I was up and moving before the sun even rose, and even before the first rays of lavender and pink peeked up above the horizon. I was, of course, already awake, so all I had to do was gently ease Link from my lap and back into the piled-up bedding I'd prepared for him.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," I assured him, though he was still soundly asleep. Still in a crouch, I brushed some of the hair from his forehead and though he shifted slightly, he did not stir, nor did he wake.

"Epona will be here with you," I said, looking back at her. She was looking at me steadily, and bobbed her head - as though understanding, as though acknowledging, as though vowing to keep him safe while I was gone. I looked back down at the slumbering boy, who looked so content and so at peace, now.

"Don't even think of wandering off," I warned him as I stood. I felt bad leaving him like this, I did. But I had no other choice. I needed more supplies, and I needed them now. Wounds like those needed to be checked regularly - the wound on his head was bad enough, but the one on his stomach was incredibly concerning - and checking regularly was useless if there was nothing to re-clean and redress the wounds with.

So, with only the mourning doves as my witness, as they prepared for their own morning flights, I prepared for my own. "We'll ride fast and true," I said to Sky as I secured her saddle across her back. "Right?"

She snorted a little, as though that was a silly thing to say. I smiled, and I don't think I had ever prepared for a ride so quickly across my entire journey so far - except in the instance I rode her bareback, of course. I pulled myself up into the saddle and didn't even wait to get comfortable before kicking into my mare's sides and heading off.

Out of that small forest clearing we rode, and along the thin, barely-there trail we broke out onto from the underbrush. Along the road we went, with her thundering footfalls alerting every living creature in this forest, for it was far too early for such noise. Deer looked up from their hideaways and birds peeked down from their perches, watching as we raced by.

Sky was brilliant, following the winding and often hazardous trail perfectly. Down a slope we went, with my breathing aligned with her own. With each huff, there was another stride forward and I leaned down against her neck.

She charged down the slope and the last several yards she slid, for she knew she had to - only then was she able to get her feet beneath her at the bottom and turn, rearing back to do so before bounding along the trail that now followed the hill's side. We rode quickly, her feet finding purchase against the dirt below her with each pace.

"Good girl," I said, patting her neck as I saw the edge of the forest. She neighed happily, about as clear of a thank you as I could get from her, but it was a challenge, too - a challenge for me to watch her, to see what else she would do. She understood the urgency, and slowed only enough for me to read the signs at that crossroad without me needing to ask.

"Outskirt Stable," I read aloud, directing her to turn to her left. "That's our destination. "Let's go!"

She neighed triumphantly, and took off down the road. The sun now peeked up above the horizon, but because we were heading west it was at our backs; our shadows preceded us and as the morning dew in each blade of glass before us was brilliantly illuminated by the first peeking rays of sunlight, the early morning fog began to ease away from the chilled earth. Sky's laborious breaths came out as puffs of wispy steam, so it appeared to me, and she seemed more like a machine than an animal.

At long last, the stable was in view. Its distinct horsehead shape was impossible to miss and I sat up in the saddle, relieved at the sight of it. "Thank goodness," I breathed out, easing her from her gallop and into a more comfortable canter for a few paces now that the road was sure to become increasingly busier.

Stables were, of course, buzzing hubs of activity at all times. They never truly slept, for its travelers stayed up late and some didn't arrive until early morning; others were resting there indefinitely while others, the workers, were content to sit and talk all day and then all night.

That was true of this stable, and already, plenty of folks were already awake and alert by the time I slowed Sky to a stop right out front. I slid out of the saddle right away, taking her reins in hand as I walked to the nearest merchant who had his wares spread out before him.

He was a swindler, that much was obvious. But he had to have something good on him.

"Well, good morning to you, sweetheart," he said when I came to a stop in front of him. He was sitting on the ground, a luxurious blanket beneath him and his wares displayed before him. His voice was gruff, the voice of a seasoned veteran in this sort of thing. But many a swindler had come to Hateno before, so I know how to deal with them. But I didn't want to cheat him - I didn't want to waste more time than was necessary. Even if it took all my rupees, I needed to get Link some supplies.

"First customer of the day," he said, bringing a smile to his face. He crossed his arms over his chest, and I knelt down on the other side of the blanket, meeting his eyes surely. "Hylia, you look exhausted. Rode all night just to see me, sweetheart?"

"Something like that," I said, withdrawing my coin purse from the pack it hid in. "I need medical supplies. All that you can spare." One of his eyebrows rose, and he took a moment to think about my words. But even that was too slow a reaction. "I'll take my business elsewhere," I said, and in a hurry, he shook his head.

"No need to be so hasty," he said, and then I shook my head.

"I have every need to be hasty," I told him. "Someone needs these supplies very badly. I need those supplies, and quickly."

"Alright, fine," he said, gesturing to one corner of the blanket where there sat a myriad of supplies. "That's all for sale. Let's see how much of it you can afford, though."

In the end, I had enough. I had more than enough. I collected all my supplies after dropping the rupees into his waiting palm, and then I was off, once more.

—

Sky, living up to her name, galloped as though the horizon was at her feet. She ran as though she had wings, and if I closed my eyes, I might have believed it for the powerful strikes of her feet against the dirt, the pounding of her heartbeat, her rhythmic pants. She was powerful and swift, and I was never more grateful for it than in this moment exactly.

"Atta girl," I said as she dutifully veered off the road as instructed. Onto that forested trail we went, and deeper into the woods we went. She leapt over a fallen log, and I ducked under a low branch, and together we went, on and on, passing landmarks I made sure to note on the first pass through.

Before I knew it, through the trees I began to see a dull blue glow - the shrine. Right to it we went, and as we got closer, it became clearer, and I let out a relieved breath as I slowed her. We entered the clearing at a trot, and my eyes immediately went to where I had left Link... only to find that he was not there.

"Shit," I said under my breath.

"(Y/n)," I heard him call happily, and as I guided Sky to a stop, I looked over to where Epona was tethered and I grinned, because he was up and standing and petting her muzzle.

"Link," I responded, dismounting and taking Sky's reins in hand in one fluid motion. "You shouldn't be standing up."

"And you got an early start this morning," he tossed right back. "One of those is far more surprising than the other."

"Oh, ha, ha," I said dryly, tethering Sky right beside Epona, who greeted me with a nudge of her head to my shoulder. I reached up and patted her neck, and as Sky got situated, I turned to face Link, setting my hands on my hips. "You say it's surprising that I got an early start, but you should still be resting."

"I feel perfectly rested," he argued, facing me and mimicking my body language. His eyes searched my face, and there was an easy smile on his face, but all at once he clued into something and his smile faltered. "You didn't sleep."

"You could just say that I look awful," I provided, turning away and reaching up towards Sky to retrieve the pouches full of medical supplies I'd just bought. "Now, shirt off. I don't know why you even put it back on, but I need to see those wounds of yours in the light and clean them again."

Instead of doing as I asked, he was standing at my side then, his voice quiet... as though there were others around to listen to what he had to say other than myself that he wanted to hide it from. "You stayed up all night," he said. "Why?"

"If we got ambushed, you'd have been unable to fight," I provided right away, resolutely not looking at him and instead keeping my eyes on what I was doing. With the pouches in my arms, all fit to burst for how full they were, I turned from him once more. This time, I headed towards the center of our small camp and lowered myself into a crouch. "Someone had to stay up and make sure you were safe."

Link was crouched at my side then, as close as he could get or nearly, and he was leaning forward, trying to make me look at him. I ignored his gaze, lowering all my items onto the ground before me. I began unpacking one of the pouches, looking for the bandages and gauze.

"I would have been able to fight," he said surely. "I've done it before, with injuries worse than these."

His words had my hands slowing to a stop. "Oh? Is that right?"

"It is."

"When? Was it when you died?"

I looked right into his eyes, not daring to shy away from his gaze. If we were going to have this conversation, we were going to have it. I didn't miss the way he stiffened up and his eyes widened. I didn't mean to hurt him, I didn't. But he couldn't be so reckless so often and expect to be able to fight on and keep going each time.

"Do you remember when I first asked you to train me?"

"Yes," he found it in himself to speak, though quietly.

"You said I was foolish," I reminded him. "I ran in to save you. I didn't know what I was doing, I'll admit that. I was acting off of pure instinct and adrenaline."

"I know," he spoke. "And you did save me."

"Oh," I chimed rather amusedly, smiling genuinely at him. "You finally admit it, then?"

"Oops," he said, shrugging a little, and I shook my head indulgently. Dammit, he really did make it difficult to stay upset for long, no matter what it was about. But I got right back to the point. I had to.

"The point is," I continued, "you told me that being so reckless was foolish because I could have died."

"Because you could've," he said. "That wasn't untrue."

"But you have died once before," I said. "Because of Princess Zelda's quick thinking and because she protected you, and surely by Hylia's grace as well, you were able to be resurrected. But I don't know if that can happen again. I don't know how to get to the Great Plateau, and I'm not a princess bestowed with a gift from the goddesses. If you fall, all I can do is this." I gestured to the medical supplies before me, shaking my head ruefully. "If you fall in battle, Link... this is all that I can do."

"And you do a good job," he tried hesitantly, only to look like he wanted to retract his words as soon as he uttered them.

"That's not the point," I said. "I'm not a doctor, so my knowledge of all of this is... minimal at best, anyway. But you need to take this more seriously because if you do get so hurt that I can't help, I..."

"I get it," he said, reaching out to guide my hand away from the roll of gauze I'd finally found. He interlaced our fingers, offering my hand a gentle and reassuring squeeze. And he looked into my eyes, so intently and so surely that it was admittedly hard to believe he was looking at me... or that I was deserving of such a gaze. "I gave my life for Hyrule once before. I know my limit, though that probably seems hard to believe."

"It is," I agreed, bringing a smile to his lips.

"Back then, I gave my life to save the Hyrule I loved, and to protect the princess, as was my duty. Now, if I give my life again..." He summoned up a deep breath, releasing it slowly before continuing. "Know that you choosing to travel with me means more than I know how to say. That you aren't obligated to, that it isn't your duty... It's refreshing, and for the first time, I was chosen - not to do something for someone, but to be someone's partner."

"It doesn't matter what my choices are," I admitted, not sure if I should or not. "But I'll always choose this."

I'll always choose you, I meant to say, but hadn't had the courage to.

"If I give my life again," he repeated, "it will be to save the Hyrule I love, just as before, and to save the princess - as was, and still is, my duty. But now I've got something else to protect, right?"

"Right," I echoed uncertainly, because I wasn't entirely sure I knew what he meant.

"I do know my limits," he said, "and though last night was tough, and I was in pretty rough shape, if I needed to, I could have kept fighting."

Despite myself, I looked at him skeptically. "You about passed out as soon as I got you to sit down, Link."

He shrugged again, an easy smile on his lips and the tips of his ears darkening just so. "Maybe I just felt really safe with you. Who can say for sure?"

You can, I wanted to say, but held my tongue as he released my hand and plopped down on his butt beside me. He pulled his shirt off, then lazed back, stretching his legs out and resting his arms beneath his head as though spending a relaxing day napping in the shade.

"Hurry and do your thing," he said, obviously meaning for me to check on his wounds more thoroughly this time. From his spot on the ground he looked up towards me expectantly, and more than a bit mischievously. "As soon as you're done, we're taking a nap."

"You just got up!"

"And I can go for a nap right about now," he said. "Talking about feelings... I'm not used to that. It's exhausting."

"That's an understatement," I said, turning towards him and trying to focus on the task at hand. But he made it incredibly difficult to do so considering he was gazing at my face the entire time.

—

"So," I said, working on mending his tunic for him, "what did you lose to down in that shrine to have gotten so beaten up?" I spoke just as Link did, and I was only able to make out some of what he said. "Hm? Oh, I'm sorry, Link. What did you say?"

He was eating lunch, and my own portion was sitting beside me - he urged me to eat first and eat second, but I was adamant in at least starting this. This tunic of his was a precious gift, and I didn't want to delay mending it and risk inciting the goddess' wrath.

After chewing and swallowing down another bite of food, he spoke up. "I was just asking what the doctor's orders are for me, that's all. What you said sounded more interesting, though."

"Doctor's orders," I said in answer, "are for you to rest and not fight."

"Aw, man. But-"

"No but's," I cut in. "That wound on your stomach might be thin, but it's going to be an easy one to reopen." I'd already gone to the nearby creek to wash these clothes of his, and for a while had been drying on a rock in a sunny spot. The tunic was finally dry enough to start, so that's exactly what I had prioritized. "I mean it, Link. I'm not washing this tunic again. It took me an hour to get those stains out."

"Sorry about that, by the way," he said sheepishly. "I'd have done it myself if you let me."

"I'm not letting you push yourself more than necessary," I told him. "Whether you know your limits or not, I don't. Gifted by the goddess or not, I'm going to treat you like a normal person, and that means not letting you push yourself while so injured."

"So I'm just going to have to sit by and watch as you fight all the monsters?"

"Mm-hm," I hummed in response, adjusting my position on the ground to be a bit more comfortable as I worked. "Exactly. Now, your turn. What did you face down in that shrine? It obviously wasn't just a puzzle."

"It was a test of strength - rare, but difficult," he explained.

"Test of strength?"

He nodded, meeting my brief glance his way as he continued to eat. "Yep. Chosen by the royal family or not, I have to continue to prove myself."

"As though dealing with everything else isn't enough?"

"I guess not," he said, taking another bite of food. After swallowing it down, he looked at me excitedly. "So, since I can't fight, does that mean I can coach you from the sidelines?"

I sent a sly smile his way. "Not a chance."

"Aw, but why?"

"Because that," I said easily, "would be obnoxious."

"But..."

All it took for him to shut up was one serious look from me. When he straightened up and continued to eat, I smiled and looked back at the tunic in my lap, and continued to work.

—

Two weeks have passed since that day. We didn't travel much - actually, only on that first day did we progress. Instead, as soon as we reached Outskirt Stable, we stayed put.

...by my request, of course.

...alright, fine. By my demand.

It wasn't my fault he wanted to keep traveling and pushing all those injuries! Besides the one on his stomach, he also had bruised ribs, that worrying cut going up into his hairline, and countless cuts and bumps and bruises elsewhere. Hylia, he even neglected to say it until days later, but he had bruised knuckles.

Oh, yes.

He'd tried punching the Guardian Scout.

I'd nearly knocked him silly for that one, honestly. A good whack on the head ought to fix him.

It must have been obvious, but he was eagerly awaiting the day we awoke and I assessed him only to give him the clear, that he could fight again and that we could travel. He was raring to go, and when finally I did clear him, he'd taken my hand and took off running.

"Great," he'd said, dragging me along. "Because I overheard some rumors that by this river there's a group of Lizalfos!"

And that led us to now.

There, resting along a riverbank, was a scaly foe, one I had only seen a few times before and one we always resolutely avoided. Link had assured me that it wasn't because they were particularly dangerous or powerful that we avoided them; rather, it was because he felt bad. He told me once that they weren't particularly clever, they were about as intelligent as a regular lizard and so he felt bad killing them.

But now, at this particular moment in time, it seemed like he didn't care too much about that. He just wanted to fight something. There was only one Lizalfos, green in color and with armor of metal covering the top of its head and most of its torso. Part of its helmet had a cutout, meant for its horn to peek through. It had stout little legs and lanky arms, and it was altogether a mess of biology and a horror to look at.

"Hylia," I hissed, crouched at Link's side as he eagerly twirled his sword in his dominant hand, a delighted smile on his lips. "They're so ugly."

"That's not nice, firefly," he said to me. "They can't help what they look like."

"But we can certainly find something better to fight," I tried. "I liked it better when we avoided these things."

"Aw, you don't mean that," Link said - as though it wasn't his decision to avoid them in the first place. "Besides, they make such funny sounds when they die!" With that, he announced his presence by dashing out from our hiding place, and put on the spot like this, I hurried to get a weapon in my hand to chase after him.

It seemed that for this first fight back, he wasn't going for any of his usual tricks or gimmicks. He just wanted a good, honest fight against... a lizard. The creature was not at all a match for Link, which was to be expected. I hung back, sheathing my sword now that I knew all he meant to do was toy around with the creature for a while. I crossed my arms over my chest, watching on - only for movement far past the dueling foes to catch my gaze.

"Link," I called in warning, drawing my sword once more.

"Yes, firefly? Enjoying the show?"

"Link," I called once more, and this time, he knew it was something serious and so he sliced the lizard's head clean off. With the monster good and dead, he glanced back towards me worriedly. Realizing my gaze was centered on something behind him, he wheeled around and he grinned.

Not exactly the reaction I'd expected him to have, honestly.

But really, I should have known better by now.

"Link," I said, quieter now. "You were right about them sounding funny when they die."

"Oh, that's good," he said happily, backing towards me and once at my side, glanced at me briefly. "Because we're about to be hearing it a lot."

"Yeah," I agreed, nodding rather gravely. "I have a feeling you're right."

Because yes, what we were looking at was an entire encampment of Lizalfos - a dozen, easily - all inching towards us, with movements twitchy and sporadic. They were animals, all right. They were predators, ones closing in on their prey like a group of wolves.

...did actual lizards hunt like this? Surely not, right?

Regardless, they were closing in. Some were coming from further along the bank, some were emerging from the underbrush, and some even closed in from behind us.

"To the river," Link suggested, though it seemed like they were backing us towards it anyway.

"The river? Aren't these things aquatic?"

"They are," he told me, "but where we are, it's not deep. They can't dive down and get the better of us, here."

I risked a glance behind me. And true enough, this was a shallow pocket of water. Further out, that's where the river rushed by. Large boulders, like stepping-stones, poked up out of the water. A plan formulated in my mind, and Link had one of his own.

"Sword away," he told me as we took our first steps back into the water. Here, it was only ankle-deep. The water was calm and cool and clear, and would be a great spot to return later for a calm picnic looking out at the water. But for now, we had to focus on the fight at hand.

"Just what I was thinking," I agreed, once again putting the sword away.

"Glad we're on the same page," he said. "I don't want you getting too close to these things, so a spear would be much... Where are you going? (Y/n)? (Y/n)!"

Through the shallows I ran, getting some startled and accusatory shrieks from the foes that were closing in on us. Link, distracted only momentarily by what I was doing, had to turn back around because now that I had sprang into action, the monsters had been inspired to move, too. Link was smart enough not to watch me, which was all for the better as I gathered speed then leapt towards the first boulder. It was a tall one, so I grabbed onto the top with my hands and my legs landed crouched against its side. I pulled myself atop it then stood. Not allowing myself a moment to doubt, I leapt to the next boulder, then to the next.

Standing tall atop that third rock, I didn't have time to look down at the water rushing past. All I could do was draw my weapon and prepare to fight. Several of the monsters had been foolish enough to follow me. Only three had stayed back to fight Link, which is what I wanted. The less that were focused on him, the better.

I drew my bow in one hand, and with the other reached for the fletching of an arrow. Most of the monsters that had been on me had taken to the water right away, seeing their natural advantage. One, however, took to the boulders as I had. But with its stout legs and gangly arms, it was having a harder time leaping from rock to rock, let alone clinging to the smooth surface. Watching its futile struggle, I smiled as I nocked the arrow and drew it back.

"Stay still, you poor thing," I said, my words only uttered ghosts of them for as quiet as they were. Just as the pathetic creature managed to curl its tail around the rock for whatever good that might do, I released the arrow and it only just looked up at the incoming projectile before it slipped right through its nostril and up into its skull.

With a pitiful croak, it disappeared in a puff of black smoke and I rounded my attention to the ones swarming the water like piranhas. They were fast swimmers, I'll give them that. But I had a way to make this easier for myself.

Oops - hold on.

I ducked as one leapt out of the water, reaching for me with its jaws. It far overshot, and fell with a screech back into the water. I suppressed a laugh, ignoring it for now. Instead, I faced a spot in the water that saw most of the traffic and grasped an arrow that was cold to the touch.

One ice arrow was all it took for a huge section of the water to freeze over entirely. Riverwater rushed past it, pounding against the ice so I knew it wouldn't last long, but for now, it would do. The ice pinned several of the monsters in place, and some froze over entirely right away.

I aimed an arrow at a monster that had been unlucky enough to get its tail caught in the block of ice, and I killed it with ease. I did that for all the trapped souls, then rounded on those that were left loose.

It was easy pickings from there, honestly.

...But just for fun, I used another ice arrow, trapping the rest of them. Between the two blocks of ice the water swirled into a whirlpool, the result of conflicting temperatures and the sudden addition of such large masses and I couldn't help but watch, amused for a moment, at the way they all tumbled into each other and got caught up in it. Figuring I had a moment to spare, I glanced towards the riverbank, towards that calm pocket of water where I'd left Link and just as I thought, he was doing just fine.

Should I have been worried because this was his first battle back, and maybe he'd be a bit rusty?

Well, of course. But he wouldn't let himself fall victim to a lizard. Honestly.

He'd killed all but one monster, and was now toying with the last one. There was a confident smile on his face, one that came with knowing you had the upper hand over something or someone and he was twirling his spear, one hand over the other, just before him. The monster couldn't find an in anywhere, and the poor thing was really, truly trying to.

As it spun like a waterwheel before him, the spearhead dipped down into the water, kicking it up and spraying it in a pretty arc, each individual drop catching all the light of the sun and reflecting it beautifully.

Well, back to business.

With a single bomb arrow, the rest of the monsters were felled and I thought I was in the clear... only to shriek and nearly slip off the rock when I caught sight of something bounding towards me. Before I knew it, there was someone else atop this rock with me and, thinking it was a monster, hurried to grab another arrow to stab it in the eye.

The force of the figure bumping into me and the redirection of one of my hands to my quiver made me lose my balance and I reached out rather instinctively, sucking in a breath to prepare to hit the water below - and with Hylia's blessing, maybe I wouldn't land in the whirlpool I'd created.

The figure grasped onto my arms, pulling me up and when the figure did not strike or attack me, only holding me securely against them... that's when I opened my eyes. Seeing the gorgeous blue of that tunic, I leaned away; and seeing the gorgeous blue of his eyes, I nearly pushed him into the water because-

"Why would you scare me like that?!"

"I'm sorry," he said with a laugh, letting me swat one of his arms futilely. I knew it wouldn't hurt him, and I didn't mean for it to. It was merely a playful way for me to make sure he knew that I was serious - he had scared me, but that I knew he didn't mean it.

"You are the worst," I said, accentuating each word with another whack to his arm. With the last word I was done, and I tucked my hands against my chest, for I really didn't have anywhere else to put them. The rock wasn't very... spacious, shall we say, and he was still holding me close against him, making sure I didn't fall again.

...which was his fault, by the way!

I finally glanced up into his eyes, finding that he was already looking at me in a way that, if I didn't know any better, might have been affectionate and soft. At any rate, it was endlessly kind and his eyes sparkled in the glow of sunlight reflecting off the water, and drops of water clung to those golden lashes of his.

In a word, he looked ethereal, and if his eyes weren't more reflective, I might have wondered what I looked like to him right now. But as it was, his eyes were incredibly reflective of what he was thinking and feeling and they were accented well by his smile and he was able to fool me, for just a moment, wordlessly and without meaning to, into thinking that I looked every bit as ethereal at this moment as he did.

Honestly. As though anyone would be able to match him right now.

Before I could lose myself in it, before I could let my mind think about the fact that maybe I did mean something more to him than I wanted to believe and more than he let on, before I lingered on the fact that he had a nickname for me and had worked so hard to find one that stuck, and the fact that he'd let things slip - that I was pretty, that I was something he meant to protect - alongside the fact that he could look at me like that so easily...

Before I could lose myself in it, I summoned up my voice.

"You," I said evenly, "need to learn how to be more stealthy."

"Yeah," he agreed easily, laughing a little. "That's never really been my forte."

"Clearly," I said, then glanced around him towards the riverbank we'd come from. "So... how are we going to do this?"

He glanced that way too, then let his smile grow mischievous. He knew damn well it'd be difficult for both of us to make some room for even one of us to make the leap to the next boulder, and the river was rushing so quickly beneath us with so many jagged rocks hidden just below the water that swimming was not an option.

"Actually," he said, unclipping his slate from his belt with one hand, "I've got a solution for that one."

"Of course you do," I said, suppressing a laugh and watching as he prepared to use something called Cryonis.

"Now, what you did with the arrows was incredibly ingenious," he told me. "But horribly sloppy. Not your fault, of course." I held my tongue despite embarrassment rising up in my chest, and I was for a moment offended on behalf of my ice arrows. "Let me show you something much... cooler."

Something told me that was a pun.

And something told me that I wanted to push him into this river and be done with it.

—

As a matter of fact, Link did not learn how to be more stealthy. He certainly gave it a good effort, though.

Actually, it seemed as though he actively sought out as many monsters as he could in order to try, again and again and again. Each time, the plan was the same: "(Y/n), stay back! I'll sneak in and take care of this! I've got it this time, just watch!"

And each time, he didn't have it.

The first fight after the one at the riverbank, he had tripped and alerted an entire camp of Bokoblins to his presence. I'd been nearby, lying in wait with a spear in hand, and everything ended up fine. But it was funny to watch him oh so carefully creep up on an unsuspecting monster, only to trip anyway.

The next few battles all had the same fate, though the catalysts were different. More than once, he tripped. In others, in unsheathing his weapon he had no spatial awareness and scraped the blade against a wall or a log or something else, resulting in a lot of noise. Oh, in one battle, he sneezed. He sneezed!

That one was particularly funny.

After the tenth battle where he failed to be stealthy, he at last listened to my advice, and that was to try out the set of clothing we'd bought before leaving Kakariko Village. Designed and hand-crafted by the Sheikah, who were widely known as Shadow Folk for as quiet and stealthy as they were, it was made to help bolster stealth in those who weren't naturally gifted at it.

So... Hylians. And Zora. And Gorons. And the Gerudo. And the Rito.

Basically, it was for anyone who wasn't Sheikah. Specifically, the set we grabbed was crafted with a Hylian in mind, and it looked like it would fit Link perfectly. Honestly, I don't know why he was so hesitant to try it before. It wasn't like it could possibly make him louder, right?

...Right?

Maybe the Sheikah people were in fact a bunch of merry pranksters who dubbed this a stealth set when in reality it had lots of hidden bells and chimes.

No, they wouldn't.

...though that made them the perfect people to do something like that, because I don't think there was a soul living in Hyrule who thought the Sheikah were capable of such a prank, making it all the more effective!

I'm getting off track. Actually, I've been off track for a while. Back to business!

He finally tried the gear on. I should note, of course, that all those battles all happened today. Oh, yes. Just this morning I'd cleared him to fight again, and since then, we'd gone off on foot, heading in every direction possible except for the direction back to the stable.

We stopped briefly for lunch, but that was all, and now, as Link finally agreed to try the gear on, we of course had to return to the horses and where we stored our bags away to retrieve it. So, we walked together, muscles aching but spirits high.

Because of our sporadic travels, we actually found ourselves walking by that river again, and we passed through the shallow pool of water we'd fought in earlier. It was safe to say that by now, though his stealth could certainly use some work, that he had shaken all the rust from his shoulders and he was that same proud fighter he'd been before.

I walked with a spear in hand, the head dipping into the water with every step I took. The water was calm here, incredibly so, and the weight of the weapon in my hand was a comfortable one. We chatted quietly about that last battle, and I was trying to impart on him the importance of being able to move stealthily when I was struck with the beauty of the area.

I didn't realize I slowed to a stop until I already had, and Link stopped only a single pace after me. The trees provided wonderful cover here from the sun, though the sunlight that did filter down through the trees and over the river was glorious; this was a golden afternoon, and a pleasant breeze rolled through, chasing the river and brushing past us harmlessly.

"We ought to go swimming," Link said, his voice breaking through the silence but easily, unobtrusively.

"Really? Here?" I gestured with the spear towards the rushing river water, then set my spear down into the silt here in this pocket of water, reminding him how shallow it was.

"Not here," he said with a laugh. "But soon. It's been so warm recently."

He was right. The weather had been gradually warming, a result of the changing of seasons, indicative of the passage of time. "There might be a spot on this river where the water slows," I told him. "That's pretty common after rapids like this, and..."

I trailed off, seeing a mote of light approach. It looked like a little spot of sunlight, dancing and moving with the air's movements. Only... if I squinted, I could see that it had wings, but what was it?

"That's the largest firefly I've ever seen," I noted, bringing Link's attention to it as well. It flitted about, growing nearer - but it seemed to struggle against the wind.

"Oh," Link said happily, walking through the water towards it. "This isn't a firefly, (Y/n)."

He reached out towards it, and it struggled to reach him. Inspired now to help, I stood next to Link, just about at the edge of this small pool and as close we could get to the rushing waters without getting swept away by it.

I lifted my spear, holding the head towards the creature. It alighted, or at least I think it did. I couldn't discern any features other than its glowing, spherical body and its wings, but it seemed to fan its wings out gratefully so I drew the spear in carefully, hand over hand, until I was face to face with the sprite.

"Gently, now," Link advised. "It might not want to be held."

Heeding his advice, I kept the spear steady in my dominant hand and with the other, reached for the creature. I did so slowly, trying not to spook it. Even up close, it looked like a mote of dust or a sunbeam incarnate. It was of effervescent, unwavering light, but I had the distinct feeling that it was watching me closely.

"What is it?"

"This," Link said, watching as the creature flapped its wings only enough to grant itself the upward lift necessary to float into my palm, "is a fairy."

"A fairy," I echoed. It did not quite seem to settle in my palm, not really, but I had the feeling it was granted some rest and respite anyway.

"I think she likes you, (Y/n)," Link said softly, standing close at my side to observe it too. "Lots of people mistake them for fireflies, but they're really different."

"How so?"

The fairy, as though taking my question as a chance to show off, took off. It flitted up and out of my palm and flew around me quickly, darting here and there and everywhere. Where it went, a trail of glittering motes followed and I laughed, watching it duck beneath my arms, flit between my legs, weave a ribbony trail of glittering dust around my head.

All too soon, the moment was over and the fairy hovered for a moment just in front of me. Then, it dove closer, and I was forced to close my eyes against the sudden light as there was the sensation of something brushing against my nose.

And just like that, by the time I opened my eyes, it was already flying away, disappearing into the shadows of the trees. "It really did like you," Link said with a laugh. "How do you feel?"

"It's strange," I said. "All of a sudden, I feel invincible."

"That's what they do," Link said, taking my free wrist in his hand. Unsure what he was doing, I allowed him to, and he spread my fingers and took a look at them. "Callous-free. See? The fairy healed you up."

"Healed me...?" Sure enough, my hand was free of callouses, and so was my other one. And... if I was healed, then... I bent over and rolled my pant leg up in one fluid motion, checking for a bruise on my knee that I'd gotten just the other day. It was gone! "No way!"

"Cool, right?" Link asked, a wide smile on his face. I nodded, my own smile, bright and brilliant, etched across my own lips.

"Come on," I said, breaking into a run. "I'm raring to go all of a sudden!"