The sun rose over Mount Rhoam, clouds rolled through the sky, and the dragons retreated into the sky above, Time was the first to wake up, like always, soon followed by Wild. The air between the two was tense. Wild busied himself with the stables horses, feeding them apples (giving a few to Epona without Twilight there to stop him).
Time turned his attention to the cooking pot, poking at the young fire underneath it. He was dressed down, with clunky armor resting next to the bed he was given. He stared into the flames, allowing the cold morning air to bite his skin.
Wild came up to sit next to Time, unlatching his slate from his waist and scrolling through the food options for that morning. Time glanced at him and then moved away from him slightly. Wild sighed and gently placed the slate in his lap.
"What you did was shitty." Wild started, looking down at the orange and blue glow of the tablet.
Time stiffened at his words.
"I know." Time replied in a hushed voice.
"Why did you do it?" Wild asked in the same tone as Time.
"I honestly didn't know how to tell you. Something as complicated as us seeing your memories...That's not easy to bring up to someone." Time explained, "I wanted to tell you but I knew you would be upset, angry, any negative emotions you wanted to feel."
Wild looked at Time, the look on the eldest's face, it was etched with guilt, sadness, disappointment. Eyebrows furrowed, eye cast down to the cooking pot, posture tenser than usual. Wild knew he felt guilty, without him having to say anything.
"I was being a coward by not telling you right away, you were being more open with us before we were sent here, I didn't want to risk you retreating back to the way you were." Time explained, moving his hand to clasp them together.
"You're right. You were being a coward. But if I have learned anything from traveling with you guys, it's that trust goes a long way. I know my trust in you isn't the same right now," Wild moved to face Time, "But the fact that you can admit to me that you made a mistake, is a small step to earning it back."
Wild slapped a hand on the other's shoulder, "Don't stress. I know you have my back, and it's the same for you. Now, either you can cut these vegetables, or you can go wake up the rest of them."
Time smiled at the younger, "You're living up to your age this time around, 118 years and you're finally wise." He joked, a smirk gracing the once tense face.
"I'm not coming for your job old man, just... don't tell the others?" Wild smiled, though lopsided, but it was a genuine smile, and pleasant sight for the Hero of Time to see.
The group soon woke up, the chill air of the Tabantha region was warmer than the Hebra region, and the boys dressed in lighter clothing, still, ones to keep them warm or take a couple of Wild's elixirs.
"We should be able to make it to Outskirt Stable by nightfall if we keep up a good pace." Wild started, if we need a break there's a place to stop halfway."
"You lead the way!" Sky smiled.
The trek to the stable was overall dull, with some minor chatter, a tense air filled the group. Wild could only assume that it was because of what had occurred in Rito Village. He sighed about an hour into their walk and stopped, causing Twilight to bump into his back.
"You okay, Cub?" Twilight asked.
"You guys don't need to be so tense about this. You guys made a mistake, but it's been dealt with so please don't feel so guilty." Wild expressed, looking at the group behind him.
The heroes were in still silence, only the sounds of breathing were heard from them, with the occasional shuffle of fabric and chainmail. Sky looked at his brothers, and nodded, looking down a bit to make eye contact with Wild.
"Loud and clear, Champion." Sky spoke softly, a smile gracing his face.
"Thank you. Now, we're almost at Sanidin Park Ruins, we can rest there for lunch." Wild supplied, leading the group with quick movements to the open fields of the Tabantha Region.
Wind walked quickly to Wild's side, looking around at the open plains, dusted with the occasional wildflower and movement of grass. As they walk past Jebbo Bridge, Wind spots a pink tree nested on top of a mountain.
"Hey Wild, what kind of tree is that? It has the same leaves as the Deku Tree." Wind asked, pointing and gaining the attention of the others.
Wild followed his hand up at the mountain, finally landing on the blossoming tree. He smiled and pulled out his slate when he started talking.
"The mountain is home to the Lord of the Mountain, he is an oasis for the blupees that run around Hyrule. See, he's like a horse but with two faces of a bird, I think it's an owl personally." Wild smiled and showed Wind the glowing blue spirit.
"Oh wow, he looks so cool!" Wind smiled looking back up at the mountain. "Have you ever gotten close?"
"Well, he's skittish, so I have to be very gentle and quiet. He did allow me to ride him a couple of times when needed, but once I dismount him he goes back to the mountain." Wild smiled, earning a couple of giggles and sighs from the one around them.
"Leave it to Wild to ride a spirit of the mountain." Warriors smirk at them.
"I'm willing to try anything once." Wild laughed, hands up in surrender. "Look! Just up ahead, we should be able to eat lunch now."
The park held a statue of a horse, facing the Hyrule Field, the ground around was stone, worn with age with minor overgrowth of the plants around it. Wild smiled, looking at the pot just at the bottom of the statue.
"Someone has been here recently, let me just light the fire and make something light. Don't go too far from the park, it's a struggle to back up the mountain.
The heroes dispersed from there, walking about and climbing the walls and stone fence of the park. Wind found himself in front of the statue, made of bronze, and looked like it was rusting in some places. He looked out over the open land, seeing Lanayru Mountain just up ahead. Wind smiled and then his vision faded to white...
–
Wind found himself on the back of a horse, almost the same shade as Epona, he looked around, a noticed Flora, and Wild in front of him. He smiled and looked around at the landscape, seeming to be aged but with limited ruins like they'd been walking through. Wind's ears twitched at the sound of Flora's voice and clothes shuffling on her horse.
"Be sure to take the time to soothe your mount...That's the only way it will know how you truly feel." Flora started, petting the neck of her white horse. Wind looked up at her, her gaze moving to Wild's.
It was strange to see such a straight face on Wild's usually carefree one, the absence of scars wasn't any help either. The short hair that Wild had was nice, fit his face, and tied back mostly, Wind smiled and leaned against Wild, even though Wind knew he wouldn't be able to feel him.
"Your advice was quite helpful—thank you." Sounds like something Twilight would say, Wind thought."The little one and I are getting along quite well now." She smiled.
Her gaze fixed on the adornments on her horse, gold and purple displaying almost the same design as Sky's sailcloth. Wind looked at the medals that clink on the horse whenever he moved forward.
"At first," Flora's royal accent cut through the air, "I wasn't sure if I should outfit him with all of the royal gear. I thought maybe he should have to earn it first, but it works! He wears it like a true natural!" She fondly spoke to the horse.
Flora set her gaze on Wild, looking to make eye contact with her knight, "I'm trying to be a bit more empathetic. Benefit of the doubt, you know?"
Wind fixed his gaze on the side of Wild, noticing that they were approaching the same park that they were currently staying at, though it looked to be more intact than what he has seen already. He smiled and waited patiently to arrive there.
Soon they reached the park, Wind hopped down off the horse, hearing the two behind him get off their horses, letting them graze the fields behind them, ready to come when called. Wind followed Wild and the princess to the edge of the stone fence. Wild stood back quite a bit, letting Flora walk on her own ahead of him.
"See that mountain?" Flora started, Wind moved to stand next to her to look at the land below them, everything looked so small Wind noted. "That's Mt. Lanayru."
Wind followed the princess's gaze to the massive mountain just in front of them. "It takes its name from the Goddess of Wisdom."
Flora's face looked down, her face laced with sadness which then turned into a stoic look. "Lanayru's decree is very specific, It says 'No one is allowed, under the age of seventeen...For only the wise are permitted a place upon the mountain.'"
Flora's face looked up, eyes held sadness and frustration, something Wind couldn't understand.
"I've prayed at the Spring of Courage and at the Spring of Power, yet neither awoke anything in me at all." Flora's voice trailed off, looking down. "But maybe up there...Perhaps the Spring of Wisdom, the final of the three, will be the one."
Wind heard Wild shuffle behind them, turning his gaze to him for a second, Wild's eyes held a look of sympathy, maybe more of a sad understanding of her situation, the rest of his face was as stoic as it was before. Wind turned his gaze to Flora, who raised her hands in front of her.
"To be honest, I have no real reason to think that will be the case. But there's always a chance that the next moment will change everything." Flora looked up to the sky painted in oranges and blues that mixed in the sky as the sun set just west of them.
Flora placed her hands down to her side, "Tomorrow...is my seventeenth birthday..." Wind flinched, he may be the younger one, but Wild and Flora were barely adults at this time.
Flora turned around to meet the eyes of her knight, "So then I shall go...and make my way up the mountain."
Wind noticed the sad expression on Flora's face, he started to get closer before his sight faded back to a familiar white.
Wind sighed when his vision came back to him, he heard the laughter of Warriors and a yelling Legend. Hyrule sounds like he's trying to put an end to the possible murder that might occur soon.
Wind noticed there was a pair of Rice Balls in front of him, slightly steaming like they were just made. He somehow made his way to the stone floor. Wind looked around and noticed Wild next to him, Rice Ball in his mouth, while he moved around on his slate, looking to be reorganizing everything.
Wild heard the sigh come from the younger hero, quickly taking a bite from the rice. Wind laughed at the face that Wild made, which showed shock and surprise. Wild finally swallowed the food he had, shuffling himself to sit facing Wind.
"Everything okay?" Wild asked, softly, knowing that coming out of a memory can be disorienting.
"Yeah...It was you and Flora riding out here, with the horses." Wind described, picking at the seaweed that the rice rested on.
"Ah, yeah. It's one of the nicer ones I have. I'm glad you got it." Wild stated, clearly on edge about the memory. Wind didn't want to question the Champion further seeing the discomfort on his face.
"Well, finish up, and then we will head out." Wild pat Wind's head, ruffling the hero's hair, earning a laugh from him.
After the heroes gathered together, making haste to the stable at the end of the road, Wild looked down at his slate, looking down to the corner.
"We're making good time, if we time it right we should be there by dinner." Wild smiled.
"So what you're saying is that we get to sleep in real beds tonight?" Legend joked.
"Well stable beds aren't the best, but it is better than the dirt floor." Four compared.
"I've slept in rougher I swear." Wind joked. "Ocean sleeping is quite bumpy."
"I mean, sleeping on the hard rock for almost 100 years is really uncomfortable," Wild stated, shoulders shrugging from in front of them.
Twilight made a noise like someone had punched him in the gut. Legend "HA' 'd and slapped the champions back.
"You just say that to make Rancher panic don't you?" Warriors laughed.
"Hey, I have to get my entertainment somewhere." Wild sarcastically spoke.
"At my expense?" Twilight asked.
"Sometimes you're on the receiving end." Wild laughed, turning to see the amazed expression on his face.
Time slapped the back of Twilight's shoulder, "Now, let them have their fun. We entertain ourselves out here, Pup."
Twilight made a noise of surprise, saying something along the lines of 'Not you too!' and 'You should be on my side!'
The shouts made the rest of the party laugh and cackle, the once tense air that surrounded the nine had lifted, if only for a little bit. Wild smiled at it, it finally felt like something was back to normal.
—
The nine finally made it to Outskirt stable, and, just as Wild had promised, they made it before sundown. Everyone spread out to contribute to the stable in some way. Sky tended to get along with the cuccos, Twilight mainly went to the goats or gave Wild some company while the scarred hero cooked them all dinner. Time usually sat next to the cooking pot, thumbing songs on his ocarina while watching each of the boys. Warriors and Legend have taken to sitting in the stable, talking about fire rods Wild was pretty sure, while Four sharpening his sword on the ground next to Warriors. Hyrule seemed to be watching in interest at the process. Wind took his place next to Wild, leaning against the champion, which while sometimes it did happen, this time was different.
Wild seemed to be making some sort of stew, most likely a version of his meat stew he's made a couple of times, Wild finished chopping some vegetables and meat to be thrown in there, as well as grabbing a bottle of milk out of the slate.
Time looked at the label on the bottle, and stiffened. "Did Malon give you some milk when we were there last?"
"Yes, but these are from Hateno, one of the farmers has cows so they make their own so they don't rely on outside sources since they are so far out." Wild smiled.
"The labels are practically the same." Time stated.
"Hmm, there's a high likely hood someone raided the Ranch Ruins in Hyrule Feild, but that had to have been long before I woke up," Wild explained, stirring the soup now and again.
Time and Twilight made eye contact and nodded, the motions being missed by both Wild and Wind. Wild fixed his gaze on the sailor, who was quiet that evening, which was odd itself. Wild looked around and noticed the scattered heroes.
"Hey, Wind? Could you gather everyone for dinner?" Wild asked quietly, earning a nod from the young hero.
The three watched him, slow at first, he sighed and then went around with a smile and gathered everyone. Once everyone got there, food was dished out, Wild made a couple of bowls for the stable workers as well, and the nine fell into a comfortable conversation.
"Hey, Wild?" Wind asked, earning a hum from Wild, who turned to look at him.
"In the memory, Flora mentions a couple of springs that you had here, I think you mentioned them before. But Flora seemed upset about the one on Mt. Lanayru. Why?" Wind asked, Wild stiffened and then sighed, a slight frown graced his face. The question also gained the attention of the others who quieted down to hear the answer.
"Mt. Lanayru is home to the Spring of Wisdom, which I'm sure you heard, only allows people older than seventeen to access it. I don't exactly know where they came from, but the springs and the Forgotten Temple are ancient in structure so they were made long ago." Wild began, the mention of the springs caught Sky's attention.
"But why was she so upset?" Wind asks quietly.
"The Spring of Wisdom was Zelda's last hope in accessing her power. I know you all have mentioned having a piece of the triforce, but in my time, Zelda was foretold to wield the whole triforce." Wild admitted quietly.
"Did you play the songs?" Sky asked softly.
"Songs?" Wild asked back.
"Yeah, each spring has a melody attached to them, it was made the springs magical to the person," Sky explained.
"No, We don't have magic songs or anything like that. Not surprised as the kingdom back then liked to seal things away so the people won't know certain things." Wild spoke, placing his bowl down.
"But, as to why she was so upset, she was simply running out of options and the demands of the king weren't much better." Wild crossed his arm.
Legend huffed at the mention of him, "From what me and Four saw, he wasn't exactly the nicest."
"Definitely not, but I'm sure you'll see why it's so important. The memories can explain what I can't to you guys, we just have to wait." Wild concluded, earning a nod from the heroes.
Soon the once heavy conversation formed into idle banter as the group resumed what they were talking about before. With bowls empty and washed (Thanks to the stable hands), the heroes gathered in the Inn, Wild paying for the night, and they all rushed to sleep.
Wind tossed a couple of times, eventually getting up and moving closer to Wild, who was passed out. Wind crawled into his bed, under the thick covers, and buried himself as close as possible. The memory irked Wind, the face and eyes hold so much sadness and sorrow from the two. Soon enough, Wind did fall asleep, counting the beats of Wild's heart.
And if Wild pretended to be passed out for the sailor to get some sleep, no one would even know.