For a supposed hot spot for treasure, the ruins we now found ourselves in were rather unassuming. Where old archways might have been, there was only rubble. Where at one point long ago there might have been a sound staircase, there was a crumpled mass of rock and mortar.

The air was dusty here, and even the wind felt it unwise to pass through here, to interfere with the history, suspended in time - which was odd, considering how meddlesome the wind proved to be on more than one occasion.

These old structures were overrun with nature. Humanity's unnatural arches, angles, and edges were softened by nature's curls and coils, and the juxtaposition was jarring, but not in a bad way. Link and I traveled through the ruins like ghosts. In a way, we were ghosts among ghosts - Hyrule's history was unfortunately a bloody one, so it was entirely possible that these ruins shared in that history, and that folks here had died.

There were homes here, after all. This looked like it used to be a small farming settlement, with old fields that may have once been flush with crops but were now full of weeds, the fences overrun and crooked and the rows blurred. Old equipment was left everywhere, and there were plenty of personal effects left; none packed away, none put away nicely, none taken anywhere else when the people left. All at once, their story was clear. They had fallen victim to the Calamity.

Something about the grave state of things here had me slowing in my step, only for a moment. I tried to hide it right away - I fell right back into step beside him, but I should have known by now that it was futile to try to hide something from him. He was too perceptive, too quick - and too caring, it seemed.

Just as I could not hide that I had faltered even for a single moment, or less than that actually, Link was unable to hide that he had clued into it and his concern was displayed clearly across his face, etched into his features.

It was in his voice, too. "(Y/n)," he called softly, "what's wrong?"

"The air feels strange here," I told him honestly. "I think it's pretty obvious what happened here."

There were large scorch marks permanently burned into the sides of these homes, and deep gouges like claws pawed into the dirt. Whatever had passed through here, they were large - incredibly so. Based on what I could see, I could certainly hazard a guess.

"Guardians," Link voiced before I could, looking around. "But they're long gone, now."

"How can you tell?"

"We'd know already if there were any here."

They were grim words, but truthful all the same. I nodded rather solemnly, and said nothing more. In the silence, Link took it upon himself to speak.

"There are no bodies here, at least," Link noted. "Take solace in that, for now."

It was strange to hear him speak in such a way. But he was right. Whoever had been here must have escaped. They must have - because they were not here. Not anymore.

"The Guardians aren't as widespread as they once were," Link told me. "They used to crawl all over Hyrule in large numbers, but not anymore. They rarely venture beyond Hyrule field, though on occasion I have seen rogue ones far, far beyond it."

"They're machines," I began, "but not mindless, right? They hunt."

"As best they can, yes," Link told me. "They go after anything that moves."

"You've faced one," I said, and though I didn't know for sure, my words were less of a question and more of a statement, a prompt, for him to talk about it. It was obvious he had, in how he so surely spoke about them. And being so well-traveled, I didn't put it past him to have stumbled across far more than his fair share of the brutes.

"I have," Link confirmed, stopping for a moment to run his hand along a thin but long crack in the wall of what was once a family home, the lines like lightning in the brick. "Some are dormant, lying in the ground lifelessly only until you get close enough to alert their sensors. Others are wanderers, like I am. It's hard not to be caught off-guard by them."

I didn't want to ask. I didn't want to confirm. But I had to. "Why is that?"

"Because they're silent."

It took all I had not to react outwardly. It was unsettling, incredibly so. But if I was going to travel with him, and if ever I was to travel on my own, I would have to know these things. I would have to know how to deal with them, even if it meant just hiding away.

And it was in moments like these I began to wonder just why I had done this to myself.

But then again...

"The good thing about ruins like these, though," Link continued, as though knowing exactly what I needed at this moment, and it was a reminder of why I was here, "is that they tell a story. And a story is what you're after, no?"

He turned to look at me, offering me this brilliant - though somewhat wary - smile. It was wary only because he was unsure if I'd smile back, I'm sure. Perhaps he thought I'd still be upset about the carnage here, or the grief of these poor people and their homes, or perhaps that I would still be scared by the thought of Guardians in general.

But I wasn't, not anymore. And so I smiled in return.

"Thank you, Link," I said. "I just got caught up in how real the effects of the Calamity are here. Everywhere else, like at home, it's easy to forget that anything is wrong. So to see this, where its impacts are very real, where people were displaced and hurt or worse..."

"I get it," Link said. "I do. But for me, it's inspiring to think there are people like you who are interested in finding the truth out, that they're courageous enough to do so for themselves. Or at least... that you are here to do so." I could certainly recognize a compliment, and so my smile grew a bit bashful. "You're really brave, you know."

"That means a lot, coming from you," I admitted.

"Well, good," he said playfully, not without a lot of confidence and bravado, and more than a bit of pride, too. "I meant for it to."

"You're ridiculous," I said, even as I laughed.

"Yeah, yeah," he said. "Now, come on. Ruins like these are always hiding some kind of treasure."

"Lead the way," I said, and so that's exactly what he did.

—

"Have you found anything yet?"

"No," I called back. "Nothing yet. What about you?"

"Nothing good," I heard him mutter in response, and I almost sighed with disappointment. We'd been searching these ruins for what felt like hours, combing through them from top to bottom, both on the insides and outsides of these houses, but still, after all this time, found nothing of value - at least, not yet, anyway.

I had been confident enough to proclaim we'd find something, but perhaps I should have been a bit more specific. Maybe Hylia was only going to let us find meager somethings as opposed to any particularly cool or valuable somethings.

Still, I held stock in Link's words. There had to be something among this wreckage that might aid us on our journey.

Not to be dismayed, I continued to walk. After poking through a small shed full of farmer's tools, I stepped back outside and turned a corner around it to check the back - only to trip. A short, involuntary yelp passed through my lips as I fell, followed by a stuttered oof as I landed in the dirt. I wasn't hurt and felt no pain or even discomfort (only a bit of embarrassment), and so I looked back at what I had tripped over.

Well, it seemed I had found something.

(Or more that it had found me.)

There was a metal chest, buried in the dirt. Only the topmost corner of one of its sides was visible, but I knew what it was. And chests... those meant treasure. I scrambled to my feet, and then ducked back into the shed I was just in to retrieve a shovel I'd seen. When I stepped back outside and held it in my hands and faced the chest, that's when I faltered.

The chest was almost entirely submerged in dirt. It would take hours to get this out.

Well, I wanted treasure, so I began to dig. After a while, Link called for me to seek me out, and so I called back, and he came running. When he did, he faltered. "(Y/n)? What are you doing?"

"Digging," I said plainly, heaving another pile of dirt out of the way, adding it to the pile behind me. "There's a chest there. See?"

I stuck the end of the shovel into the dirt and leaned my elbow against the handle, offering myself a moment to rest. Unlatching my canteen from my belt with my other hand, I popped the lid open and took a long, greedy draught. Of course, I nearly choked on the water when I lowered the canteen and met Link's waiting eyes, only to see that he was gawking at me.

"What?"

His shock gave way for mischief, mischief that he very much was trying to hide. "You should've told me, (Y/n)," he said. "I'd have helped you."

"Well, you can help now," I muttered, gesturing to the shed. "There's another shovel in there. I was just kinda hoping you'd find some treasure first so I wouldn't have to do this."

"No, I mean..." He shook his head but his smile lingered. "Stand back. Let me take care of this."

"What?"

"I mean it," he said warningly. "You're going to want to stand back."

"Link, what are you...?"

"I'm going to get the chest."

"Right, but..."

Realizing I wasn't going to stop asking questions, Link turned to face me outright. "I'm only going to show you this because I trust you - completely. Ok?"

Well, that shut me up.

"This isn't something I take lightly," he added. "I trust that you won't try to kill me for this, and I trust that you won't think I'm some kind of freak, either."

If there were words to say to respond to him in some way, I didn't know them. All I could do was look at him blankly, hoping he could see through the confusion in my eyes at the trust I held for him, too. If the smile that blossomed on his face was any indication of that, I would take it as one, because his gaze was soft and knowing. He gestured with a movement of his head for me to step behind him and so I did so wordlessly, with only a nod.

Satisfied I was securely and safely behind him, Link turned back to face the chest. He unclipped his slate from his belt, and when it was set in both hands, it lit up. I was about to ask how his map would help us here when a tendril of light, pure and unyielding, came forth from the screen of the device.

I nearly jumped back in surprise, but something in my subconscious drew me to him for safety and so I latched onto his shoulders, peeking over one at the device in his hands. The tendril was bright, incredibly so, so much so that it nearly hurt to look at it directly. It was more bearable if I squinted, and in this way I realized it was much like the way sunlight would reflect off of water - wavering, though brilliant. It was as gorgeous as it was blinding, but as my eyes adjusted to it, much like if one sat for a while before the sun's brilliant radiance bouncing off the water, I was able to appreciate it.

The tendril grew with each passing second, reaching and reaching and reaching. Through the air those illuminatory fingers grasped, and eventually they found purchase against the edge of the chest.

"Hm," Link said, as though this all required incredible effort from his end to do, "it's really in there."

Though I still had no idea what was going on, I had it in me to ask, "Can you get it?"

"Oh, absolutely," he said confidently. "It'll just... take... a bit... of... doing!" With each word, he leaned back, further, further, further, until eventually he was leaning well against me, and with the last word, the chest sprang forth from the dirt in a typhoon of dirt. I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed my face to Link's back, and he looked well away from the sprays of soil too. Only when the air seemed to clear did Link pry one eye open, then declare that it was clear.

When my own eyes fluttered open, blinking a few times to get rid of any lingering dryness in the air, I watched as the tendril, guided by Link's gentle maneuvering of the slate, lowered the chest to the ground just beside the recess where it had been buried.

"There, now," Link said, putting his slate away. "One treasure chest, ready to be opened. You found it, so why don't you do the honors?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"(Y/n)? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I guess," I answered. "I just... Uh..."

"You just...?"

"What in Hylia's name was that?!"

Link chuckled, patting his slate like it was a beloved pet. "That? Oh, nothing."

I stepped away from him and set my hands on my hips. "You said you trusted me enough to let me see it," I argued. "The least you can do now is tell me what the hell that even was."

"It's called Magnesis," Link explained, taking his slate in hand once more. "It's a pretty helpful tool available on the slate, among others."

"Right," I said. "So, what is it? What does it do?"

"Like the name suggests, it's magnetized," Link offered. "Anything with a magnetic pull, it can grab and move."

"Ok," I breathed out. "But what is it? Advanced science of the Sheikah or a really generous gift of magic from the goddesses?"

Link shrugged. "Could be neither, could be both," Link said. "The slate itself is of Sheikah origin, though, so I'm inclined to think it's only the most advanced in ancient technology."

"Ancient? It's an artifact, then?"

"Kinda," Link said, sounding all of a sudden like I'd backed him into a corner he was desperate to get out of. "Anyway, you should open it. Reap the rewards of your efforts."

Knowing now to push where it wasn't wanted, I relented and passed by him to reach the chest. I crouched down before it, gazing a little wearily towards the hole where it had been only moments ago. Honestly, what else was this boy hiding? If it was an artifact, which his hesitancy to answer only confirmed for me, what was it intended for? Who exactly had made it? And why? And... why did he of all people have it? Why did he have to wait to show me until he knew he could trust me, completely and wholly?

"Go on," Link prompted gently, closer now.

Dropping my curiosity for now, I undid the latch and pried the lid open. With rusted hinges and dirt in places where there shouldn't have been dirt, it was tough going, but with Link's help I was able to push the lid up and open, letting it hang back. With a peek inside, my jaw dropped. It was filled nearly to the brim with jewels of all colors. Some were Rupees, which I pocketed. Others were unrefined, yet gorgeous, like natural amber which remained pristine in its wooden cradle here. Others were refined, and glimmered brilliantly in the dying light of day. Diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and rubies, and so much more.

"Oh," Link said, now crouched next to me. "Oh, wow."

"Yeah," I breathed out. "No kidding."

In the reflection of one of the jewels I picked up, I could see Link's face - agape, awestruck, completely overtaken with shock. In his sapphire eyes the jewels were reflected, and he fell back on his butt. I laughed lightly, then pressed the diamond into his hands.

"Good find, huh?"

—

Link was not a selfish person. We gathered what jewels we could and tucked them away into our pockets, then closed the chest up once more. Though certainly tempted to take more, I figured we had enough, too. We were travelers, not bankers. We didn't need unlimited wealth.

...

It'd be nice, though.

Still, together we pressed on. Though primarily a farming settlement, it was clear that this town had been full of hardy fighters, too. There were plenty of ornamental weapons hung up on the walls of homes above mantles, and there was even a small dueling ground.

"Fancy a quick spar, (Y/n)?"

"Not right now, thanks," I had answered with a laugh, but I didn't forget to "fight" back when he brandished his sword and mimed swinging it at me. With the spear I took then from my back, I blocked his "blows", and "parried" his jabs. The movements were slow and calculated, and all too easy to predict, but neither of us cared. I wasn't really paying attention to the weapons, nor the way the blades caught the light of the setting sun as it dipped ever closer to the horizon.

No, I was looking past it all, meeting Link's warm, playful look. Hopefully, my own eyes matched his own.

When we fought our way across the grounds, we happened upon a larger home than all the others. It was set well away from the others, and I supposed it might have been the home of the head family. Our weapons we sheathed, then over the fence we climbed, and into the house we went.

All was quiet in there, of course. Loose firewood sat before the mantle and all the chairs at the dining table were pulled out. The rug set before a couch and some leather seats was askew, but the house was altogether tidy.

A lone window was open, letting air flow inside. The movement of the door swinging open and all the air that rushed in disrupted the dust clinging to the surfaces, but even with all of that, our attention was drawn right away to the same thing.

Set above the mantle was a sword. Lifeless and still, it was a rather unassuming weapon in my eyes. And yet there was a weight and a significance to it, one that Link saw right away as he approached it. There was a strange look in his eyes, that was obvious as I came to a top beside him and glanced his way.

"Is this a rare weapon?"

"It didn't used to be," he answered quietly, reaching for it.

He took the pommel in one hand and unsheathed it from the worn leather, setting the scabbard down on the floor. It was a dark blade, and I could tell it would seem that way even if in the light. I couldn't be sure of what metal it was made of, but the edge of the blade was dark, nearly black, on either side. The center of the blade had the silvery shine of other blades, though it was bordered by a thin stripe of red.

Intricate patterns were etched onto the metal as well, before finding a crossguard with an ornate, almost ritualistic look. It looked not like a weapon that should have ever been used for battle for how pretty it was, and perhaps this one in particular never had seen a fight.

"This is a blade of the Royal Guard," Link told me. He held it out, the blade long and proud, even in the shadowed house. "They were crafted to be replicas of the Master Sword."

"The sword of legend," I supplied, and Link nodded. "Do you think the Master Sword does look like this?"

"Yes," Link said. "I think so. They were made to help oppose the Calamity because only the Chosen Hero could wield the Master Sword. They were typically infused with Sheikah technology, but this one is dormant."

"I see," I spoke quietly. "You know a lot about this."

"Unfortunately," he replied, sounding a lot like he hadn't wanted me to hear it. "At any rate, I'm full up on weapons. You can have it, (Y/n)."

"Me? Oh, I don't know. I'm not very good with a sword, and..."

"There might be a time where a long-range weapon won't be useful," Link told me, reaching for me with his free hand. He took my dominant hand in his own and drew it out, setting the pommel in my hand. With the weight of the sword now in my hold, he guided my fingers to curl around the pommel. Content that I was holding it, he took a step away and took in the sight of me.

Backlit by that open window, I'm sure he could see little of my face, though he glanced into my eyes with great focus. He looked then at the sword, which I'm sure caught the minimal light reaching the room prettily. He glanced across my silhouette, then nodded - as though becoming sure of something.

"It suits you," he said softly. "Pretty blade for a pretty girl."

...

Huh?

Before I could respond, he reached down to retrieve the scabbard, sheathed the blade, then helped me secure it to my belt. I could do little more than look at him as he did it all, going on and on about promising to make sure I was proficient with a sword someday to make use of such a brilliant weapon and that he was confident I could do it - as though he hadn't just said what he had.

And I could do little more than follow quietly as he led the way out of that house and back out into the village of ruins.

—

There was something distinctly naive about the way Link carried himself. There was a childlike way in which he looked around, as though seeing everything for the first time.

But as I had also seen, there was also something haunted, something deeply hurt, within him as well.

Right now I had the pleasure of seeing his childlike sense of wonder. As we walked the outermost paths of the village together, side-by-side, searching ever for anything that might catch our eye, all was quiet. His mood right now was a far cry from what it had been earlier, and it was contagious. I found myself looking around too, as though I'd never seen buildings like these.

The truth was, I had seen buildings like these, but never these buildings in particular. Perhaps that's where it came from for him, them. It was hard to think that someone so well-traveled might not have ever seen this place in particular, but I was happy to be here to experience it alongside him.

It wasn't long before we happened upon another chest. This one was smaller, but no less valuable, because inside was an assortment of jewelry. Link seemed especially taken with them, as he rummaged through them with a keen eye and something in mind, seemingly. He must have soon found what he was looking for because from out of it he extracted a necklace with a silver chain. It dangled from his fingers and swayed slightly with his movements, but it wasn't easy to miss the jewel displayed on it. It was gorgeous, and I said as much.

"I knew you'd think so," Link told me. "It matches the color of your tunic." He shifted around to kneel behind me then, considering we'd had to lower ourselves to our knees to open the chest in the first place, and he started to do something but hesitated. "Can I put it on you?"

"Hm? Why?"

I looked over my shoulder at him, finding that he was looking at me in a rather bashful manner. "It's a gift," he answered.

"Oh," I said, surprised. "Go right ahead, then." Gently, he brushed my hair out of the way, then reached around me to set the jewel against my chest. With slow movements, he clasped the necklace on the back of my neck, then backed away.

"There," he said, smiling when I turned to face him. I glanced down at the gift, then up into his eyes.

"I... Thank you," I decided to say. I was flustered because it was a long-held tradition for Hylians to gift each other jewelry, but only among those you truly cared for - and much more than simple friends or travel partners, as we were. It was something that was common knowledge.

For the Rito, they gifted each other their own feathers and hand-crafted trinkets. For the Zora, they put together intricate pieces of armor and clothing into an ensemble made only for the one they wished to court.

Each race of Hyrule had their own traditions. For the Hylians, this was our own. After a necklace would come a declaration of love and a ring.

All of that, and it seemed that Link was unaware of it. He just seemed happy enough to give me something, as though I deserved it for something. There was nothing ulterior in his eyes, and his bashfulness seemed more like embarrassment than shyness.

He was cut from a strange cloth. Perhaps he didn't know.

That's how I reasoned it in my mind, but I still couldn't keep that thought from resurfacing in my mind again and again as we got up and made to finally leave the ruins.

—

We didn't make it very far before encountering a band of monsters. We were nearly to the edge of the village when a group of three made to enter the village, and we were only just able to duck out of view before they passed by.

"Stay down," Link whispered to me even as my heart leapt up into my throat. He glanced down at me, likely seeing my fear. "It's alright. We'll be alright."

"Link..."

"Shh... Just stay calm."

I was fearful, but all at once I remembered who I was and what I had done. I had raised a weapon against monsters before. There were only three Bokoblins here - I'd raised a weapon against a Bokoblin! What was I so afraid of?

"Link," I said again. "I can do this."

He blinked, and his surprise soon gave way to pride. "I know you can. Let's do it together, shall we?"

"Together," I affirmed.

"They don't know we're here," Link told me as we peeked out of the alley we'd ducked into now that the monsters had passed. "We have the element of surprise."

"Right," I agreed. "How about this..."

I set up a plan, and Link allowed me to. I asked if he wanted to do something, and he told me he'd go out there blind if I asked him to, which made me laugh lightly, though quietly. I asked if there was anything to change with the plan, and he told me he trusted me completely - so he wouldn't change a single thing.

So, in a crouch, he approached them, matching their pace and eventually catching up. I stepped out of the alley and retrieved my bow from my back. Steeling my nerve and drawing a deep breath in to steady myself, I grasped an arrow by the fletching and nocked it. I knew which one Link was going for, so I aimed for the one furthest from him, which had now stopped to peer into a window of one of the houses.

I drew the arrow back just as Link raised his sword over the head of a monster.

I released the arrow just as Link's blade made contact with the creature's skull.

My aim was true, and Link's strength unmatched. Both monsters went up in a flurry of dark smoke, leaving only the one - which Link toyed around with, with slow jabs and easy parries, as I ran in.

"Perfect time for a bit of practical training," Link said happily. He was keeping the Bokoblin good and occupied as I slid to a stop just behind it.

"So," I said with a smile, unsheathing the new blade I'd just gotten, "a one-handed blade. Teach on, Link!"

With it alerted to my presence, the monster leapt back, and it began trying to fight both of us. It was certainly hard-pressed to do so, considering Link's easy skill keeping its attention as I experimented with jabs and thrusts.

"I like this sword," I said, blocking a clumsy swing of the monster's club.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," I confirmed. "It feels good in my hand."

"Good, then," Link said proudly. "That's important. I'll back off for a moment. I'm right here if you need me to step in, but try and take care of this yourself, (Y/n)."

"Got it," I said.

With its focus solely on me, it was certainly intimidating, but I did not falter. I continued to parry and block, working my way towards an opening. Eventually I found it, and with a quick jab towards its head, it ducked and I kicked it in the stomach, forcing it backwards. It stumbled back several paces and I was there in front of it in a second, slicing the blade across its chest once, then twice, then once more. With one lucky slice, deep and long, across its neck, the monster let out a strangled screech, then slumped over. With a final death throe, it collapsed in a cloud of black smoke.

And that... was that.

Link must have been expecting me to be upset about having killed something - so it surprised him when I was in fact proud of myself. He had been gentle in regarding me when he came up to me as I sheathed my blade, but he hadn't been expecting me to smile.

"(Y/n)," he had said, his surprise clear in his voice and in his expression as he caught sight of my smile. "You aren't upset."

"It is jarring," I clarified. "And I think adrenaline is having a hand in this, too. But... these monsters have been part of the reason why I never left my home, and why so many people never leave their own. But not anymore. I can fight back."

"Yeah," Link agreed, smiling now. "You can. And well, at that. I'm proud; you didn't panic, and your improvement in just the past few days is obvious. But don't expect every battle to be that easy."

"I won't," I said, shaking my head. "I know better than that. But to be able to defeat a monster... it's liberating."

"You rid the world of a little bit of evil," Link said proudly. "Good job, (Y/n)."

As we fell into step next to each other again, I nudged his shoulder with my own. "Couldn't have done it without you, Link!"

"Now, to climb back up," Link said, sighing a little. As we left the village and now approached the cliff face we'd paraglided down earlier, the true scope of what we had to do hit me like a ton of bricks and I sighed, too.

"What, can't you somehow paraglide upwards?"

Link chuckled. "No," he said. "But that'd be fun, wouldn't it?"

"It'd be more fun than climbing, that's for sure," I said, my eyes going up, up, up, finally reaching the top of the cliff. "You're sure there's no extra bit of magic technology hidden in that slate to help us up?"

"I checked," Link said. "And no."

"Guess we've got no choice then," I said as we came to a stop before the cliff's face. Neither of us bothered complaining further, and after ensuring everything was good and secured to us or in our pockets, we started to climb. Up and up we went, finding secure footholds and going slowly, ensuring safe pathfinding over speed. Our paths were different, but we stayed roughly at the same pace. I'd occasionally find myself at a dead end, so Link sometimes reached out to pull me up beside him, but other than that, we climbed independently, fingers burning and muscles tense and chests heaving.

At some point, I glanced upwards to see how close we were to the top. We were nearly there, so I granted myself time to suck a breath in and pause for just a moment. I watched Link during that time, noting his intense concentration, his serious nature, the bead of sweat rolling down his cheek, the muscles of his arms flexing as he climbed and...

Interesting.

I better focus, or-

My foot slipped. A short sort of shriek escaped me as I slid down a bit, and Link reacted immediately. "(Y/n)!"

"I'm alright," I said once I had secured my holds again. "I'm alright!"

"You're sure? What happened?"

"I slipped," I told him. "That's all."

"We're almost there," Link told me. "Come on, don't lose it now."

He continued to climb, as did I. He peeked down at me regularly, as though to keep a close eye on me as we progressed. What he wasn't aware of us was the mental turmoil I was going through.

I slipped because I was distracted by what? His arms?! If I had fallen from this height... I'd have died! What a stupid, stupid, stupid way to go!

Those thoughts occupied me as I continued, and eventually my hands found purchase against the ground up top. Link was there to reach for me, and I was more than happy to be done with it all, so I took his hand and let him help me up the rest of the way. He pulled me to sit beside him, and I released a breath as my shoulders slumped. I was happy to be back on solid ground, and I didn't take long to lay back flat.

"I can't believe that," I muttered. Link leaned closer, probably to hear me better.

"You're alright now," Link said gently, likely imagining I was speaking on my slip and thinking I was afraid for my life. Well, I was. But that's not what I meant. No, I was still remarking on my own stupidity.

"Mm," I hummed, closing my eyes.

"Come on," Link said, getting to his feet, this I could hear. When he chuckled lightly, I opened my eyes.

"What?" He had stayed in a crouch, and he reached one hand towards me.

"We oughta head back now," he said. "The horses are probably missing us."

"You're probably right," I said, accepting his help. When we were both on our feet, we began to walk, and I glanced sidelong at him, a cheeky smile on my face. "I think you're just hungry."

"I... Ok, maybe I am," he said with a laugh. "What about it?"

"We did have a long day," I mused. "A big dinner is in order, I suppose."

Link didn't even try to hide his excitement.

And I, of course, didn't even try to hide my smile.