A knight is independent. A knight is steadfast. A knight is selfless.

Those were the words imparted onto him, but he knew what they meant in the heat of battle.

A knight was solitary, even among his unit. He had to be able to defend himself and complete his directive alone, if necessary.

A knight was strong, even when he didn't want to be. He cannot run away, no matter how scared he is.

A knight was stupidly brave, even in the face of a hopelesss defeat. He had to fight, even if his doing so would not turn the tide of battle nor offer time to those retreating.

Those truths, solemn truths disguised only as guidelines, were only amplified now that he was the knight chosen to protect the princess. Only the finest knights were ever chosen for this role - he was honored to have been chosen. And among these Champions now, perhaps these new comrades would come to trust him as his old mates had.

Well, maybe the Rito guy wouldn't, but he would work on that.

Still, as the king imparted on him, and his old knight-captain had echoed, now the entire was kingdom was watching him, because all of Hyrule loved their princess, and she was to be protected at all costs. If that wasn't nerve-wracking enough, so too was the thought that any slip-up might have him hanged or banished or whatever else the king might deem necessary.

On any royalty's head was a high price - which would have to be paid if anything were to happen to it. So, if Princess Zelda were to fall, for any reason...

He didn't want to think about it. Thinking of failure often invites it. So, he didn't do that. He didn't dare.

A knight is independent. A knight is steadfast. A knight is selfless.

The weight of Hyrule's future was on his shoulders. His and his alone. He could not falter, and he could not fail. He wouldn't allow himself to. So, to that end... maybe the Rito was right. Maybe leaning on others was wrong to do. After all, this responsibility was his alone to bear, and it was up to him to hold it.

A knight is stupidly brave. A knight is strong. A knight is solitary.

Solitary...

Yes, solitary. Who better to protect the princess than himself? Who else could be trusted to do so? Who else... but him, he who had been chosen to do so?

Solitary.

There was a time and place for camaraderie, and it wasn't now.

Not when all of Hyrule was counting on him.

—

My feet may as well have had wings for as quickly as I was running, and I might as well have been a bird for how little my feet actually touched the ground - or so it seemed.

I don't think I had ever run faster than I had in those brief, fleeting moments of me dashing down to the hill, bypassing the path and running through longer grass, down steeper hills, and leaping over bushes on my way to Hateno's village proper.

If there was one thing I could thank about Hateno, it was that my house was uphill and the proper downhill, and not the other way around. If I had to run uphill to reach the village gate, I'd have never gotten there in time.

And this, unlike every other instance in my life... I needed to reach my destination as quickly as possible. In a town as lazy as Hateno, it wasn't hard not to feel laidback all the time. But now I felt a sense of urgency previously unseen here. And it certainly felt off to be feeling that sense of urgency, as much as it must have looked off to everyone I blew past.

I could hear confused calls of my name as I ran and, knowing who I was and my role in the village, I couldn't question their confusion. I couldn't even pretend to think that their concern wasn't valid, because it was.

(Y/n), who had grown up here, who had lived each day in the same way with the same chores and the same friends and the same jobs and the same meals, was suddenly running like a madwoman? It was absurd - but I was doing it, and if not for the ramming of my heart against my chest, keeping me very much grounded, I felt as though I might have actually been flying.

I could only hope that I had been blessed by some wicked stroke of luck granted by the grace of Hylia's will. I could only hope that Link hadn't yet left the village - or if he had, that he hadn't gone far.

After what felt like hours but could only have been a few minutes, I crested the hill overlooking Hateno's entrance. There was a forgotten plank of wood left behind from old developments of homes, and I reached down and took it mid-stride with more grace and balance than I thought I could muster. Within that instant, the plank was beneath my feet and my momentum carried me over the edge of the hill and now downwards.

"Oh, Hylia," I said, refraining from cursing further as I began to pick up speed.

Rather instinctually, I crouched down, the plank beneath my feet steady and true to course as I slid ever downwards. My hands outstretched for balance, my eyes narrowed, and my hair whipping about my face, I raced down the hill.

As the entrance of the village drew ever closer, I could see Thadd guarding the gate as diligently as ever, and a few meters away from it, still heading towards it... was Link and his horse at a leisurely walk.

Link, for his part, seemed to be looking around Hateno's main stretch as though enamored by the view. I was struck by the sudden thought that maybe he appreciated such stability and sureness after traveling alone in the wild, but no - he was an adventurer through and through, wasn't he? Dutiful to the end, like a knight, but so too he was bright and courageous.

Even if he settled here someday, he'd be bored out of his mind, I'm sure.

I leapt off the board and ran the last few paces, forcing myself to slow but not to stop, not yet. I did not stop, not until I was directly in front of Link on his charge of brown coat and wintery mane.

Though when I stopped I was several paces ahead of the horse, it snorted distastefully and came to a stop of its own volition, it seemed. Confused, Link peeked around the horse's head and when he saw me, his eyes widened. With only a gentle tug to the horse's reins, she turned, though she still eyed me warily.

Somehow, the thought of the horse's judgment stung me - but hopefully, I'd have plenty of chances to rectify that.

"Link," I said breathlessly.

"(Y/n)," he greeted, albeit in a very confused manner. Once again, I couldn't blame him.

For me to come all this way here, clearly in a hurry... As someone who had seen all of Hyrule, I had hoped he might have seen something more strange than myself; but with the look in his eyes, I feared never before had he seen anything stranger than myself, a stranger, chasing after him like this.

"What are you doing?"

"I have a question for you," I managed to say. I clenched my fists at my sides, perhaps for courage or perhaps for the nerve to say what I needed to. Or perhaps I just needed to feel the minute pain of my nails digging into my palm for me to remain grounded and remember why I was here.

As though ignoring my words, he glanced over his shoulder, looking in the direction of where my home was, way up the hill from here. "Did you run all that way?"

"Just hear me out," I said before sucking in a deep, steadying breath. "You're an adventurer."

"Right," he affirmed uncertainly.

"You travel to the furthest reaches of Hyrule," I continued with the intonation of a question.

"Yes," he answered. "(Y/n), what are you talking about?"

"Link," I said surely, "let me come with you."

"..."

"..."

"What?"

"Please," I added, almost desperately. "Your next destination is Kakariko. That's what you said, isn't it?"

"Why do you..." He shook his head, seeming to deflate a little. "No, I can't."

"Why not?"

By now, a few people began looking at us, at the weird interaction now on full display for the village to see. I could hear ripples of whispers rise up, carried on the air that now brushed my hair away from my face gently, as though telling me to turn and leave even if Link didn't want me to go with him.

Honestly, why did I want to travel with him? Was it because he saved my life? Was it because he was clearly experienced at taking care of himself? Was it because he came to the village as soon as I asked for help, for some excitement, for a sign that I needed to do something for myself for the first time in my life?

Was it because for whatever reason, even now, I felt drawn to him?

I refused to believe that I was solely interested in traveling with him because he was kind, and helpful, and more than a bit handsome - I refused. No, it had to be something more. Something else drew me to him. And judging by the look in his eyes, maybe he felt the same, because he seemed to be considering it.

"I don't know," he finally responded to my question. "I... I don't know why."

"So why hesitate? If it's just because I'm not who you want in a travel partner or don't want one at all, just say so," I all but demanded of him.

Was it unfair? Sure. But I saw no other way to get answers out of him than to do as such.

"It's not that," he began to say. "It's just... I don't know if... I..." A concerned crease furrowed my brow. What was this reaction from him? It was confusing, and more than a bit concerning, too. "If I'm supposed to, or allowed to... er, I don't..."

"Link? Are you alright?"

By now, even more people peeked out of their homes and shops to watch what was unfolding here. I think I even saw Leah step out onto the road not too far behind Link and his horse alongside Senna. But I dared not take my eyes off of Link, because I so desperately wanted to have clairvoyance, to be able to see into his mind through his eyes, to figure out what he was thinking about.

I didn't mind the audience, not really. Too little happened in this village; I knew the villagers appreciated the excitement. This would give them something to gossip about for the next few days, at least.

I just hoped I wasn't around to hear it.

"I'd like to accompany you, Link," I said, gently now. It seemed, for a moment, he was too far gone in his thoughts to have heard me, but after a moment, he blinked, some of the fogginess clearing away from his eyes.

"Why?"

That answer found its way easily into my mind, but it was harder to articulate into words. It was more a feeling than a thought, more an instinct than a conscious decision.

"I'm destined to," I finally decided. And upon reflection, maybe I really was. Senna had known I would, as did Leah. They arguably knew me best of all the people here. And if they thought so, then I knew so.

I'd been yearning for adventure. I'd been desiring a change. I'd been praying for excitement.

Hylia had answered, and she had given me the courage to pick up a weapon against a monster. Hylia had also brought Link to this village, just when I was suffering to choose when faced with a crossroad.

Now, she guided me to my choice.

Or... maybe she didn't do anything at all.

Rather, maybe it was fate, or maybe it was purely a string of coincidences.

"More than that," I continued, "I want to."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't want to stay in Hateno until I die," I told him. "I want to see the land I was born into. I don't want to go my whole life seeing only these hills, those fields, that beach. I want to see Hyrule, Link. But for now... I'd like to accompany you to Kakariko, if you'll have me."

"It'll be dangerous."

"I know," I affirmed. "I found it in me the other day to take up a weapon against those Bokoblins. I think, with some refinement... I can become good at it, and protect this village - and myself -  as you did."

He was silent, for a long moment. The wait was agonizing. For the time being, I took the chance to catch my breath, for in all my rush to get the words out, I hadn't steadied my breathing, not much. All the while, Link continued to think it over, and he seemed to be really considering it.

His horse, impatient, pawed the ground and snorted, its head bobbing up and down as though urging him to hurry and choose. As though getting fed up with its rider, the horse turned to me as though to judge me itself.

Warm brown eyes met my own, and I smiled. It really was a pretty horse. I reached out slowly, turning my hand over to present my palm to the animal. The horse nickered, then reached out to press its nose to my hand. Taking that as a greeting, I reached into one of the many packs strapped to me via belts and twine and grabbed one of the provisions I had packed away - a carrot.

The horse's ears turned towards me, clearly attentive, and I wasted no time in offering it to the horse. It ate the treat happily, and by the time I stepped back and looked back towards Link, I realized with a start that at some point, he had returned his full focus to me. I found myself the sudden attention of a very stunning set of ocean-blue eyes, backlit at always by courageous fire but now there was something else there: a sense of sureness, of finality.

He'd made a decision.

I wasn't sure how long I was lost in that moment, balking at him as though he were some great piece of artwork come to life, but eventually, he spoke.

"To Kakariko and back," he stated. Before I could react, he added, "but you have to promise to listen to me."

"I promise," I said seriously. "I promise, Link."

"Good, then," he spoke softly.

"Thank you," I said, a smile reaching my face now. "Link, thank you so much!"

"Don't thank me yet," he said, smiling himself. "Now, come on."

I turned, making to fall in step alongside his horse, but Link did not move, nor did his horse. When I realized they were still, I looked over my shoulder at them both, only to find that they were both looking at me curiously.

"What are you doing?"

"Walking...? What are you doing?"

Link's smile turned boyish and mischievous as he kicked into his horse's sides. The charge began to walk, a smooth and steady gait. He pulled the reins to bring the horse to a halt once beside me once more.

"You surely aren't going to walk the whole way, are you? Of course not - so get on."

With little more than a nod from me, he reached down towards me, and...

I took his hand.

Before I knew it, I was pulled up onto his horse behind him. Left with nothing to do but hold on for dear life as he kicked into the horse's sides again, I did just that - and just in time too, because he brought the horse into a trot, one that was bouncy and surely would have sent me sprawling down to the ground if I hadn't.

"Easy there," Link said with a laugh, adjusting my tight hold on him.

With a warm, gentle touch, he guided my hand to his waist, and my other hand mirrored the movement as we approached Hateno's gate. At that moment, I had never been happier for someone to not be able to see my face, because I was blushing furiously at the realization that I'd wrapped my arms around him so tightly in an instinctual manner, so as not to fall off.

Hylia, grant me strength.

I didn't have much time to think before we passed through the gate. As a rush of wind rose up to meet our backs, as though urging us onward, faster, faster, faster, I turned to look over my shoulder. The village I had always known was left behind, a crowd of folks I had always known watching me depart with a stranger.

And Leah, among them, had a brilliant smile on her face. She shook her head with disbelief as the distance between us grew, and I detached one hand from Link to wave. If my smile was even a fraction of what hers was, then it must have been incredible; and if Thadd's shock was keeping him from speaking, then it was my own joy keeping me from doing so.

Summoning my voice, I made to call out a goodbye, but my words were cut off with a gasp, because Link spurred his charge into a gallop. Facing forward, I laughed giddily at the feeling of the wind rushing through my hair, of the feeling of the horse below me, of the warmth of Link before me.

I could hardly believe where I was, nor who I was with, nor what I was doing. So many years of yearning for something unseen, wishing for something unheard, hoping for something unknown had led to this. Hylia, my entire life had led to this.

A week ago, I had woken up as I always had, and had gone about my day as I always had, and at that point, felt I always would. But these past few days had brought with them a whirlwind of activity and emotion and reflection and this, right here and right now, was where I was meant to be.

Oh, but I had lots of other places I was meant to be.

Vast deserts, rushing rivers, sprawling plains, treacherous mountains, blustery tundras...

They were all waiting for me. At long last, I could see all of Hyrule before me, even as we ducked onto a forested road. Though a canopy of branches and leaves was over my head physically, all of Hyrule was spread out around and above me, waiting for me to see it all.

For the first time in my entire life, I had chosen something for myself. I was no longer in the house left to me by my parents, kept only so my brother would have a place to return to and because my family's roots were there. No longer was I tending to the garden my parents had started, and no longer were the responsibilities passed onto me weighing on my shoulders.

No, this was the legacy I chose for myself. The danger, the responsibility, the wear it would surely have on my body... I chose this. I had.

Because it would be worth it - I would make sure of it.