The horses were more than happy to see us, and we were more than happy to see them. After so much time away, it seems they certainly had missed us - which was fine, considering we had missed them, too.

Since Link and I were still raring to go, and the horses needed some well-earned exercise and excitement after being so patient for so long, and so well-behaved on their own, we had a light dinner then readied them for a ride.

Through the canyon we progressed, and though I lamented growing ever closer to Kakariko, it felt good to finally make some progress. Of course, if we could have gone on more detours, I'd have been happier, but after so long idle, it felt good to work our way to our destination.

We traveled well through the evening, and only when the moon was high in the sky did we pause for rest. We'd kept the horses at easy canters, their paces quick but their strides smooth, and they were more than content to maintain that pace throughout the ride.

It was a rhythmic and peaceful ride, one in which Link and I took silently. Only the sounds of the horses' hooves against the rock met our ears, and the far-off sounds of Keese rising for their nightly flights.

There were no monsters, no other travelers, and nothing else of the sort to distract us. We rode on under the light of the moon, taking solace in the peace, and taking comfort in the company.

When at last we did stop, it was late into the night. The horses got to rest, and so did we - and after such an eventful day for the two of us, I was grateful for it. I made for us a light snack of dried berries and fruits, and as we ate them together on a small rocky outcrop just a few precious feet from where the horses now slumbered, we looked up at the night sky.

"We're close to Kakariko," Link began, the first words we'd spoken since starting our night's ride.

I had been reaching for a handful of berries at that moment, and my movements slowed inadvertently. I resumed them right away, taking the berries in hand and holding them close. I sifted through them with my other hand, but it was less to find one to eat first and more to offer my hands something to do while I thought of how to respond.

"No more detours to take?"

"No," Link answered, not without a hint of amusement. As a matter of fact, he almost seemed disappointed by his own answer. "Not unless there are any you can think of."

"Very funny," I said, rolling my eyes as he chuckled. Of course I didn't know any detours to take - I'd never traveled before. I got over it quickly, and returned my eyes to the sky. "So, no other way to stall, huh?"

"It wasn't stalling, exactly," Link tried, but when I glanced his way, he was smiling.

"Right," I said, unconvinced. I wondered if perhaps he might want me to stay as his traveling partner. I certainly wanted to remain with him. Er, as his. As his traveling partner. That's what I meant to say.

I was having such a wonderful time, how could I possibly give it all up so soon? We had the trip back to Hateno sure, but if I knew anything about life, it was that it made reaching what you were dreading terribly quick. And I was dreading the end of this journey, which meant going home.

I was content with that before. I was content to travel with him to Kakariko and then back. I had agreed to it. Perhaps it was only because it was my only option, or that it was the only one I could see, but I wasn't satisfied with that anymore.

How could I be, when I had seen so much and yet so little? I'd only seen what few things there were on the admittedly short road between Hateno and Kakariko, and surely not much would change by the time we meandered our way back to Hateno.

All of that, but on this short road in the grand scheme of Hyrule, but we'd seen so much. Contradictorily, we'd seen so much more on this short trip than I'd have thought we ever could.

Link packed so much fun into it, and that likely had less to do with the trip itself and its landscapes but more to do with Link himself. The joy he brought to everything, the unique way in which he saw Hyrule, how much he knew of the landscape and of fighting and of everything that I didn't know about, how generous he was to share all of it with me and make this short trip everything I could have imagined and more, so much more...

I humored the idea once before that I might travel on my own. But I wasn't ready for that - not yet. Besides being ready, I didn't want to travel alone. I wanted to travel with him. And I wondered if maybe he might want me to tag along for a little longer. Maybe, just maybe...

I just couldn't work up the courage to ask. I was just too afraid of the rejection, I suppose. So I resigned myself to waiting, just a little bit longer. I'd ask at another time. Only... I was running out of time, wasn't I?

"We'll get there tomorrow, no doubt," Link told me. There's nothing else to see until Kakariko. I think you'll like it, though. You've never been?"

"No," I answered, shaking my head and finally popping a berry into my mouth.

"It's pretty there," Link told me.

"Mm," I said, swallowing the berry down, "well, I have to be careful while sightseeing. I don't want my parents to see me."

"Oh," Link said. "Right. Hm... Maybe we'll just get you a hood, then? A mask too, maybe."

I laughed a little. "That won't make me more suspicious?"

"Suspicious maybe, but your identity will be totally hidden," he said.

"Fair enough," I mused.

"I'll have to speak with Impa," he told me, looking at me directly even as I kept my gaze directed upwards once more, "but I'll be quick, I promise."

I hummed thoughtfully, glancing sidelong at him with a smile. "And promises mean something to you, right? I'll be counting the seconds."

"I just don't want to leave you alone for too long," he said, meeting my gaze evenly. "I already feel bad enough that this adventure is so short, so I don't want you to explore the village alone and be bored."

Ask, a meddlesome part of my mind begged. Ask him. Just ask!

I did nothing of the sort.

"You're sweet," I said softly, looking up once again at the stars ever twinkling and the moon, watching over us dutifully.

I could feel the weight of his gaze still on my profile, but I could hardly stand the sad, almost puppy-like look he was sending me. He really did feel bad, then. That was evident enough in his eyes, but it was only accentuated by the telltale and totally involuntary droop of his pointed ears.

Ah, to be a Hylian. It meant to always have a tell, a way for others to know how you feel.

Maybe it was obvious in my own body language that I was sad, too. It was bittersweet, really. It seemed neither of us wanted this journey to end.

But it was already almost over, anyway.

—

The very next morning, we were slow to rise, but begrudgingly did so all the same. We chatted happily as we fed and watered the horses, through the preparation of breakfast, and then the meal itself, and as we tidied up the camp, we only continued to chat. We were talking about yesterday, of how fun it had been.

Epona had snorted a little haughtily at that, as though upset she hadn't been allowed to partake. Link had patted her neck then, telling her if they made a paraglider large enough for horses, she'd be the first to take it for a spin while I told her that if Link really wanted to, he would make it for her.

She seemed amused by that, actually, or as amused as a horse could be.

And well, it offended Link, and he pouted as I laughed and told him I was joking, so really, it was worth it. It was a win-win for me, at any rate.

Before I knew it, we ran out of ways to stall departing and so at long last we finally did. All at once, as soon as we had mounted up and kicked into the sides of our charges respectively, it hit me.

By it, I meant the truth of what was to happen today. And today, we would reach Kakariko - it was a sure thing. Barring any cataclysmic events (which were in the hands of the goddesses themselves and surely Calamity Ganon if he so wanted to well up with power once more), there would be nothing keeping us from getting there. It was too narrow a road, too desolate a path, and too short a distance for us not to.

I quickly came to terms with that aspect of it. It was just everything else about it that was still upsetting me, brewing uncertainly in my stomach like a physical weight burdening me. Part of it was because my parents were surely there.

It was where they lived after all, and so I would have to hide myself away as soon as we even neared the gates. Actually, it was probably terribly risky of me at this point in time and at this point in the road not to protect myself, so I drew my hood up over my head.

I was just in time, too. A set of steps was approaching from around a bend in front of us, and in this canyon, that was the only way to go and the only place it could come from was Kakariko, so I lowered my head to further hide my appearance.

Link, noticing this and likely not wanting me to seem too strange, set his hood about his head as well. Two of a kind - what a pair we were sure to make. At least he was willing to look strange if it meant I looked slightly less so.

Thankfully, as Link told me once we passed the figure on horseback and were well out of their earshot, that was simply a lone traveler on his mule.

That was fine, and had my nerves settling, but only slightly. That was only one instance. There were surely more to come, and I was dreading it - almost more so than I was dreading reaching the town in general, for it was our halfway mark.

Before I might know it, I would be back at home among the familiarity of the same four walls I'd grown up in, set within the rolling hills I'd always known, overlooking the beach and bordered on the other side by that great fortress that at one point had not been enough to hold the forces of evil at bay.

I would be back at home. I still wanted to ask, but I'd been a big enough burden so far. I didn't want to push it, and especially not today, when he had so many other things to think about.

But dammit, I didn't want to go home. I wanted to travel - and I wanted to travel with him.

We traveled through the morning, and I could tell that Link was trying what he could to distract me from the fact that this road had only one destination. Actually, it seemed like he was trying to distract himself from it, too. If nothing else, he seemed to be nervous about having to speak with Impa. And if she was as ancient a Sheikah woman as Link seemed to suggest, then I would be intimidated, too.

I'd heard rumors of those folk. Though fair and dutiful, they had a bark as bad as their bite, especially as they got older and their years stretched further than a Hylian could ever hope to live. So if Impa was even half as old as Link though she was, then she was wise - far wiser than either of us would ever hope to be, or ever could.

And I wondered, for a moment, if she might recognize me. Not that I had ever met her, no - I'd never left Hateno, and Shiekah were terribly loyal to their hometowns. But my mother had been a handmaiden of hers in her youth. I, of course, look like my mother. I had bits and pieces of her, etched into the jigsaw puzzle that was my being in ways I would never fully grasp.

Someone as perceptive as an ancient Shiekah matron...

Perhaps it was best if I stayed well out of sight.

I didn't realize that I had gotten so lost in my thoughts (which was the opposite of what I wanted, by the way, I wanted my wits well about me today), but Link certainly did. I was pulled from my thoughts by the gentle call of my name, though concerned all the same.

When our eyes met, I was struck by the full force of his concern. It was written in his eyes so plainly, so unabashedly, it nearly hurt to bear. "Are you alright, (Y/n)?"

"Yes," I lied, and though he clued into it right away, he did little more than purse his lips and let his brows knit together. "I'm just worried about getting seen by my parents, that's all."

He seemed to know that wasn't it. He seemed to pick up right away that it was only partially the truth. But he did not voice it. He only spoke on what I had said - for which I was grateful.

"I've got your back," he assured me. "I'll be by your side the whole time."

"I appreciate that," I said honestly, smiling truly. And that, at least, had his features softening, as though just knowing that he had reassured me in some way made him feel so much better. And well... perhaps it did.

The simple fact that he would be so kind to me even now - especially now - had my heart warming and some of the weight easing away from my shoulders and the uneasiness alleviating from my belly. Dammit, someone as endlessly kind, so pure, so wonderful, as he was... and my time with him was nearly up.

Later, we broke for lunch. And later, the next time we stopped was because the rock had finally evened out and was replaced by soil and by grass, and there strung between the rock faces were lanterns and charms, and there before us was Kakariko Village, just beyond this wooden archway. The archway was decorated plainly, with intricate carpentry allowing for depth and artistry where otherwise there would have been none.

Though simple, and decorated with an eye in the center, this archway was unassuming but I knew better. The air was different here, but not in a bad way - everything felt calmer here, and quieter too.

The archway was likely as ancient as the village was, if not more so. Regardless, it was a physical archway but it also seemed to be a corporeal one too, as though the goddesses held this place in time differently. It didn't feel behind, no, but old. Not dusty, but weathered. Not forgotten, but tucked away to hold its secrets within it.

I looked up and met that eye head-on, wondering if it might blink and gaze my way, though I knew that was impossible.

"This village is of great importance, you know," I recited from a book. Link glanced over at me, having slowed Epona to a stop just a single pace after my own horse once he'd realized we'd stopped. "In every story I've ever read of Hyrule's history... the hero travels to Kakariko. It's as old as Hyrule, herself."

His blue eyes looked rather conflicted as they gazed up at that eye, too. "Every hero?"

"Nearly," I said.

"They all managed to save Hyrule, though," Link noted quietly, like he hadn't meant for me to hear it. But I had. And I looked at him directly, because now it was my turn to be concerned.

"Link?"

"Maybe the last hero didn't get here," Link said, shaking his head and sitting up straighter in his saddle. "Maybe that's why he failed."

"I don't think..."

Whatever words I meant to use to finish that statement died in my throat because he'd already kicked into Epona's sides, urging her into a walk. I could do little more in that moment but follow suit and let those unspoken words hang in the air.

—

The slow walk to Impa's home was an excruciatingly long one - made worse by the burden clear on Link's shoulders and the anxiety in my veins that I might get caught here. It wasn't that I was scared of seeing my parents, but if they frogmarched me back to Hateno, if they made a scene in front of the boy who so kindly offered to bring me on this adventure...

My heart wouldn't be able to take it.

So, I didn't want it to happen. It was reasonable - surely, kids had done far worse behind their parent's backs, right? Wanting to see Hyrule in all her glory couldn't be that bad, it couldn't.

Still, time dragged on as Link led me to Impa's home.

The scenery was pretty, which I was only able to see because Link told me that no one was up and about in this part of the town. I was able to lower my hood, though I kept one hand along the fabric to throw it back up as soon as necessary if it came to it.

The village was picturesque, which I suppose I should have expected from such a storied place. Nestled into a valley, the homes were plain, with thatched roofs and rounded tops.

Like the trail leading to the village, there were lanterns and flags and charms strung up here, too. They trailed from lamppost to lamppost, lantern to lantern, and building to building. It was daytime, so the lanterns were lit but did not offer any light compared to the sun. If we could only see this place at night, it must be so pretty...

"This way," Link said, leading me along a path further into the village. "Ah - hood up. There will be guards posted outside her home."

"Got it," I said, setting the hood on my head once more.

But I could still peek around, and so that's what I did. Old statues of ancient figures and old relics and decaying figures lined the pathways here, with small spots pressed to the rocky walls where people could sit and eat and chat, and for such a small and secluded village, I supposed community must have been terribly important to them, so such spots were likely well-used.

This place, more than any other, felt sacred, as though the goddesses themselves resided here. It largely had to do with how tight-knit the community and devoted to the goddesses the people were. It was certainly a far cry from Hateno, where we had but one relic to pray to. No, these folks were likely far more pious than we were.

Set higher than other homes in the village was a large house on wooden stilts, with grand arches reaching up towards the sky rather than down to the ground. It was settled before a grand waterfall, its rushing waters flowing from there along a river that wound through the village, explaining all its bridges and the fact that all the homes here were on stilts.

When spring rolled around, I could only imagine the waterfall thawing out, its roaring waters flowing up and over the riverbanks and flooding the village.

That must have been quite a sight.

Goodness, this place was magnificent.

"You've got stars in your eyes," Link said with a laugh. "Duck down a little, unless you want everyone to see you."

I laughed embarrassedly and did as he advised, realizing I'd lost myself in my observations. "Sorry," I said. "It's just so pretty here."

"Don't apologize," Link said kindly. "It is beautiful. But nothing ever changes."

Ah. So it was like Hateno after all.

When we reached the foot of that staircase leading to Impa's home, we dismounted and hitched the horses just out front. Leaving them a few snacks and offering them the chance to rest, we set off, climbing the rickety wooden steps - or at least, we would have, if not for the guards that I hadn't even noticed upon riding up.

They were so still and so quiet that I had thought them as part of the foundation here, as simple figures set outside Impa's home perhaps to ward off spirits.

...But they weren't. These were guards, and now they crossed their spears in front of the staircase, preventing me from progressing. And yes, I mean me.

Link had been hardly a single full pace ahead of me but the guards managed to cross their spears just after Link passed by, and I nearly bumped into them.

"Link," I called rather uselessly, because he'd already noticed what had happened and had rounded on the guards, a cerulean fire in his eyes.

"Excuse me," Link said to them. "We have business with Impa."

"We know you do," one guard said, and I knew that voice right away - it was my father. "But I don't remember you having a guest."

"She's with me," Link said firmly. "Her business is the same as my own."

"Is it? She needs to state her name and business," my father said, and I was so grateful in that moment that he was taller than I was and that the hood cloaked my face in shadow.

"Wearing that hood is disrespectful," the other guard added. "Such impunity should be punished-"

"You will not lay a finger on her," Link said suddenly, and it seemed that all three of us looked at him, shocked. Sure enough, the guard that was not my father was white-knuckling his spear, and he was glaring at Link with such anger I was nearly inspired to fight him, myself.

But that'd get us into more trouble than necessary, so I held my tongue and remained still.

"Lower your weapons," Link demanded, his tone strong but his voice low - it was a clear threat, one that would have had me frightened if I didn't know him, and if the words had been directed at me. "Lower them," Link repeated, "or I'll be forced to raise my own."

"What business does this outsider have with Impa?"

"That is none of your concern," Link said slowly, looking right into my father's eyes unknowingly. "Now let her through, or I'll be forced to bring this to Impa's attention."

The guards hesitated for a moment more before realizing that the trouble wasn't worth it. Whatever power Impa held was clear, but what was strange to me was how much power Link seemed to have, if Impa would take his word over that of her own guards.

Even as the guards lowered their spears and let me through, and I stepped to Link's side, I could not take my eyes from his. He was looking at me, too - but while I was bewildered, he was still fuming, though not at me. No, his eyes were soft as they regarded me, and then a hand was pressed to the small of my back, guiding me to stay right beside him as we traversed the stairs.

"Come on," he said gently. "They won't bother you anymore."

Just who was this boy, and what was his connection to Impa? What about him was so powerful, so important?

I did not have time to ask, nor did I have time to ruminate. I only had time to climb up the stairs alongside him and only when we were at the top, and well out of earshot of the guards, did Link turn to face me. He bent over slightly, peeking under the hood to see my face clearly.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I said, somewhat truthfully. I was confused, a bit shaken, but overall, I was alright - physically, anyway. "Don't worry about me. I'll be alright. I just wasn't expecting it, that's all."

"I know," he said softly. "I'm sorry, I should have stayed right next to you."

Well, that made me smile. "You weren't even a full step ahead, Link."

"I know, but still..."

"It's not your fault," I assured him, then gestured towards the house with a movement of my head. "Now, come on. You should know not to leave a lady waiting."

The house was symmetrical, and adorned with patterned cloth and more of the flags featuring that iconic symbol of the eye - the symbol of the Shiekah people, and the very same on the back of Link's slate.

It was not hidden knowledge that the Shiekah were terribly advanced, and terribly powerful. If they could create the Guardians, and create that slate... they were certainly capable of doing far more to help in the fight against Ganon. I wondered if Impa might allow me to ask her about it - if she had anything planned, if the Shiekah had any secret plans to help.

I could only hope so.

Link reached for the door, but then paused, and so did I. "Impa is kind," he told me quietly. "But she'll probably say a lot of confusing things for you, so just..."

"I won't listen," I said. "It's none of my business, anyway."

Link nodded, likely more to convince himself than anything else. "Alright. Are you ready?"

"I am," I said. "Are you?"

He nodded, and without another word uttered, pressed one hand to each door and pushed them open.

...I'd have to teach him how to knock before this adventure is over.

The room we stepped into was rather bare, all things considered. It was an open space, and though there seemed to be rooms in the back, they were blocked off by a wall set in the very center of this room. There was a wooden staircase leading upstairs to our right, and just before that wall was a raised platform of sturdy wood.

And there, sitting before a tapestry detailing what looked like the Calamity, sat a very old, yet very regal, woman.

The brim of her hat was wider than she was tall, this I knew even though she was still kneeling. The hat was adorned with hanging charms that shifted and swayed as she lifted her head, and I wondered if in her knowing gaze I was right in what I saw: that she had been anticipating us, or at least, had been anticipating Link.

Her hair was whiter than snow, and marked on her forehead was that symbol of the Sheikah once more. She was dressed simply, though with a simple elegance. If I didn't know her to be alive, I would say she looked like part of the room itself for how well she complimented it, and how well it complimented her.

"Link," she greeted, her voice a dry croak. "I heard Purah was giving you the runaround, but you seem just fine."

"Lady Impa," Link responded, bowing his head respectfully. "She is a handful, but I managed. I had no choice."

"Indeed," Impa agreed, her eyes sliding over to meet my own. I was stunned by the incredible, nearly palpable weight of her gaze settling on my figure, but I caught myself as soon as I was able and I bowed his head, much like Link had, hoping that in mirroring his gesture, I was showing her the respect she deserved. "And you brought a guest along."

"I did," Link confirmed. "This is-"

"(Y/n)," Impa spoke kindly, the smallest of smiles gracing her face. "My, how you've grown." I did all I could to keep my confusion from my face, but for all my efforts it broke through, and Impa's smile grew. "I suppose you don't remember me."

"No, Lady Impa," I confirmed, trying to keep my voice calm and well-paced. But... what did she mean? "I do not."

"I'm sure you have many questions," Impa said, "and for several of them, I have answers. We met when you were a little girl - though perhaps it's more accurate to say that I met you. You were only an infant at the time."

"I... I don't understand," I said. "Pardon me, but... as far as I knew, I've never left Hateno Village... until now, of course. When would I have met you? Did you visit Hateno?"

"You may not have left once you arrived," Impa spoke rather cryptically, "but before that, you were rather well-traveled for someone so young."

"No, wait," I breathed out. "My parents..."

"Your parents are here, working as my guard and handmaiden once more," Impa told me. "Of course, your mother trained Paya to do it in her stead and spends more time now tending to the other elders of the village. I was surprised - I never anticipated her to return to Kakariko."

"Lady Impa," I began uncertainly, "where was I born?"

"Under normal circumstances, I'd ask that you go to your parents for that answer instead," she stated plainly.

Then her eyes flickered briefly to Link's, then returned to my own. It was at that moment that I realized Link was looking at me directly, as though just as curious for the answer as I was. That, at least, was a small comfort.

"But," she continued. "these are not normal circumstances."

"No," I agreed. "They're not."

"It seems your heart and her own are cut from the same cloth."

Well, of course, I thought, knowing she was referring to my mother. We're family. But she means something far more than that.

"My dear child, you were born here in Kakariko Village."

"No, that's not right," I said, my heart dropping down into my stomach. "Because that'd mean... they lied. My parents lied to me."

"And now you are here, seeking answers to other questions," Impa mused. "Isn't it strange, how life works out? You set out, presumably, to find the truth of what happened a century ago. And yet you are now wondering who you are, where you are from."

I could do nothing more than nod. Link reached out for me, setting his hand on my forearm. It was a rather hesitant touch, and I knew right away that he thought it was the wrong thing to do but he felt he needed to in some way comfort me.

Just standing beside me was comforting enough. His care... it seemed like almost too much to ask for. But it was genuine, and it was here. He was here.

"As it stands," Impa said surely, "you have more questions. But Link has questions he needs answered as well. Might I ask that you head upstairs, just for a few minutes?"

"Of course," I spoke quietly, bowing my head to her once more. I stepped back, then around Link to start for the stairs.

"We won't be long, dear child," Impa assured me, and I found myself the focus of both sets of eyes as I stepped up onto the first stair.

Before going further, I set my hand on the railing and looked back over my shoulder at Link. There was so much concern in his eyes, my heart constricted rather painfully, especially in knowing that it was all for me - though guilt soon swam through my senses because how could I ask him to care so much for myself when it was obvious he was here for a purpose?

I smiled at him, hoping to reassure him with nothing more than that, but it was obvious by the way his brow furrowed further that my shock and confusion was still in my eyes, so I hadn't fooled him, not even for a second.

Still, I headed upstairs. Best not to continue being a distraction.

At the top of the stairs I reached a landing, and waiting just beyond the landing in a small, simply decorated living space was a girl. We  each reacted similarly to each other: and that was, in a word, surprised. She was surprised to see me here, and I was surprised to see her here.

She was dressed like Impa, and I took that to mean that all Sheikah women dressed like this - or at least, those that lived here did. A white tunic trimmed with orange, the same orange as the Sheikah mark stamped across her forehead. Her hair was white, like Impa's, which I knew from my mother was simply genetic to the Sheikah people.

She also told me that they were also known as Shadow Folk, with a natural capacity for magic, and they had pointed ears, much like us Hylians. There were key differences of course, one of the largest being the color of our hair. Hylains could be blond, brunette, ginger, or anything between and even colors far stranger than that. As for the Sheikah, their hair was always white, and no amount of dye would ever disguise it for long.

Hylians could also use magic to a certain extent, and both races featured the same pointed ears. But Sheikah, unlike the Hylians, could live incredibly long lives, much longer than we could ever hope to.

Paya, it was clear, was a young Sheikah woman. And she was polite, incredibly so - this I knew because since the moment we locked eyes, she had dropped low in a bow and refused to budge.

"Greetings," she said, more to the floor than to me.

"Hello," I said in return. "I'm sorry if I'm intruding. Impa told me to head up here while she and Link speak."

At that, she popped up, standing at her full height and looking at me with the full force of her dark eyes. "I am Paya. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"I'm (Y/n)," I said, smiling at the girl. "It's good to meet you, too. You're Impa's handmaiden, right?"

"I am," Paya confirmed. "The woman preceding me chose to step away, so I took her place."

"I know," I said. "I know her well."

"Do you? She doesn't work far from here - shall I call for a visit?"

"No, that's not necessary," I said, shaking my head. "She probably doesn't want to see me."

And I certainly don't want to see her. Not yet, anyway. I have so many burning questions... but seeing her means revealing that I'm here. And I don't want that, because I don't want there to be any possibility of me heading home anytime soon.

"Kakariko is beautiful," I noted, breaking the awkward silence of the room.

"It is," Paya agreed.

"Quiet and picturesque, it must be a dream to live here," I said, hoping to make her smile. It worked, but it didn't seem like her smile was born of joy, but of a trained politeness as she nodded. Wanting to do all I could to keep the silence from growing awkward, I looked around the room.

"You weren't here before," Paya said quietly, clasping her hands together over her chest.

"No," I confirmed. "I wasn't."

"Are you a friend of Master Link?"

"I am," I said, wondering where she was going with this. The hopeful, almost star-struck look in her eyes clued me into it.

Oh, Hylia. She's got it bad for him. I can tell, because that's the look Leah would always get in her face whenever she saw a pretty stranger in Hateno that she wanted to talk to - Link included, actually.

Interesting.

I could have some fun with this.

"He saved my life in Hateno Village, where I live," I told her. "I basically begged him to let me journey with him, so that I might find a way to return the favor."

"Oh, he's far too heroic and chivalrous," Paya said, shaking her head. "He won't accept favors."

"I know," I said, smiling almost mischievously, now. "But I have to try. Besides, he's far too handsome to consider leaving now."

"Eep!"

I turned away to hide the extent of my smile, and found my gaze falling onto a diary, left open. The penmanship was fantastic, if a bit rushed, but though I did my best not to actively read it, my brain did latch onto one word.

Link.

Well, maybe I'd seen it wrong. It was only in the corner of my eye and it was a quick glance as I remembered my manners and looked well away from it to respect Paya's privacy, so I might have read it wrong.

It could have been... erm... Luke, or... Lonk, maybe...

No, it was definitely Link.

I don't know why, but in that moment, I felt a distinct sense of pride.

"What is it like to travel with him?"

It seemed she'd collected herself enough to ask what she clearly wanted to, and so I turned back towards her. And honestly, in that moment, when faced with that question, my heart swelled.

It seemed as though I'd been waiting for anyone to ask that question.

"It's incredible, truly," I told her honestly, my voice soft. "He's strong and brave, and kind, and he's funny, too." With each passing word, Paya nodded, leaning closer and she was physically enthralled by my answer, hanging on my every word. "He's a wonderful partner. And he even agreed to train me, so that I'll be able to defend myself and fight at his side."

"Fight at his side," Paya echoed. "What an honor!"

"I know," I agreed, but I couldn't have known then that we were talking about completely different levels of honor.

Truth was, I was honored to fight at his side - but Paya knew something I did not, and what I would not know, not until Link told me himself.

And only then would I know just how much of an honor it truly was for me to even travel alongside him, let alone fight at his side.