published 27/06/2023
warnings: fluff
‧͙⁺-ˋˏ A Champion's Balladˎˊ˚⁺‧͙
The warmth of the sand caused me to close my eyes and savour its longing comfort as the gentle waves of the sea rolled over its tiny, grainy hills in reassurance of its companionship. And the way the deep blue waters glistened under the golden rays of the sun was a sight of true and raw beauty that could even whisk the breath of a simple man away with its awestruck power.
The dawning sun began its slow descent through the surrounding, grassy hills that are filled with flowers of every colour while the wooden blades of the windmills ahead slowly stirred from the summer's morning breath. A sight I've missed during my time at the sand-bathed town - the nostalgia causing a soft smile to curl upon my lips as I laid down upon the sandy grains of the small beach, closing my eyes before allowing my fingers to dig into its scratchy softness. These were the quiet moments I missed...the moments where no thoughts would fill my mind, a place where the shy, crystalline eyes of the stranger wouldn't fill my mind all over again. The way when our skin would sizzle and electrify at every touch and how our hands melted together as one...the skin and eyes of no one but a stranger that captured my heart at first sight.
I inwardly groaned at that thought, my fingers clutching onto the piles of sand that laid beneath my palm in hopes to ground myself back down the reality I was now living in - not the dream that I so hoped to be real. I opened my eyes at that, only to be met with the pale blue of the early morning sky as little specks of clouds were scattered about, all lingering in place as though it were an order from the sun itself with the way its vibrant pink and orange colours tore through the air like a sharpened knife through the skin of a palm fruit. An odd yet fresh feeling about it.
My hand reached out towards the sky, grasping it in hopes to find the comfort I needed to calm my erractic heart that became startled at the thought and memory of her as we danced along to the melody of the violin that happily sang - my cheeks warming up at the thought of her hips against mine and the softness of her calloused fingers against my fingertips. Goddesses, I need to get up. She's not coming nor will she ever, and even if she did, I wouldn't recognise her without her veil. This is the truth I must accept. That I have to accept. Esaru and Touvute would probably be laughing at my inner conflict. I smiled, I should write to them soon again...it has been a few days since the last letter we have exchanged.
As the sun rested upon the slope of the hill, I pushed myself up from the sand, dusting the tiny specks of grain off the thin material of my tunic and breeches before gathering my shoes into my arms, the softness of the sand tickling the skin between my toes. I sighed, feeping content with the quietness of my mind as I slowly began my walk towards the slope - my feet sinking into the sand.
By the time I reached the calming scenery of Hateno Village, my shoulders slumped in relaxation. The climb was even more exhausting than I remembered and the sand between my toes scratching along the itchy grass didn't help the matter as well. I felt myself smiling while treading along the winding, well-trodden path with my shoes in hand, feeling the stares of the few villagers that greeted me with either a nod or a hello as I walked past them - smiling and greeting them back.
Eventually, after descending the gradual hill towards Mr. Nack's house, I was greeted with Ivee's smile as she stood outside the East Wind general store with a broom in her hands, "Good morning y/n! How goes your day so far?" I smiled, adjusting the shoes in my arms in a more comfortable position, "Morning Ivee, it's been non-eventful so far...but the beach was lovely as always - especially now since the remaining monsters have gone into hiding."
Ivee grinned at that, "The Hero saving the day is what brought peace back to Hyrule! And how handsome he is too...a man like him should be illegal to look at! It's truly unfair..." Her lips turned down into a small pout while a frown spilt across her brown bows, "but ever since Princess Zelda moved here, she's been coming to our store a lot - especially when you were away and there's a rumour that she's going to help build a school here, isn't that amazing!" I hummed after a chuckle slipped past my lips, "I heard about that, I've only seen her once these past two weeks so far...she really is a kind soul isn't she? And gorgeous too of course! But I'm surprised her appointed Knight isn't around her. I haven't even seen him before..."
She smiled while playfully squinting at me with her deep, hazel eyes, her fingers loosening around the wooden stick of her broom, "Well, when you do - he's all you're going to ever think about! Though on a more serious note", her smile slowly faltered and so did mine, a frown slowly edging its way across my face, "you've been far too quiet since you came back. I've-we've been worried about you, y/n. You're usually carefree and loud with a smile that never leaves your face. Now all you do is stare off into space with a frown upon your brow. What happened while you were away...?"
My eyes widened at the sudden question, I never even noticed how distant I came off to everyone around me. And with that, I quickly shook my head, feeling the strands of my hair tickle my skin before giving Ivee a reassuring smile, "It's nothing too drastic and I didn't mean to make everyone feel as though they had to be wary around me. I was just simply thinking about life and the future that awaits us. That's all." She gave me a half lopsided smile, placing a hand upon my shoulder and squeazing it in hopes to give me some comfort, "I know that's not all that's been on your mind but I won't push you to tell me. Though you better reassure Tamana over there because she's been the one worrying the most and was too afraid to approach you with the distant look you had in your eyes."
I gave her a chuckle, placing my cool hand upon her warm one and tightening my hold around her fingers, "I will Ivee. And thank you, but I better go now, Mr. Nack probably has another job for me to do." "You sure bet I do young lady!", a deep voice called from behind me, startling both Ivee and me as I quickly turned around with widened eyes, "Mr. Nack! I'm so sorry!"
He laughed while patting my shoulder, his rounded hat casting a shadow upon his sun-kissed face, "It's quite alright! The only job you have to do today is fetch me the sweetest apples you can get! Then, I'll think whether or not to forgive you for being late - oh, and don't forgot to put on your shoes while you're at, "And with that, he gave me a playful wink before turning around and walking away from his with a prideful stride in his step while all I could do was groan and burry my warming face into my hands with frustration, "I better go..." "Yeah", I heard Ivee giggle.
The path to the forest below is quiet as the sounds of the birds that sang filled the scenery with their lullabys while I stroked the trunk of an apple tree, feeling the way the roughness tickled the skin of my fingertips as its coolness rang along my hand. Ahead, stared a squirrel that watched my every move, watching the my fingers tigthened around the handle of the basket, watching how I stood up on the tips of my toes to reach an apple that dangled from a droopy branch of an old tree, the smooth of the apple soothing the rough pricks the bark of the tree had left behind on the palm of my hand. I hummed in satisfaction, dropping the apple down to lie among the others in the woven basket as I continued on to the next tree - the squirrel now long gone - but only to hear the tune of a song fill the warm, shaded forest.
The notes themselves were first in a major key before smoothly descending into a mournful minor, the instrument now filled with the sorrowful sounds of a memory that deemed painful to the musician that was hidden away from my sight. The sharpness of the sound reminded me of the blue Rito I stumbled upon a few times during my travels that would write songs and poems of the many mysterious that littered across our land, his name being Kass. "That is definitely an accordian I am hearing", I mumbled to myself as I reached for another apple, "but Kass has never played a melody so sad before..."
Out of curiosity, I quickly dropped the apple into the basket before holding it close to my chest as I began to tread along the woods in search of the musician - the increasing volume of the piece indicating that I am getting closer with every step. And eventually, I came to a stop, pressing my back against the bark of the tree while listening to the song that played in front, the key once again changing to a major - a contrast the melancholic tune that played not so long ago.
The change brought a smile to my face, causing me to lean my weight into the bark while my arms relaxed, lowering the basket to my knees. Soon, the last note had been played, silence following shortly after as I slowly and quietly, turned my head to glance at the musician from behind the tree - but only for my eyes to widen at the sight of a man sitting upon an aged, dull log while staring at the small, lily flowered pond that bathed beneath the sun's rays that peeked through the branches of the surrounding trees.
His golden hair was glistening from the water's reflection, his blue tunic bright against the sun while his brown breeches and boots brought a contrast to the bright colours that surrounded him - but even so, the accordian that he held in his hands reminded me of the one Kass always used. It was blue in colour, speckled with white and red lines that ran along the corners, in fact, they were almost identical! Perhaps Kass had a student he never told me of and gifted him an accordian of his own! The memory of always listening to Kass's tunes and songs brought a sad smile to my face...I miss him and I hope his adventures beyond the land of Hyrule are safe and welcoming.
Suddenly overcoming the anxiety of being seen, I stepped out from the shadow of the tree, the basket low and held in both my hands as I smiled at the young man, "That was beautiful." Startled from the sound of my voice, he quickly stood up and stared at me with wide oceanic eyes - the eyes that reminded me of the stranger that captured my heart with only a single stare. My smile slowly faltered at that thought, my eyes watching him nervously scratch the back of his nape with one hand while averting his own eyes away from mine, "Thank you..."
My eyes softened at the sound of his voice, it was low, soft and gentle with a hint of unnease that slipped past his chapped lips. I quietly fiddled with the handle of the basket as he brought his eyes back to my own - the image of the girl haunting my mind again and how they both nearly look identical to one another...their golden tresses pooling around their shoulders, their eyes holding that small hint of mischief that is shrouded with nervousness and longing. I shook my head from that thought, feeling a blush creep upon the skin of my cheeks, "What is that song called? The one you just played?" His cheeks were tinted in pink along with his ears as he cleared his throat, "A Champion's Ballad. I composed it a dew days ago..."
With a smile, I hummed, watching his blush deepen before he turned to the side and cleared his throat, "Do you...do you want me to play you another song. I mean I can if you want to! Or if you're, uh, busy that's fine too!"
I grinned at him with a new found confidence, striding towards him, "I would love to listen to one, thank you...these past two weeks haven't been my best, but anyways", I stretched my hand out towards him, my smile warming at the way he gave me a small one in return - the coolness of his calloused hands a contrast to the softer skin of my own and the way our fingers melted into one another filled my stomach with the feelings of butterflies all over again...a new sense of hope slithering through my mind, "my name is y/n, and yours?" He glanced down to our hands before looking back up at me again, searching my own eyes for the sign of an answer to a lingering question I wish I knew but only for his soft and gentle voice to tear through the questions that filled my mind - the same voice I longed to have heard all these days, "My name is..." His eyes never leaving my own widened ones as my lips could only part from one another - a soft smile spreading across his own.
"...Link."
Our blushes could only deepen along with the intensity of the warmth that swam through our eyes.
Edited 27/06/2023