out of energy the further they all walked.
"Sorry, but I think I'm spent. With any joy, we can camp soon" he said wearily.
Zelda looked concerned for a moment, but hid it quickly. She looked ahead of the column and rode off to meet with Williams again.
Link pushed onwards. He felt like his knees were sweating now as he felt the straps pressing deep into his shoulders. He couldn't wait to take the pack off.
Zelda returned shortly after. The sun over the vast field was turning golden as evening set in.
"We will be setting camp soon. A lot of then men are fatigued too, so it makes sense to camp now." she said, almost dismissively.
Was she trying to hide that she cared about him? Link wondered for a second, but quickly deciding that he wouldn't assume he knew why she was calling the camp to be built early.
The soldiers got to work building the tents again, others assembling cooking pots for the evening stew whilst Link sat near a tree and undid the straps and buckles of his heavy pack. As he removed his arms, he felt so much better. His entire body cried out for rest, so he lay besides the tree as he recovered.
As he stared at the golden sky, he recalled the Twillight Realm. It looked almost the same. He thought of Midna again, but also what Zelda had said to him, back on the mountain at Snowpeak.
That she thought trying to get back to the Twilight realm was disregarding Midna's wishes and sacrifice. For the first time in a long time, he didn't feel pangs of pain or longing for her. She had occupied his mind for over a year at this point.
He had driven himself to try and rebuild the portal to her world, almost relentlessly.
Thinking over the last few days, he thought of how he had risked three sentries jobs just to get a chance to try and speak to Zelda. What else would he be willing to risk just to get what he wanted?
He heard the noises of fires being started and water being dumped in to the large cooking pots. He broke out of his thoughts, feeling oddly calm. Several soldiers came over to him and asked to take the pack away so they could get bowls and spoons out.
"I hate this pack and everything in it. Please, take it as far from me as you can."
The soldiers laughed and dragged it to the nearest cooking pot, well out of the way. Link smiled, happy to be relieved of it for a while. He lay against the tree as he watched the camp build itself up and people started preparing a meal. The scene was peaceful. From the rhythm of activity to the chance to just sit down. Link let his heavy eyes close as he fell asleep.
He awoke with a shock as someone kicked his feet. Snapping his eyes open, he saw Sabbah standing over him, a bowl in her hand. Relaxing for a moment, he look around at the camp. Night had fallen. There were glowing fires scattered around a multitude of tents again. Soldiers sat around with their squads and friends, enjoying the respite.
"You know beds exist, yes?" Sabbah said helpfully.
"Leave me alone. Tired." Link replied weakly.
"No. I sit with you. Time to eat!"
She took a spot next to him by the tree and passed him a bowl of vegetable stew, full of potatoes.
He took the meal and slowly started eating it.
They sat together quietly as Link finished the meal, feeling that it had revitalised him slightly. He put the bowl beside him as he looked over the camp.
"You are welcome" she said.
"Thank you Sabbah. You're very kind."
"I am. So, how was it talking to her again?" she replied bluntly.
He smiled. It had been the highlight of the day for him.
"Really nice. Feels like a whole load of tension is gone now"
"Then do not stop. I see her, you know. Since you spoke, she has been happier."
Link felt his heart flutter a little. He couldn't help but wonder why she was doing this.
"Oh, I will. But tell me something? Why are you so interested in helping us both? It doesn't affect you after all" he asked.
"Because I like you both. I want the people I like to be happy" came the quick reply. "But sometimes, the people I like are stupid. So I help them."
Link burst in to laughter. He couldn't believe how close they had become since she had been working for Ghirahim.
"Never change, Sabbah" he said, wiping a tear from his eye.
They both sat together happily, observing the camp as the evening wore on. It felt good to Link that they could sit in silence for a while without worrying about being boring.
"I enjoy this. A moment of quiet after all the chaos." she said as stood. "I must find my sisters. I suggest you find the princess, and talk again. I know it will soothe her heart to do that"
Then, unusually, she ruffled his head as she turned to leave. Link sat there, unsure of what had just happened. Still, he didn't mind. He meant it when he told her that he trusted her.
She left as he took a minute to collect himself. Standing, he rolled his sore shoulders and stretched his legs to try and shift the discomfort. Then, he set off in to the camp, wishing he would have asked Sabbah where Zelda was.
As he walked through the camp, soldiers waved to him or greeted him. He did his best to keep up a friendly attitude but he was still exhausted. Passing Karlsman and his squad, he waved. Karlsman waved back with a small smile as he gestured to the other side of the camp wordlessly. He then returned to his meal.
Looking over, Link saw the larger tents of the senior staff and likely, Zelda. He made his way over.
He stepped in to the area, finding some of the high ranked officers including Williams. All of them were preoccupied with their own food to notice Link. They sat on fallen logs around a campfire.
Zelda was amongst them, eating her own meal.
He may have had more freedom than a footsoldier, but he thought of a reason to invite himself to the private setting.
"Good evening" he said to the group calmly, drawing looks from them. Zelda's eyes widened slightly but nobody protested.
"And to you, Link. Have you eaten? We have spare portions if you need any." Williams offered.
"I'm fine, but thank you. I was hoping to talk to you all about what happens after we get back to Castle town, if you don't mind of course?"
"Find a seat, shouldn't be a problem." Williams replied as he finished the last of his stew.
Link sat on a tree stump near the fire, happy to take the weight off his feet.
"Thanks. Alright, so I'm not a member of the Hylian army, but I've been involved for a while now. I imagine you'll all need to debrief or write up a report about everything that happened with the Zora?" he asked, trying to figure out if he needed to do anything specific.
"That's correct. Normally after operations like this, we would normally debrief where we get officers in to one room. Then, we detail the operation and ask each officer what they were responsible for as well as what they did. Someone usually writes down what we discuss in a format and that is sent to the archives" Williams explained.
"Alright. Would you need me to be there at all, help fill in any blanks?" Link offered.
"That's good of you but no. I know the extent of your work thanks to Princess Zelda and it will be included in the report as it is."
"Well if there's anything that needs clarifying or examining, I'd be happy to help"
Williams nodded back to him. The other officers looked pleased at the discussion too. Zelda however looked confused.
"Princess? You look concerned" Link asked.
She remained quiet for a moment as she looked between Link and Williams. Nobody dared make a sound.
"I simply do not understand either of you" she said.
"Oh? In what regard, your majesty?" Williams asked.
"No more than a day ago, you two were in the stockades for attacking each other. And now, it is as if you have been friends for years. How were you able to overcome your differences? In what I assume to be record time." she asked thoughtfully.
Link and Williams looked at each other, wondering about it too. It didn't feel like the right time to makes jokes, so Link thought about it, as Williams appeared to be doing so.
"It's something hard to explain, but is instinctive I think. We had our issues with each other, but because we've 'expressed' them, it's as if the air is clear." Link explained.
"He's correct, your majesty. I feel as if because we expressed ourselves in a genuine way, there's a measure of respect between us. We know that we could fight each other honestly if it came to it, so we have no reason to doubt one another."
There were nods and murmurs from the other officers as they silently agreed.
"Hm. I feel as if I understand a little better perhaps. But then what of when you were both in the stockades? I had asked you what had happened, then you said it was both a misunderstanding and a gentleman's disagreement? Why not just tell me what happened?" she asked, more curious now.
Link and Williams let out a single laugh at the same time as they looked to each other with a knowing smile.
"We wanted to resolve our issue by ourselves." Link said.
"As he said, your majesty. A conflict like that, where you hit another person, is very personal. It's as if it isn't just about fighting each other, but a measure of your worth as a person in how you handle yourself."
Zelda looked as if she was trying to process the meaning of it.
"So when you said you wanted to put Link in a grave then? That was...a measure of your worth?"
This time, all of the officers and Link shared a single laugh and knowing smile.
"That was bluster. No matter how angry I was at the time, I didn't want to actually kill Link. But I needed him to know I wanted to. That our issue wasn't yet resolved" Williams explained to the understanding nods of the other men there.
Zelda shook her head in disbelief.
"Perhaps this is something only men could understand. I would like to remind you both of how stupid it was" she said, far more gently than she had previously.
"Oh don't worry, you made that abundantly clear, your majesty" Link responded, drawing barely concealed smiles from the officers. To his surprise though, Zelda laughed.
"I can not believe the things I said" she said, blushing slightly but still smiling.
"Neither could we" Link and Williams said in unison, getting a laugh out of everyone.
The mood lightened immediately. That Zelda was even willing to address it was a relief too.
"Do you know most of the troops have started doing this? They loved it so much that they usually spend their evenings 'burning' each other." one of the other officers said.
"They have?" Zelda asked, surprised.
Most of the officers nodded in response, Williams included.
"Very well...have you heard any particularly good ones?" she asked.
Everyone looked to each other, suddenly eager to tell the best they had heard.
"I've seen a blind man with no arms pitch a tent better than you" one said.
"Stop cooking such bad food! I bet you'd burn water" said another.
"A dead bird has more charm than you" followed another.
Everyone was laughing now.
"Does your head whistle when it gets windy?" said Williams
"Of course you'd think something inedible was food, you greedy bastard" said Link, recalling the two soldiers he had passed before his fight with Williams.
Zelda cried laughing as she hunched over, Link didn't even try to wipe his own tears away. The officers were enjoying it too.
Eventually, after everyone calmed down, Williams went to his tent and brought out a bottle of his expensive whisky. He poured a measure in to several cups and passed them around.
"Your majesty, would you like one?" he asked, holding out a cup for her.
"Thank you, Captain." she said as she took the cup.
Link was especially grateful. He knew how good this one was. Everyone drank and sighed in satisfaction.
"Well, that's enough for me. We've got to pack up and get home tomorrow. Your majesty, gentlemen, good evening to you." Williams said as he left for his tent further down the row of tents.
The other officers excused themselves politely and went their separate ways. Finally, it was just Link and Zelda. She looked happy and relaxed. It felt to Link as if it had been months since he had seen her like this.
"Would you like to go for a walk? I found a nice view of the camp earlier." Link offered.
"I am afraid not. As Williams said, we have to pack up early tomorrow and get home" she said as she stood. She walked a few paces and stopped in her tracks, then turned to face him.
"I think I needed tonight... Thank you for coming over" she said, smiling slightly.
Then she turned to leave for her tent. Leaving Link with butterflies in his stomach again.
He sat still for a moment, letting the feeling wash over him. It felt as if a gap had shortened between them in the short ten minutes he had been there.
After resting a while longer, he got up and walked back through the camp. Seeing the tree he had rested on earlier, he was pleased to see some soldiers had built a private tent for him. Karlsman waited beside it. He walked over to him.
"Evening. Thought you might like somewhere to sleep" he said, gesturing to the tent.
"Much appreciated, thank you." Link replied, eager to rest his aching body.
"No problem. Figured you'd prefer privacy. Though if you ever need to share a tent, come to me, alright?"
Link felt grateful for him, but couldn't figure out why he was going out of his way like this.
"How come you're going this far for me? Don't get me wrong, I appreciate it, but you don't need to put yourself out like this." Link asked.
"Well, I happen to remember that you saved my life. Has a habit of making people feel grateful to you"
Link recalled how they met, in an ambushed caravan on the way back to Hyrule. Karlsman had barely escaped it.
"Well, then I accept. Thank you" he replied happily.
"Ah. You've had a chat with the princess, haven't you?"
Link nodded.
"And? Did you both kiss and make up?"
He blushed as he looked away, feeling shy as Karlsman laughed.
"Well, you've both been looking miserable the past few days. Half of the troops are inventing stories about you two."
"Oh good…" Link replied dryly.
"Relax, it's bound to happen at some point. Let the masses enjoy their stories" he said.
"I've heard what happened. Can't believe both of you got in to such a heated argument in the first place. But do you think things are improving?" Karlsman asked, more gently this time.
"You're awfully nosy, aren't you?" Link replied. Still, he supposed he couldn't avoid it.
"But yeah...I think things are getting better."
Karlsman smiled widely. Strangely, Link felt happy too, that he was relieved for them both.
"Look, I know I've got the head of a smartarse, but I happen to want the best for you. So, do me a favour and keep trying with her. You'll both feel better if you keep trying to work it out."
Link felt incredible gratitude to him. From Sabbah's encouragement to his, it felt like it was more of a sure idea.
"Thank you. That helps" he replied, feeling more tired by the second.
"No problem. Hope you're ready to wear that pack again tomorrow. Sleep well!"
He left for his own tent with a casual wave over his shoulder. Link sighed as he stepped in to his tent, trying to not think about the heavy pack again.
He undressed and got in to his bed, and within a minute had fallen deeply asleep.
Time passed seamlessly as he slept. When he awoke the next morning, it was to the sound of activity outside his tent.
He yawned deeply as he stretched. After dressing himself and adjusting them to be as comfortable as possible, he stepped outside and saw that the camp was being taken down. Soldiers carrying things around to various carts.
Link wandered through the camp, the sounds of packing and preparations filling the air. His muscles ached from the previous days, but his mind kept drifting to a familiar presence. It had been nearly a week since he last rode Epona, and the thought of her made him realize how much he missed the freedom of riding.
After a few moments, he found her tethered near one of the supply carts. Epona's ears twitched as she turned her head, spotting him immediately. Her eyes brightened, and she gave a soft snort, her tail swishing in greeting.
"Hey, girl," Link said softly, walking up to her. He smiled as she leaned her head down, nudging his chest gently. "Sorry it's been so long."
He reached into his pouch, pulling out a carrot he'd snagged from the camp's cooks. "Got you a little treat" he said, offering it to her.
Epona eagerly bit down on the carrot, crunching it happily. Link let a small laugh out. He patted her neck as she lowered her head further, clearly enjoying the attention. He brushed a few loose strands of her mane away, running his hand along her soft coat.
"I've missed this" Link murmured, his hand resting on Epona's shoulder. "Feels like it's been forever."
Epona nickered softly, her large eyes looking up at him as if she understood. She nudged him again, and Link found himself smiling more than he had in days. Being with her always grounded him, reminding him of simpler times when the only concern was which path to take next.
As he brushed her down, Link heard the sounds of hooves approaching. Turning, he saw Zelda and the officers mounting their horses, preparing for the next leg of the journey. Zelda, regal as ever, spotted him by Epona. Their eyes met for a brief second.
She gave a small nod, almost hesitant, but there was something softer in her expression. Link straightened up, giving Epona one last pat before stepping back.
"Good morning. You are ready, I see." Zelda said as she approached with her horse, her voice steady but lighter than before.
Link nodded, glancing at the officers behind her. "Just wanted to make sure Epona was ready too."
She looked over Epona for a moment and her expression softened further.
"If you wish, we could allow her to see the farrier in the castle's stables. She's been through a great deal and has been reliable every single step of the way."
"I think she would love that, thank you" he said, looking back over to her.
Before he could say much else, Karlsman arrived. He was carrying the pack between himself and one of his men, ready for Link.
"Here we go! Can't go forgetting this, can we?" he teased.
"Sure we can, just try harder" Link retorted with a grimace.
Zelda giggled behind him. Suddenly, carrying the pack didn't seem like such a bad idea.
"Or, we could just not punch Hylian officers" she suggested playfully.
"Look at that, a single sentence and you already know who the smart one is"
"Thank you Karlsman. I hope that from now on when you put your boots on, that your socks are always wet."
"Goddesses, Link! Have mercy!" Karlsman replied, breaking into a wide smirk as Link and Zelda laughed.
Link adjusted himself as Karlsman helped put on the pack and fixed the straps once more. The weight pressed in to his shoulders, making them ache again. His body felt sluggish after the effort he had spent carrying the pack the day before. Still, they were closer to Castle town now at least. Most of the soldiers he overheard said they thought they would be back before the evening.
Everyone went their separate ways, as Zelda waited behind with Link, opting to ride along side him again.
"I do not enjoy seeing you carry that burden, you know." she said to him, almost apologetically.
"You were right though, I did punch an officer. I already knew I'd have to pay for it somehow, so this is the least I can do" he said, adjusting the straps.
"Besides, the distance to Castle Town can only get shorter".
Ahead, Captain Williams sounded a horn to signal the start of the march. The whole column began moving once again.
The hours began to whittle away. Each footstep bringing everyone closer to home. Link was looking forward to getting back and seeing Telma again. This time, he'd be bringing the Gerudo along with him and having a lot of whisky. A sense of normalcy settled over him, before he recalled that nobody knew where Ghirahim had gone.
Worry gripped him as he walked. He had simply vanished from the air, as he had done when Link had first met him and they had fought. He wondered where he could have gotten to, but nothing presented itself in his mind.
After his grand plan of sabotaging Links relationship with Ilia, he must surely have been planning something else. He wanted to claim the Triforce of power to revive Ganondorf after all.
"Link?" Zelda said beside him.
He snapped out of his thoughts, shaking his head a little. There was a chance she might know.
"Yes?"
"You look concerned about something" she asked, hesitating a little.
Link looked around. They had both been given space between the ranks of men and officers. They could afford to talk freely.
"After you defeated that beast in Snowpeak, that's when I was able to claim the piece of the Triforce of power. When I killed the Kraken, I didn't. I have no idea how to find the second piece. That, and I have no idea what Ghirahim is doing. I don't think he'd give up searching for it himself"
"I have thought about this too. I cannot say where he went. The school of magic he uses is something I do not know of, so I do not know how to track it" she said. "Once we return, I intend to send out scouts to try and find him. As soon as we find anything amiss, then we can think of what to do next."
She took another moment to think.
"As for the other piece of the Triforce of Power? I do not know. The goddesses likely have some plan for it, though what it is remains a mystery to me"
Link was pleased to hear she was thinking ahead. Ghirahim was still wildly dangerous. He decided to leave the subject for now. The Triforce piece would be even harder to determine.
"Alright. I suppose overthinking it wouldn't do any good anyway. Please, let me know if you learn anything before I do." he asked.
"I will" she replied simply.
They continued heading to Castle Town, the castle becoming more visible in the distance as they moved ahead. The pack kept on pressing in to his shoulders and feet, but he carried on even though he was sweating again.
Zelda eventually broke the silence.
"Those sentries. The ones you told to help with the Zora when they were recovering. Why did you ask them to do that?" she asked.
Link felt himself tighten up. He had hoped he wouldn't have to answer for this, but then he had been reckless. He decided to think of it as part of his punishment, which made it easier to start talking.
"It was to create an opening. So I could come and talk to you." he said honestly, if a little quietly.
Zelda raised her brow in surprise.
"You...wanted to talk to me? So why not wait until the next morning?"
"I...don't really know. I think I just wanted to speak to you as soon as possible." he replied.
A look of concern washed over her features as she realised there was a chance Link had heard her crying.
"So...why did you not come to talk then?" she asked carefully.
"Because…" he tried to say, but the rest of the words wouldn't come out.
He couldn't let her know he had heard her or how much it had hurt to hear her cry. They were only just talking to each other again. Surely if he told her he had essentially snuck up on her tent, she would lose what little trust she had in him.
The mere possibility of her losing all trust in him again scared him. He didn't want to fracture their relationship any more. Though he wondered if he could at least allude to it somehow, without possibly embarrassing her in front of the column.
"...I lost my nerve" he said, somewhat honestly.
She looked at him plainly, thinking over what he had said.
"Very well" she said, opting to not push further. Though she looked more guarded now.
An awkward silence developed between them and the knot in his stomach twisted tightly. He felt as if he was on a cliffs edge. Surely being honest with her would have been a bad idea.
But he had always been honest with her as far as he could recall, plus, she wasn't stupid. She would likely already have figured out he had come to the tent. By not saying anything, he felt like he was digging himself deeper. The knot didn't get any easier to deal with either. He felt wrong.
"No. That's not right. I did try to come and talk to you...but I...heard you cry. And I think it broke me…" he said.
At that moment, a messenger arrived from the front of the column.
"Your majesty, Captain Williams requests your presence. He wishes to discuss plans for when we get back to Castle Town." he said, with the worst sense of timing.
Zelda nodded wordlessly and moved out of the formation. The look she gave Link before she left was of shock and confusion. She tried to say something to him, but couldn't get the words out.
She shook her head and refocused as she rode to the head of the column with the messenger.
The pack felt so much heavier all of a sudden.