Couple of the Wild (ZeLink)

Chapter 26: Link Alone

Link listened in to the splashing of mud and water as Epona's hooves trotted down the muddy roads of Hyrule field. The Hylian Knight sighed as he pushed wet hair out of his face, looking up at the dark, moon covering rain clouds that loomed above him. It had been a day and a half since he had left the Akkala Tech Lab, leaving Zelda behind in order to take on the Yiga. Link shivered as he continued down one of Hyrule Fields paths, his burned and torn Champion Tunic drenched in rain water. He couldn't help but hope that Zelda would fix the tunic once they met in Rito Village. If they met in Rito Village...

Link shook his head, shoving the thought of Zelda not making it to the meeting point away. She had to make it, and she would. She was strong. He had trained her himself, even if she wasn't ready. Sure she could be a bit reckless, but it was usually only because she cared. Everytime she had gotten reckless was because she was trying to help Link, or he was unconsciously provoking her. Maybe he was a tad bit too hard on her.

Link sighed as he tiredly looked around the dark void of the night, only able to get darkened outlines of hills and the looming Hyrule Castle, no longer circled by the Malice of Calamity Ganon. Though, in the distance Link could still see tiny specks of pink and orange light roaming the fields of Hyrule. The Guardians of the field were still awakened.

Link's eyebrows rose just a bit in curiosity as he bumped in his saddle along the path. Where did the Yiga obtain Malice? Did they retrieve it from the Guardians still affected by the influence of the Calamity? Link shrugged, assuming he would find out once he got there. What he needed to focus on now was making it out of the camp alive.

The bright blue yet tired eyes of the knight looked forward, noticing the fork in the road. Link reared Epona to a halt, looking left and right. The right would lead towards Outskirt Stable, while the left would continue him down the path towards the Gerudo Canyon. Link rubbed the tired out of his eyes as he pulled on Epona's reins, signaling for her to go left, however the horse jerked her head to the right as she trotted towards Outskirt Stables. Link frowned for a moment, before sighing. Epona had made the executive decision to rest, whether it as for herself or her owner. He couldn't blame the horse. They had been riding non stop for over a day.

The duo soon reached the stables, the shadow of the wooden and fabric made horse structure looming over them, dripping with rain water as the darkness of the night covered it's usual vibrant colors. Link reared in front of the stable desk, the owner having to lean in just a bit in order to see through the rain.

"Link! Is that you, boy!?" The stable master called through his open window. Link, jumping off of Epona as he raised an arm to shield himself from the wind.

"It is Embry! Can we stay a night?" Link called out through the rain. The stable master known as Embry nodded as he waved his hand, signaling the young knight into the stable. Embry turned towards a few of the Hylians in the stable.

"Trott! Go and put the lovely horse away!" Embry called out, signaling towards the brown bodied horse, now shaking her white mane free of soaked water. Trott, a rather skinny limbed Hylian with a bit of a belly from meat consumption, adjusted his hat before dashing into the rain. Embry nodded as Trott ran out into the rain, turning back to face his customer.

"Well Link, it's been a few months! I thought you had- Heavens boy, are you alright!?" Embry called out, noticing the ragged remains of Link's Champion tunic. Link sighed as he pushed wet hair back with his gloved fingers.

"It's been a rough few days Embry," Link said. "The Yiga... One regular bed please."

"Those lanky bastards," Embry said angrily, ruffling through his under desk to find his scheduling book. "They defected so long ago from that old Sheikah race, and they still have a grudge against us Hylians? What happened was over ten thousand years ago! Maybe it wasn't their innovation we limited them for, but their aggression!"