Chapter 14 - Astra Returns to Hateno Village
Summary: After a brief meeting with Paya's family, Astra and Purah return to Hateno Village. Astra takes time to visit Link's old house there.
It was a sunny morning in Kakariko Village as Astra joined Purah and Paya's family for breakfast in Paya's residence. Paya's husband Talan was present, and their eighteen-year-old daughter Layna as well.
"So, you are the daughter of the legendary hero Link," said Talan to Astra. "I did not have the pleasure of ever meeting Link. I was away doing my Kaishi trial when he first arrived in Kakariko Village after his long slumber, and we never had occasion to meet afterward. It was not until after Link departed four years later that Paya and I fell in love and married. But my dear wife speaks highly of him whenever his name comes up."
"You're lucky he left, dear, for I had a serious crush on Link when I was a teenager," laughed Paya. "He was quite the brave and handsome knight! But kidding aside, Link was a noble and generous person who treated everyone with respect and was always eager to help those in need. He took time from his important mission to comfort me and calm my fears after the ancient sacred orb was stolen from here. And when it came to combat, none could stand against him."
"In any case, I must compliment you, Astra, on your combat ability as well," said Talan. "You are a worthy adversary, for few could detect my approach and take me unaware. What gave me away last night?"
"The sound of night insects," said Astra. "My father taught me to listen to the pattern of their sounds and be alert for any changes to it. It's hard not to disturb them."
"Very true, and I am aware of that, but I thought I had waited long enough for their pattern to resume before entering the room. You must have listened carefully and paid close attention. Well done! But I have some bad news to share. A Yiga spy noticed you, Astra, bearing what he thought was the sword that seals the darkness during your return to Hyrule Castle. However, not everyone is convinced of it, as the spy in question is known to inflate his accomplishments in hopes of advancing in the organization. Ironically, thanks to my reputation for stealth, I was chosen to investigate and confirm the matter one way or the other. I shall have to report my findings, eventually."
"I suppose that is unfortunate," sighed Purah. "But Zelda and I knew it would be only a matter of time before Astra was discovered. Our ruse of Astra posing as my assistant could only last so long."
"Hold on!" said Talan. "Do not give up on that idea yet. I shall report that I could not yet confirm or deny the sword's existence but need to keep spying on you for a better opportunity to get a closer look. It will buy you more time, and it will keep other Yiga away in the meantime as they would not wish to compromise my work. The organization knows you are a capable adversary, Dr. Purah, and difficult to deceive. So, they will understand my need to proceed cautiously."
"We have not had a chance to tell you the full story, dear," said Paya. "Your spy has learned only the half of it. Astra's real name is Zelda, and she carries the blood of the Goddess and the sealing power of a true Princess of Hyrule."
"What?!" exclaimed Talan, who stared at Astra in surprise. "That is extraordinary and excellent news indeed! But how is it possible?"
"It is a long and complicated story, dear," said Paya. "I can explain later."
Talan paused for a moment to think, then spoke.
"Then that must explain what our spy sensed as your party rode by, highness. Those who have delved deeply enough into the mysteries of dark magic can sense the presence of the Goddess's power, what they call light magic."
"Can you sense it, Master Talan?" asked Astra.
"No. I have not pursued the deeper aspects of dark magic, for it corrupts the spirit beyond redemption, and I am not willing to lose my soul. Instead, I have relied upon my skill at stealth to be of use to the organization, feigning weakness in combat to avoid causing harm to others. But one question is, should I eventually report the Goddess sword has indeed found a new master or not?"
Everyone was quiet for a moment, and then Astra finally spoke up.
"I think you should report it," said Astra. "It will come out eventually anyway, and your failure to report it could damage your credibility. Besides, I believe it is time to begin striking some fear in our enemy. It will make them less confident and perhaps more prone to bad judgment."
"Does everyone else agree?" Talan asked. "I think that makes sense."
"Reporting the truth will be more likely to keep you safe, Father," said Layna. "I agree with her highness."
Everyone else nodded in agreement.
"Very well," said Talan. "In my final report, I shall say the sword has chosen a new master. That will certainly upset Master Kohga's nap time! But it will also focus attention on your destruction, highness. There is already a generous reward for any of us who can eliminate Zelda or Purah here. So, you will need to be ever vigilant and on your guard after that."
"I already am, Master Talan, as you can tell from last night," said Astra. "But thank you."
"We should be going," said Purah. "We still have a long ride ahead of us to reach Hateno Village, and I would prefer not to push the horses."
"Very well," said Talan as everyone stood. "I will take advantage of the situation to spend the day here in secret with my family. Then I will sneak out of town this evening and inform my contact I need to continue spying on you. I wish you safe travels and the protection of the Goddess, highness. Until we meet again."
"Until we meet again," said Astra. "And I pray the Goddess will protect you as well, and one day soon you can return here to openly live in peace with your family."
"I will have your horses brought around," said Layna. "Father, you should go upstairs now and keep out of sight of the door."
"Yes, of course," said Talan, who made his way upstairs, after which Layna left to retrieve their horses.
"Safe travels," said Paya. "I will pray for you both. And as usual, be wary of strangers along the road."
"We will be careful," said Purah.
They left the residence, then took the horses from Layna near the entrance.
"I packed a light lunch for each of you in your saddlebags, so you won't need to stop on the way," said Layna. "I will also pray that the Goddess will watch over you and protect you, Astra. And perhaps my Sheikah skills can be of use to you someday in the future. Until next time."
"Thank you, Layna," said Astra as she smiled at her. "I am sure they will be. Until next time."
Purah and Astra then mounted their horses and began their journey. The weather was fair, and they had left early enough to avoid rushing, so they let their horses set the pace. They traveled the road south out of town across the Kakariko Bridge and then turned east at the fork, following the road that ran north of Blatchery Plain toward Hateno Village.
"I don't suppose you would like to continue discussing that fascinating device you carry?" said Purah as they rode.
"You mean my Tab? All in good time, Dr. Purah," laughed Astra. "I need your mind on helping me for now."
Purah sighed, smiled, and shook her head.
Meanwhile, at Hyrule Castle, Zelda was meeting with her chief of staff, Myra.
"We received a response from Rito Elder Kass, Your Majesty," said Myra. "He will be happy to fly here and meet with you at your convenience. Here is his letter."
Your Majesty Queen Zelda,
I would be happy to meet with you at your convenience and will enjoy flying to Hyrule Castle. My teacher often spoke of how grand the castle was, and I would love to see it in person again and how well its restoration is progressing. And, of course, you can always count on the Rito for support.
Your Loyal Subject,
Kass
Rito Elder
"Thank you, Myra," said Zelda. "I will let you know when to set up the meeting. It should occur when Astra returns here and is able to meet with Kass. Have we heard back from Goron Chief Yun?"
"Not yet," said Myra. "But letters there always take longer as they require special handling to avoid burning up in flames."
"Yes, of course," said Zelda. "Is there anything else?"
"Nothing of great importance, Your Majesty," said Myra. "Your ministers grow more capable by the day."
"I should hope so!" laughed Zelda. "But please set up a meeting with the Minister of Education for later today. I am concerned we are not making enough progress in the area of science education and developing the next generation of scientists. That's very important to me."
"Very well, Your Majesty, I will set up the meeting for this afternoon," said Myra. "Will there be anything else?"
"No, I think that is all for now, and thank you again for being such a great help, Myra," said Zelda.
Myra bowed and left, and Zelda turned to look out her office window at the fine day and beautiful view of Hyrule. She realized Astra couldn't have come into her life at a better time. It distracted her from her grief and gave her new hope for Hyrule. She guessed the Goddess was still looking out for her as well.
Meanwhile, Astra's and Purah's ride was uneventful, and it was late afternoon when they finally arrived at Hateno Village and gave over their horses for care at the inn.
"Before returning to the lab, I should like to visit my father's house," said Astra. "I can do so alone if you're too tired, Dr. Purah."
"Not tired at all, and yes, we can certainly do that," said Purah. "It's a small museum now and is open until evening. It's right across town and up the hill, then across a small bridge. I think Link liked that it was a bit secluded and away from the main part of the village."
They made their way across town from the inn, past some modern Bolson Construction Company houses, and finally across the small bridge to Link's house. A guard was present and greeted them.
"Welcome to Link's House," said the guard. "I lock up in two hours, and admission is one Rupee each unless you can't afford it."
"That's a very modest admission price for such a historic location," said Astra.
"Yes, indeed it is, and I am sure the Hyrule Treasury loses money because of it," said the guard. "But there is a story behind it. They say Link and Her Majesty were quite close after their victory, and the story is that Her Majesty used to fine Link one Rupee if he forgot to call her by her name when they were alone together. So her Majesty thought it was somehow fitting to keep the admission fee to Link's house the same as her fine."
"Interesting," said Astra.
"The tour is self-guided, but feel free to ask me any questions," said the guard. "And we ask that you please not touch anything."
Purah paid the two Rupees, and she and Astra opened the door and entered the house.
"The Champions' weapons," said Astra as they entered the house and saw the display of weapons mounted on the wall, as well as noticing they had put a glass enclosure over the weapons to prevent anyone from touching them.
"Yes," said Purah. "Link cherished these rewards from the leaders of each race. He used to say that given his memory issues, these armaments and the Champions Inauguration picture Zelda took from his wall after he left were all he had to remember his dear colleagues and friends."
"I see there are also some Royal Guard items on display here," said Astra as she noticed the sword, bow, and shield used by the Hyrule Royal Guards.
"Yes, Link also liked to have a keepsake of items he used when he was in the Royal Guard. It's funny, but Link designed his house like a museum even when he still lived here. I guess it's understandable, given he lost so much of his memory. Zelda thought his preoccupation with the past was unhealthy and urged him to move on with his life, as did my sister Impa. But he was stubborn, though he was proven right in the end, I suppose."
"Only thanks in part to you and Dr. Robbie," said Astra.
"I wished I could have done more for him back then, Astra, but I still had the body of a little girl and was pretty much confined to the lab."
Astra stopped to look carefully at each item on the wall.
"Of all the items here, Mipha's trident seems especially polished and well cared for," said Astra. "It looks as good as new!"
"You know why better than anyone," said Purah. "I think Link polished it with his tears. As he recovered more memories of the time he spent with Mipha, he recovered his feelings for her, too. He was truly heartbroken over what happened and wished he could have done something to save her. That drove him to never give up."
Astra looked around the rest of the room. The small dining room table was set with place settings and looked ready to sit down and have a meal. After spending several more minutes on the first floor, they ascended the stairs to Link's combination bedroom and study.
"That must be the desk where he sat writing the first parts of his journal," said Astra as she looked it over.
She closed her eyes and imagined him sitting there, recording some newly recovered memory. Then she moved on to examine some pictures on the wall and the small bed. She imagined him sleeping there and then waking up to eat alone with only his thoughts and memories for company.
"It's a cozy house, but it feels very lonely to me," said Astra finally, shaking her head. "I don't think he could ever be happy here."
"I think he felt the same way, for he often traveled," said Purah. "This was where he stayed to catch up on his journal and rest between journeys, a place to stay when he needed to relax. He often traveled to Zora's Domain to visit Prince Sidon, King Dorephan, and his childhood friends from what he called the Bazz Brigade. He also made a point of visiting Zelda at Hyrule Castle at least once a month. I think she even teased him about making it a royal command that he visit her often! And he also used to go into town to buy vegetables and other goods and was friendly with the village residents."
"I'm glad he eventually found happiness after all he did for Hyrule," said Astra. "Let's look outside, and then we can go."
The guard nodded to them as they left the house, then they walked around the grounds looking at the flowers, trees, and small pond. They also visited the small outdoor stable where Link kept his horse.
"At least the flowers are pretty, and the grounds pleasant to walk around in," said Astra. "I hope that helped ease his melancholy."
"Yes, the grounds are happier, aren't they?" said Purah. "But as I said, Link often traveled, so don't feel like he spent all his days moping about here being sad. And as I also said, he visited Zelda at least once a month, and she did her best to cheer him up and vice versa. Like everyone, he had his ups and downs."
"I suppose that's true. Thank you, Dr. Purah. I've seen enough. We can go now," said Astra.
They thanked the guard again on their way out of the area, then crossed the bridge into town. Townsfolk and farmers were finishing their daily chores as the sky turned orange with the setting sun. It was just early evening as they finally climbed up the long hill to the lab. Purah used her Sheikah Slate to unlock the door and then re-locked it after they entered.
"It feels good to be home," said Purah. "But we accomplished a lot. Let me fix us dinner."
"Let me help," said Astra. "I'm supposed to be your assistant after all!"
"I only wish!" laughed Purah. "But if you don't mind, it would help if you cooked the rice while I make tea and pan fry some fish."
They prepared dinner together and sat down to eat.
"You're comfortable here, Dr. Purah?"
"Yes," said Purah. "Perhaps when repairs are complete, I will return to the Royal Ancient Tech Lab west of the castle. But remember, I've been here over 125 years now, since shortly after the Great Calamity. We've amassed an extensive library here, and I've grown comfortable. So, for now, I'll stay put unless Zelda needs me there."
"It is a nice location," said Astra. "I couldn't help but notice the huge telescope. Have you studied the stars?"
"I've looked at them and read what I could about them from ancient Sheikah texts," said Purah. "I've also used it to look at the moon. Have the people from your time learned any more about them?"
"No, not to my knowledge," said Astra. "But I've always enjoyed studying the night sky. Anyway, it's getting late. Thank you for dinner."
"Oh, I meant to tell you that the door to your room will lock after you enter and cannot be opened from the outside without my Sheikah Slate," said Purah. "So you can sleep without fear of intruders, but do not leave the room and lock yourself out."
"I won't leave my room until morning, Dr. Purah. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, highness," said Purah.
Astra made her way up the stairs to her room and closed the door after her. She tested it once to check that she could open it from the inside, then closed it again. After preparing for bed, she peered out the window just to the right of the bookshelves at the foot of her bed. The window faced north, and you could see the moon rising over the eastern side of snow-covered Mount Lanayru. Near the mountain's peak was the Spring of Wisdom, where she had said farewell to her father and mother only a short time ago, the day after she turned seventeen. Yet it already felt much longer to her. She said a prayer for everyone, then settled down to sleep.
It was later that same evening that Master Kohga met with his chief of staff, Rohga.
"So, what's the story with the sword, Rohga? I've been losing sleep over this!"
"We do not yet know, Master Kohga," said Rohga. "Pangha spied on Purah and her assistant at Kakariko Village but was unable to safely get close enough. You know how well guarded that village is. But he will continue to spy on them until he can verify one way or the other."
"Very well," sighed Kohga. "Just let me know when you find out."