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Chapter Text

A young warrior of the Zonai tribe made his way through the trees of Faron as he stalked his prey, a great buck. He and his uncle had been hunting for nearly three days in order to get enough food for the upcoming celebration, and the buck would go perfectly with the wild hog. The warrior drew back his bowstring and took the shot. It happened quickly, so the animal didn’t have to suffer. He stashed his bow and began the long drag back to camp. If he were bigger, like his uncle, he’d carry the deer across his shoulders, but his slight physique prevented that. Even so, it only took about half an hour to bring the animal in.

“Well done, Link,” his uncle said, looking up from the fox he was skinning. “You’re getting better every day.”

Link grinned at the praise. “Thanks.” His uncle helped him tie up the buck to bleed out before they set to work skinning the animals they had previously caught.

“That’ll make a fine dish for the Festival of the Goddesses,” Uncle commented, nodding to the buck. “We’ll have to convince Gotter to give us extra since we hauled it.”

“What do you mean ‘we’?” Link asked with a smirk. “It was I who did all the heavy lifting.” They shared a laugh and continued in comfortable silence. He was nearly halfway done with a rabbit when Uncle spoke again.

“Speaking of the Goddesses festival, it’s nearly time for you to find a match, don’t you think?”

Link didn’t say anything.

“There are quite a number of girls that have their eye on you,” Uncle continued, “And the celebrations are a perfect time to look for a wife.” Link still remained silent, and Uncle sighed. “Is there anyone that you’re interested in?”

“Perhaps…” he said. “I just…want to make sure it’s the perfect match.”

“Ah, that’s your problem. No one is ever going to be perfect. You just have to accept that now.”

Link rolled his eyes. “Fine, I want to find someone who won’t drive me mad.”

“We’re talking about women, Link,” Uncle chuckled.

He shook his head and sighed heavily. “Surely not all of them are like that.”

“Don’t you have lots of friends?” Uncle asked. “You have to be interested in at least one of them.”

“Well…” Link frowned. “I’m not. They’re just friends. I can’t picture myself with any of them romantically.” He rested his chin in his hand, smearing blood across his tattooed face. “Sometimes I worry there isn’t anyone out there for me.”

His uncle gave him a sympathetic look. He opened his mouth to say something, but Link stood, setting aside the skinned carcass.

“I’m going to go check on the traps,” he said. They had already checked and reset the traps earlier that day, so there was no need, but Uncle only nodded, giving his nephew some needed space.

Link made his way across the jungle and checked the animal traps they had set up. They were all empty, even the one by Floria Falls which had been empty the longest. There was still time until sundown, so he rested by the water, rinsing the blood, dirt, and sweat off of himself. Link looked at his face in the water.

Like most members of the Zonai tribe, he was covered in tattoos, all with special meaning. The marks on his face meant he was a warrior, and didn’t flinch at pain. The dragons inked across his arms and back represented the Golden Goddess of Courage that he worshiped. The tools marked onto his hands meant he was ready to serve anyone who needed help. The animals and serpents on his legs were just for looks. And of course he had the Triforce tattooed on his chest being carried by the mythical Loftwing. Still, as far as tattoos go, he didn’t have as many as older members of the tribe like his uncle. The animal skins he wore left little to the imagination, so most of his tattoos were visible as well as the many scars he had earned over the years of training to be a warrior.

Now, as a fully-fledge warrior of the tribe, he was expected to find a wife who could bear more warriors and strengthen their hold on the land. Link understood that it was necessary, but he didn’t think he fit with any of the girls in the tribe. There were only a few dozen to choose from, all vying for his attention, but he didn’t think they were right for him. If he waited any longer, however, the girls would all be snatched up by other men, and he would have to find a wife from a different tribe that they weren’t at war with (and they were at war with many tribes).

Movement at the top of the falls caught Link’s eye, and he looked up. The person standing there was a Hylian, he could tell because of the long dress she wore. He frowned. What was a Hylian doing in Zonai territory?

The Zonai weren’t at war with the Hylians per se, but the two groups struggled to get along with one another. One would think that since they had the same beliefs, they would get on well, but the way they expressed those beliefs were too different for any shared deities to bridge the gap. The Zonai dedicated their lives to eradicating non-believers, using special magic in ancient ceremonies to fuel their strength. The Hylians simply prayed and didn’t seem to mind if others shared a different set of beliefs. So the fact that a Hylian was in Faron meant she either had a death wish or was hopelessly lost.

Link was about to turn away, to leave the girl to her own devices and not get mixed up in another blood-feud, when she jumped off the top of the waterfall. He gasped watching her fall, hearing battle-cries from where she had stood. She had been running from one of his tribe’s apposing clans, one that didn’t take as kindly to the Hylians as his did.

They spotted Link and all rose their bows to shoot at him. He should have ran, but he couldn’t leave the girl to drown as she hadn’t moved since she fell. He drove into the water, praying that no arrows would hit him, and fished the girl out, swimming to the shore. He heaved her over his shoulder, for she was much lighter than a buck, and took off running, retreating from the archers unscathed. More than could be said for the girl though.

She was limp as he ran, and when he was far enough away from the other clan, he carefully laid her on the ground. Blood gushed from a wound on her forehead and her face was pale. Link didn’t have any bandages, nor were his clothes suitable for a makeshift one, so he cut a strip of the hem off her dress and wrapped it around her head snuggly. He then picked her up in his arms and set off running again until he returned to camp.

“Uncle!” Link shouted when he could see him, “Help!”

His uncle jumped up and ran to meet him. “What happened?” he said.

“I saw her at the top of the falls,” Link said frantically. “There were clansmen chasing her and she jumped!” He set her down on the ground so that uncle could inspect her.

“Grab the water skin,” he said, unwrapping the girl’s head. Link quickly handed it over, watching anxiously as he poured water over the wound to clean it. His hand hovered above her as he muttered an incantation. Minor cuts and scrapes were the first to disappear, but her head took several minutes to knit back together. Link held his breath until he was finished.

“I think she’ll be okay,” Uncle said, “But she needs to see the healers. Take her and go ahead. I can handle the haul.”

Link nodded and gathered the girl up in his arms, setting off for home at a steady pace. It was almost a five hour walk to his village and the sun was starting to set, so he likely wouldn’t get there till late into the night, but he didn’t want to waste a single second in case Uncle’s spell didn’t work properly.

As he walked, Link examined the girl’s face. She looked less pale after the healing spell, but her natural color was still light, suggesting she didn’t see the sun much. Her long, golden hair was silky with bangs dusting her eyebrows, and her clothes, though simple, were of fine quality. She couldn’t have worked in the fields, so Link suspected she was the chief’s daughter. She was also very pretty, even prettier than all the girls back home.

Link blushed and scoffed to himself. “Of course,” he muttered, “The most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen has to be a Hylian.”

The girl stirred occasionally as he walked but never woke. It worried him, and Link increased his pace, weaving around trees, over rocks, and across rivers. She was not heavy, but he grew tired and had to rest.

He set her against a tree and poured a bit of water into her mouth from his water skin before taking a swig himself, sitting down next to her with a sigh. He had to keep going. He didn’t have a tent and couldn’t risk staying out in the open where animals could attack. But he couldn’t carry the girl the rest of the way. Not by his self at least.

Link placed his hands together and murmured an incantation. It was an ancient spell, passed down by the warriors of his tribe. It was a spell of might, only to be used in the most dire circumstances. Strength pulsed through his muscles as his tattoos glowed with a cyan light, coming to life on his skin and racing across his body. His eyes became a ghostly white.

Link picked the girl up again, forgetting he had ever been tired in the first place, and took off in a sprint, not stopping until he reached his little village. By then the spell had worn off somewhat. No part of him glowed and his eyes and tattoos became as they were before, but Link still had enough strength to carry the girl to the Herbalist’s hut, ignoring the stares he received from other members of his tribe.

“Chabi!” he called into the hut, pushing the door open. She looked up with a start, setting down an incense stick.

“What in the world?” she said, jumping up. Link set the girl down on the cot by Chabi’s workbench. “A Hylian?”

“She was running from another clan,” Link said, “Fell off a waterfall and hit her head. Uncle patched her up, but she hasn’t woken up yet.”

Chabi checked the girl’s pulse points and shined the light of a candle in her eyes, examining her for any injuries. “She should be fine,” she said, “But she needs time to heal. You uncle healed her wounds from the outside. But on the inside, she is still recovering. Nothing a bit of tonic can’t fix.”

She set to worked grinding up various herbs and adding them to her cauldron. Link sat on the ground by the door, alternating between watching Chabi work and watching the girl sleep. But his eyes grew heavy.

The mighty spell had worn off entirely, leaving Link sapped of his strength. He wanted to stay up in case the girl woke, but he soon slipped into the realm of dreams.

Chapter Text

Zelda awoke to a pounding head. She let out a groan, holding her hand to her temple, and opened her eyes. She was in an unfamiliar room, the interior of a grass hut by the looks of it, filled with shelves of potions, herbs, crystals, and animal pelts. She sat up, noticing the other inhabitants of the hut.

One was a woman, grinding herbs in a mortar, with her back turned to her. The other was a young man sleeping on the dirt floor. Both were riddled in tattoos with swirling yet blocky designs typical of the Zonai tribes. These were Zonai people, like the ones she had been running from.

Panic swelled in her chest, but Zelda forced herself to remain still. The woman was busy with her back to her, and the man was asleep. If she was quick she could escape, but then she would inevitably run into someone else outside the hut. She was trapped. The Zonai woman turned around, and Zelda stifled a gasp.

“Look who’s awake!” she said in a thick accent. “How are you feeling?” The woman turned back around to pour the herbs into a jar.

“Uhh…” Zelda didn’t know how to answer. She had expected to die at the hands of the tribal warriors, but she had somehow made a miraculous recovery after her tumble off of Floria Falls.

“I’m fine,” she said in a small voice.

“Good!” the woman said. “Eat this.” She handed Zelda a stoneware plate with a pile of meat and tubers on it.

“Thank you,” Zelda said, realizing how hungry she was and tore into her meal.

The woman smiled at her enthusiasm. “I’m Chabi, by the way,” she said, “And that lazy boy,” she pointed at the man still asleep on the ground, “is Link.”

“I’m Zelda.”

“So you’re from a Hylian settlement?”

She nodded.

“How’d you find yourself all the way over here?”

Zelda chewed her lip. “Got lost.”

Chabi laughed. “Well that’s obvious. You’re lucky Link found you. Otherwise the other clans would have killed you.”

“They nearly did.”

“Don’t most Hylians know better than to wander into Zonai territory?”

“Well, like I said, I got lost.”

“Why did you leave Hyrule in the first place?” Chabi asked. Zelda frowned.

“It’s…a-um strange reason,” she said.

“Strange enough to breach clan territory?” Chabi raised an eyebrow.

“Well, you see, it was never my intention,” Zelda rubbed her head, still pounding, “I was just trying to leave as fast as possible, I didn’t realize where I was going.”

“But why leave in the first place?”

Zelda let out a soft groan. “I—”

“Don’t interrogate her, Chabi. That’s the chief’s job.”

Zelda gasped and snapped her head to look at the young man, Link, who had been asleep. He sat up and stretched his arms over his head, causing his leather vest to ride up, exposing his chiseled abs. She looked away.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She looked back at him, surprised to see the concern in his eyes. “Yes. I’m fine.”

“Good.”

“Don’t worry, Zelda,” Chabi said, “Just another day or so of rest and then we can escort you back to your village.”

“No!” Zelda shouted frantically, surprising them both. “I mean… there must be some other place I could go.”

“You don’t want to go back home?” Chabi asked.

“I…” Zelda looked down, wringing her hands.

“It’s fine,” Link said. “I can take you elsewhere if you wish.”

She gave a grateful smile and opened her mouth to say something, but a rowdy group of young men, dressed similar to Link in leathers, furs, and bone, burst through the doorway, laughing at one who looked to be in great deal of pain, holding his arm close to his body.

“Get the potions ready, Chabi!” one of the boys shouted, “We’ve got a big one for—” They all went silent at the sight of her; even the injured one seemed surprised. The one who had spoken turned to Link. “Who’s this?” he asked in wonderment, a smile growing wider on his lips.

“Don’t quite know yet.”

“Aw, leave it to Link to bring back a Hylian girl,” another boy said. “Your uncle mentioned exotic taste, but I didn’t think he meant that exotic!” Zelda blushed and looked away, but luckily for her, the injured boy didn’t care for their banter.

“Alright, she a Hylian!” he said, “Whatever, can you just fix my arm?”

“Link, why don’t you take Zelda elsewhere,” Chabi said, “so I can patch up this knucklehead?”

Zelda stood and followed Link out of the hut, ignoring the other boys’ eyes and whispers.

The small village was located in a valley covered in foliage and protected by stonework typical of the Zonai (not that she had seen it for herself but recognized it from sketches in books). Grass huts were scattered around, and villagers were in the middle of their workday, tending small gardens, spinning fibers, and carving wood. They stared at her as they passed. Unlike Link and the boys who came into Chabi’s hut, they wore simple tunics of light cloth, though like Link and the boys, their clothes were sparser than Zelda’s dress due to the heat and humidity of the region. She was beginning to rethink fleeing to the south.

Link approached a hut identical to the others in the valley with a large garden in front of it. A lone girl, about thirteen or so, sat in the middle of the path, shelling peas into a basket. Despite her obvious youth, tattoos covered the skin of her arms and legs. She looked up and her face split into a grin.

“Link!” she cried, jumping up and running to him with her arms open. He scooped her up into a hug. “You’re back!” They let go of each other, and the girl’s eyes wandered to Zelda. “Did you catch a wife?” Zelda’s cheeks burned red.

“You wish.” Link playfully ruffled her hair. “This is Zelda,” he said, gesturing to her. “Zelda, this is my sister, Aryll.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” she said, bowing her head. The girl grinned.

“You too!” Aryll picked up the basket and set it on her hip. “Come on in and we can talk without the audience.” She nodded her head down the path, and Zelda turned to see several villagers flinch and turn away, pretending they weren’t just staring.

Aryll and Link led Zelda inside the hut. It was bigger than Chabi’s with screens blocking off the back half. In the middle of the room was an empty hearth with mats around it, a small kitchen to the left and weapons racks on the right. Sleeping next to the hearth was a grey wolf as large as a man.

“So,” Aryll said, setting the basket of peas on the prep table in the kitchen, “Is Uncle at Gotter’s?”

“He might still be on the road,” Link said, sitting on a mat next to the wolf, giving it a pat. Zelda sat next to him, eyeing the beast warily.

Aryll frowned. “You just left him?”

“Had to. I found Zelda injured by Floria Falls and he said to bring her back. We got to Chabi’s last night.”

Aryll pouted. “And you didn’t come get me?” she said, crossing her arms.

“I couldn’t just leave her.”

“I apologize for any trouble I caused,” Zelda said. Link and Aryll looked at her with surprise. “I didn’t intend for you to go out of your way for me.”

Aryll barked a laugh, turning to put the peas in a jar. “Please,” she said, “If he hadn’t helped he would’ve had an aneurism.”

Link rolled his eyes. “It’s part of my job, Aryll,” he said. “Warrior duties and all. Remember?”

“Yeah, alright, Mr. Hero.”

“I’m still very grateful,” Zelda said. She shrunk a bit under his soft smile. It occurred to her then that this fierce warrior had a handsome face, a sharp jaw, full cheeks, and big blue eyes.

“What made you leave Hyrule?” he asked. “Chabi’s right; Faron is dangerous to outsiders.” As if to emphasize his point, the wolf stood and padded over to her, sniffing her face. But he licked her cheek, breaking the tension, and lay between them, resting his chin on her leg.

Zelda sighed and scratched the wolf behind the ears. “I ran away.” Link and Aryll waited patiently for her to continue. “I was supposed to be married today, but I couldn’t do it. I don’t love him.” Zelda paused to rub her face, letting out a small groan. “I couldn’t stand the thought of spending the rest of my life with someone like that!”

“Sheesh,” Aryll said, sitting down on Link’s other side. “How bad is this guy?”

“He’s terrible!” Zelda cried. “He’s so pompous and full of himself! And he only agreed to marry me because I’m the daughter of the mayor.”

“Mayor?” Aryll asked.

“That’s like a chief in Hylian culture,” Link supplied.

“Yes,” Zelda agreed, “So…I just decided to leave. It was stupid though.” She shook her head to herself. “I didn’t have a real plan or enough provisions. I couldn’t even defend myself from those clansmen.”

“Well, you’re lucky Link found you!” Aryll said

“Yes…”Zelda trailed off, frowning at the ground. “What do I do now?” she asked more to herself.

“What you need now is rest,” Link said, “And perhaps a change of clothes.”

Zelda looked down at her mud-stained dress, nodding.

“Aryll, would you take her to the river to wash up?” Link said, standing. “I’ll get you something clean to wear.”

The two siblings set about gathering various articles of clothing and some toiletries before Aryll led her to a small river behind the house that flowed out of the village. She bathed quickly and dried off, changing into the provided clothes, a tunic and trousers, slightly baggy, but made of soft linen, and a pair of sandals that were about her size.

When they returned to the house, they found Link preparing lunch on the now lit hearth, a fish and rice dish. The wolf stood greedily over his shoulder, whining for delights.

“No, Twilight,” Link chided, “This is for people, not dogs.”

Twilight let out another, longer whine, and turned his attention to the girls, looking between them and the pot of food.

“You’re just a spoiled little brat aren’t you?” Aryll asked, scratching his head, but she too ignored his pleadings, adding Zelda’s dirty clothes to the laundry basket in the corner of the room and sitting next to her brother.

Twilight turned to Zelda, sitting down in front of her patiently.

“I’m sorry,” she said patting his head, “But you have to listen to your master.”

He whined again, nuzzling her hand and licking her palm.

Link gave him an unamused look. “Don’t try to flirt your way into getting treats,” he admonished. Zelda giggled and Twilight finally backed down, sitting beside Link in disappointment. She sat down across from him, noticing that he had changed clothes as well, wearing a toga-style beige tunic with a green wrap tied over his shoulder and dark shorts. His hair was left loose of the ponytail he wore earlier.

“Would you like any help?” she asked, pointing to the pot.

He shook his head. “It’s almost done, actually. Besides you should be resting, not working.”

She would’ve told him to not be ridiculous, but she wasn’t sure if that would be considered rude in his culture, especially since he was going out of his way for her. So she sat until the meal was done, accepting the bowl he offered her.

“So you’re sure you don’t want to go back home?” Link asked skeptically once they’d all been served.

Zelda let out a sigh. “I don’t know,” she said. “If I go back, they’ll force me to get married, but if I don’t go back, I’ll never see my father again.” Link and Aryll gave her sympathetic looks.

“Well, which would hurt more?” Link asked. “Marrying that man, or never seeing your father?”

“When you put it that way…” Zelda trailed off. “They’re equally painful. If I run away, I’d just be a selfish, ungrateful daughter and break Father’s heart, but if I go back…” She shuddered. “I’ll be a slave to my husband for the rest of my life.” Tears pooled in her eyes. There was no good outcome.

“You don’t have to make a decision now,” Link said gently. “Take a few days, and when you’re of sounder mind, then decide. If you want to go back, I’ll take you right away, but if you choose to go elsewhere, I can help you find your way, too.”

“Really?” Zelda asked, blinking her tears away. Link nodded.

“Or you can just stay here,” Aryll said with a chipper shrug. “It’ll be fun to have another girl around here. Or, if you wanted…” she gave Zelda a smirk, “You could marry Link instead of that lame guy.”

“Aryll,” Link chided, giving her a rough shove with his elbow. The girl only laughed, clutching her bowl of food more securely.

“Just a suggestion!”

Zelda chuckled despite herself. “We’ll see about that one.”

“Just ignore her,” Link said with a shake of his head. She could see that the tips of his ears were pink.

They finished their meal, and Zelda helped the two clean the dishes in the river, deflecting their pleas that she stay inside and rest. They relented and eventually even let her help them in the garden. As the Mayor’s daughter, Zelda didn’t work outside often, mostly tending to the house and hosting guests, but she took care of the small garden in their yard, so she found the work with Link and Aryll enjoyable even if she was unfamiliar with a few of the plants and had to ask for occasional help.

“Zelda, can I ask you something?” Aryll said.

Zelda looked up from her basket of eggplants and nodded. “Sure.”

The girl looked her up and down with a frown on her face. “Why don’t you have any tattoos?”

“Aryll, don’t be rude!” Link chided.

“It’s not rude,” Zelda assured him with a smile. “Most Hylians don’t have tattoos. Especially not women.”

Aryll gave her a dumbstruck look. “But how will anyone know if you’re married or what your occupation is?”

Zelda shrugged. “I don’t know. I suppose they could just ask,” she chuckled. “What about your tattoos. What do they mean? Or is that rude to ask?” She frowned. She didn’t want to offend the people who were taking such care of her. But Aryll smiled.

“See this one?” she said, pushing back her bangs to reveal a blocky mark that vaguely resembled lips. “This means that I’m a younger daughter and my family loves me and kisses me on the forehead. And Link!” She rushed over to him and spun him around, pointing to his exposed shoulder.

“Hey!” he said, shrugging her off.

“The oval-looking ones mean that he’s a big brother that can carry around his little sister on his shoulders. Although…” she pouted at him, “You haven’t done that since I was little.”

“Well, yeah, you’re not little anymore,” he retorted with a roll of his eyes.

“Sure I am!” Aryll hopped on his back and tried to climb up to his shoulders while he tried not to fall over, both siblings laughing heartily. Zelda giggled with them. She was an only child, so she never had the experience of playing with a younger sibling.

“So all of your tattoos have special meaning?” she asked.

“Most of them,” Link said. Somehow, he had gotten Aryll sideways and was holding her by an arm and a leg. “Do you want a tattoo?” he asked, eyes shining. Zelda found she couldn’t say no to that expression.

“I’d love one!”

Link and Aryll excitedly dragged her across the village to an open air hut overlooking a quaint waterfall where the tattoo artists lived. Several artists worked, tap-tap-tapping images onto various tribe members’ skin. The more heavily inked clientele wore neutral expressions, but the rest grimaced and groaned in pain.

“Pikango!” Link called to a man sketching on a piece of parchment. He looked up with a cheerful smile.

“Well, hello, Link!” Pikango said. “Here to finish your sleeve?”

“Not today. We’re here for Zelda’s first tattoo.”

“Ah, so the rumors about the new Hylian were correct. I’m Pikango.” He offered his hand which Zelda shook.

“Nice to meet you,” she said with a smile.

“So what tattoo did you want to get for your first one?”

“Oh.” Zelda frowned. “I’m not sure what I should get.”

“Let’s all get friendship tattoos!” Aryll said, “To celebrate making a new friend.” Link nodded with a grin.

Zelda’s throat grew thick. Just the day before, she was running for her life from savage barbarians. But today she was within the safe arms of new friends.

“Yeah,” she said. “I want to do that.” Pikango nodded and led her to sit on a mat, gathering his tools.

As it turned out, the tattoo that symbolized friendship was actually one tattoo in four separate places. The shape resembled two people hugging that went on the palm of each hand and on two spots of the back to represent where ones hands went during a hug. Pikango started with Zelda’s right hand, his assistant stretching the skin of her palm taught as he gently tapped the stick with the needle on it with a little hammer, driving the ink into her skin.

It hurt. A lot.

She winced and grimaced and held back her groans of pain much to Link’s and Aryll’s amusement. When the first tattoo was done, Zelda wanted nothing more than to stop and never subject herself to that again, but after learning how important the craft was to the Zonai, she didn’t want to risk offense by stopping halfway though. The second hand hurt as well, but she was a tiny bit more used to the pain. Her back was another story though.

She lay whimpering on the mat, sucking a sharp breath when Pikango went over another rib just below her shoulder blade.

“How are you doing, Zelda?” Link asked, glancing back at her (she had made him turn away when they had to lift up her tunic to get her back).

She swallowed, grimacing. “Great. Just fine,” she gasped.

He chuckled.

The last tattoo was on the other side of her spine, closer to her waist, and Zelda thanked every god and goddess in the Sacred Realm when Pikango had announced she was finished.

Aryll went next, and she made Zelda look like the paragon of composure, loudly whining and crying with every tap of Pikango’s hammer. Link teased her mercilessly. He didn’t seem affected in the slightest by the pokes of the needle when it was his turn, even making idle chit chat as Pikango worked on him. Zelda was about to turn away when he removed his wrap and shrugged off the strap of his tunic for the tattoos on his back, but found her jaw going slack at the sight of his toned muscles and tan skin, already mostly ink. Pikango had to work around the dragon on his skin, placing the friendship symbol on either side of his waist.

Zelda couldn’t stop looking at the tattoos on her hands as they walked back to the house. She had never done something so impulsive before (besides running away from her marriage), and was surprised that Link convinced her after asking just once. She didn’t know if she would regret the tattoos in the long run, but there wasn’t anything she could do about it at that point. Still, even if she did decide to go back to her village, she would at least have a memento of the kind people that she had met in the jungle.

Chapter Text

Zelda awoke to someone shaking her shoulder the next morning.

“Zelda, time for breakfast!” Aryll said cheerfully.

She yawned and nodded, getting up to dress in the clothes that Link had lent her. She still couldn’t believe the generosity they had shown her, giving her clothes, food, and a spare sleeping mat even though they hardly knew her. She followed Aryll out of her “room,” pushing aside the flap that sectioned off the girl’s sleeping quarters from the rest of the house. It wasn’t as private as a locking door, but it was better than sleeping out in the open as she had done while fleeing to the south.

Link was already awake, putting the finishing touches on their breakfast, talking to an older man about hunting. He looked up and gave Zelda a smile, which she returned with only a light blush.

“Uncle!” Aryll cried, throwing herself into his arms.

“There’s my little sunbeam!” He grinned, rubbing his knuckles on her head. He looked up at Zelda in greeting. “And it looks like our lovely sky-child survived the trip to the village.” He released Aryll to shake her hand. “Zelda, right? Just call me Uncle.”

“It’s very nice to meet you,” she replied. “I hope I’m not imposing by being—”

“Shush!” Link said, shoving a bowl of rice and beans into her hands. “No more of that!”

Uncle laughed. “We like visitors, my dear, so no need to apologize. But you,” he grabbed the back of Link’s tunic, “Be polite to the young lady, didn’t I teach you better than that?”

Link chuckled. “Sorry,” he said to her, but she giggled, dismissing his apology.

The four ate breakfast, chatting about the hunting trip that Uncle had just returned from. Apparently Link had been with him, but rushed Zelda to the village when he found her injured. She almost apologized again for inconveniencing him, but stopped herself. They would just brush it off anyway. After their meal, she insisted once again that she help clean up the dishes, not wanting to appear ungrateful to their kindness.

“I hope you don’t mind hanging out with Uncle today,” Link said, gathering his sandals to leave for the day. “I have patrol duties this morning, and Aryll is apprenticed under the weavers, so we won’t be back till this afternoon.”

“Oh, that’s fine,” Zelda said with a wave of her hand, “I’ll just help out around the house.”

“I wish you would rest,” he said, lacing his shoes. “You almost died a few days ago.”

“Really, I’m fine, Link,” she shook her head. “Your uncle and the herbalist healed me up, so I’ll okay.”

He frowned but didn’t argue, tying his hair back with a leather cord. “Just take it easy, okay?”

She smiled and nodded, waving off the two siblings, and the wolf who went with Link, for the day. She turned around and puffed out her cheeks. “So…Is there anything you need help with?” she asked Uncle, who sat by the hearth whittling a piece of wood.

“Oh there’s always something that needs helping with,” he replied easily, “Without a woman in the house, I’ve had to do most of the chores myself while Link and Aryll are out. Well, Link usually does the cooking anyway, so I don’t have to worry about that. You could help me with the laundry, though,” he said, setting aside his project.

Zelda beamed. “I’d be happy to!”

They went down to the river to soak the laundry in the warm water, scrubbing the articles with bars of soap against the rocks. The tattoos on her hands smarted when she touched the soap, but she paid them no mind, hurrying to finish washing her dress. Zelda was glad to finally get her clothes cleaned as they had become filthy during her trek from her village in Hyrule. She bit her lip and thought of her father.

He had to be worried sick. Though Zelda enjoyed spending time outdoors, her survival skills were lacking, which was no secret to her father or anyone else in the village. She wouldn’t be surprised if there were several search parties out looking for her now, hoping to find her alive, but prepared to find a corpse. It was a miracle that she had made it as far as Faron without starving or getting mauled by an animal. When the neighboring Zonai tribe had caught her and tried to sacrifice her, she thought it was the end. But then Link found her. Zelda smiled to herself.

He was truly unlike any other man she had met. Guys back home were either too timid, too arrogant, or, and she knew it was selfish, not very attractive. Link had been nothing but kind and sincere since she’d met him, and she wouldn’t deny that he was handsome. He almost reminded her of a knight back home, Pipit. Except quieter. And besides, Pipit was married to her best friend, Karane, so he was off the table anyway.

Link was likewise entirely different from her fiancé. Groose was the son of the Chancellor of a neighboring town, and their father’s had made a deal that Zelda would be wed to Groose, and his father would offer their little village his protection. Zelda couldn’t count how many times they’d been raided by bokoblins, so of course her father agreed. The Chancellor returned home and Groose stayed in her village in order for them to get to know each other, but he had no interest in her, besides forcing affection on her when they were together. If you could even call it affection.

She shuddered and pushed the thought from her mind, striking up a conversation with Uncle to distract herself.

Link and Aryll returned from their duties mid-afternoon about the time Zelda had finished up tidying the kitchen.

“Zelda, what do you think you’re doing?” Link said incredulously when he saw her.

“Dusting?” She let the rag she was holding drop to her side.

“Uncle!” he whirled on him, “How could you let a guest clean the house?”

But Uncle laughed heartily, glancing up from his woodworking. “She wouldn’t take no for an answer,” he said. “And I would never presume to tell a woman what to do.”

“Still, it doesn’t feel right,” Link argued. “She’s a guest.”

“Oh, can it, Link,” Aryll gave him a shove, “Zelda’s our friend now.” She held up her hands, showing off the tattoos they had each gotten the day before as proof. Link sighed heavily.

Zelda frowned and put her hands on her hips. “I don’t want to lay around being useless,” she said.

“Fine,” he relented, “Just take it easy for now. And by the way," he sat down next to Uncle, “I ran into Chief on the way home, and he invited us over for dinner. Says he wants to meet Zelda.”

Her frown twisted into a grimace. “He’s probably suspicious of me,” she said.

“…Not exactly,” Link said quietly.

“‘Not exactly’?” Her eyebrows rose.

“He’s mostly curious. I told him about your circumstances, you know with that guy you’re supposed to marry,” Link continued. “And he wants to make sure you’re…okay.”

“I believe his exact words were ‘taken care of,’” Aryll supplied with a grin.

“Yes, well, same difference,” Link said, turning his red face away from them.

“Well,” Uncle stood and put his hands on his hips, “Let’s not keep the chief waiting! Come on.”

He led everyone to the largest house in the village, with two massive statues of owls standing guard at the edge of the garden.

“Chief!” Aryll called, running up the path. “We’re here!”'.

A tall, portly man came outside, greeting them with a grin. “Welcome! Welcome! It’s good to gather once again,” he said. He turned his smile on Zelda and held out his hand to shake hers. “It is an honor to meet a daughter of the Sky. I am Kaneli, Chief of the tribe of the Owl. It is Zelda, if I recall.” He swept his hand toward the house. “Please everyone come in. There is much to discuss before dinner.”

They entered into a large central room with a hearth in the middle much like Link’s family’s house, but unlike their house, the chief’s home had permanent walls and doors leading to other rooms. Kaneli bid them to sit, ordering a young boy to brew them coffee. He chatted with uncle while they waited for the boy to come back, bringing a tray upon which was a steaming teapot and cups. The chief accepted the tray, carefully pouring a cup for each of them.

“Guests first,” he said, handing Zelda a cup.

“Thank you.” She raised the cup to her lips, but Link put a hand on her arm.

“You should wait for the chief to drink first,” he said with a chuckle.

“Oh!” Zelda lowered the cup to her lap. “I’m sorry,” she said with a flush.

Kaneli laughed. “I don’t expect a Hylian to be familiar with all our customs,” he said, continuing to pass out cups of coffee. “The reason you wait for the host to eat or drink first is in case the dish was prepared incorrectly, and we can send the food back to the kitchen before the guests have to taste something bad. It shows that I appreciate your presence and want to offer you only the finest.” He took a drink of his own cup and nodded. “Excellent brew.” The others drank from their own cups and Zelda quickly did the same, wincing at the bitterness.

“Now,” the chief set his cup down, “Why are you here, Zelda?”

She bit her lip. “It’s a very long story. I don’t even know where to begin.”

“Why not begin at the beginning?” Kaneli said patiently.

Zelda sighed. “My village is very small,” she started. “We’re often attacked by monsters and pillagers, so my father, the mayor, asked for the help of a nearby town. The chancellor agreed to send a militia of troops to protect our village if father agreed to marry me off to his son. I…I just wanted what was best for our people, so I said yes.

“The chancellor sent his son to stay in our village so that we could become close but…” Zelda squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. “I learned that my fiancé was not a nice man.” She took a deep breath and opened her eyes, staring into her coffee cup. “A few days before the wedding, I ran away. I was okay until I reached the jungle, but then another tribe found me and tried to sacrifice me. I escaped before they could tie me up, but they chased me and I had to jump over the waterfall. I guess that’s where Link found me.” He nodded in agreement.

“That was likely the tribe of the Boar that caught you,” Kaneli said. “They don’t like outsiders. Usually kill them on first sight.”

“I’m very grateful that you all have been so accepting of me,” Zelda bowed her head, “Because I’m sure I’d be dead by now if Link had not been there when he had.”

Kaneli cocked his head, giving her a small smile. “We Owls are far more accepting than the Boars. We believe in fate. You ran from them exactly when Link decided to check his hunting traps, putting him in the right place to save your life.” He paused to take another drink of coffee. “A coincidence like that is no coincidence at all.”

“Besides,” Uncle interjected, “If a warrior brings a stranger into the village, we must trust his judgment. He would never bring harm to us, so that means we can trust you.”

“Do you really have that much influence so as to bring a complete stranger into the heart of the village?” Zelda asked Link. He only shrugged, but Kaneli and Uncle laughed.

“I trust his judgment no matter the circumstance.”Kaneli said. “Link is our tribe’s greatest warrior!” 

“I remember like it was yesterday,” Uncle said wistfully, “He was only fourteen at the time and decided to take on the Hinox Brothers.”

“Uncle, don’t tell that story,” Link said, ruffling his hair.

“No it’s a good one!” Uncle said with dramatic hand gestures. “Link had heard the older boys telling stories of the three Hinox Brothers and thought he could take them on himself. Of course the older boys just thought he was a dumb kid, so they were like ‘sure, go on and kill the Brothers!’ I and the chief went along with everyone just in case, and, oh! You should’ve seen him!” Uncle grinned widely, getting lost in his story. “Guts and malice were flying everywhere, but Link didn’t get a scratch on him! That was the day I knew,” he laid and hand on a blushing Link’s shoulder, “That he would be Hylia’s greatest warrior.”

Uncle and Kaneli went on, telling more tales about Link, but Zelda could only stare at him. He didn’t seem like the kind of man they were describing. She could hardly imagine someone as kind and reserved as him wielding a sword against anyone. If Groose was in his shoes, he would be boasting right along with the other men. She wondered who would win a fight between the two, Link or her fiancé. Groose was six foot five and over too hundred pounds of pure muscle. Link was shorter than her, and, though he was muscular, his bicep was still smaller than the average person’s head. But Groose had never fought a Hinox (and she knew because he would’ve bragged about it) so Link could possible gain the upper hand.

“Ah, but I've gotten carried away in my stories as usual,” Kaneli said after a lengthy anecdote about Link taking on a hoard of lizalfos, “What do you plan to do next, Zelda? Return to Hyrule or continue on elsewhere? You can stay here if you wish, but with no family, you wouldn’t have anyone to claim you.”

“I’ll do it,” Link said at once.

“No, no, that’s really not necessary,” she said, putting a hand on his arm. “Though I appreciate it, it’s best that I return home.”

“What?” Link breathed, frowning.

“I want to see my father again, and…it’s my duty to do what is best for my village.”

“So you’re just going to marry that man?” Link demanded, his face growing more devastated by the second.

“I have to do what is right.”

He had no response to that, slowing turning back to the fire and drinking from his cup.

“I’ll be alright,” she said, “There no need to be upset.” She leaned a bit in front of him so he could see her smile. “I’m tougher than I look.” He nodded and returned her smile with a small one of his own.

Kaneli’s wife then came in to invite Zelda and Aryll to help her prepare dinner while the men talked. Zelda thought she caught a wistful expression on Link’s face as he watched them leave the room, but she wasn’t sure if that was because he’d rather be helping in the kitchen or if he was sad to see her go. And that was a silly thought because he had known her for all of two days and probably just wanted to cook.

They didn’t see each other until about an hour later once dinner was ready and everyone gathered outside. Kaneli’s family was large, consisting of many aunts, uncles, and cousins, all shouting questions at her across the cozy bonfire as they ate, asking about her life in Hyrule. Zelda laughed with them, growing comfortable with the friendly atmosphere as the sky grew dark. She leaned her head on Link’s shoulder and let out a yawn.

“Feeling tired?” he asked.

“A little,” she admitted with a giggle. Link pulled her into his lap, and she let him, pressing her eyes into his neck.

This was entirely scandalous. She was engaged to be married, but was falling asleep in the arms of another man. Zelda found that she didn’t care. She could hardly describe Groose as loving, and she wanted to know what it was like to not fear a man’s touch. Link wasn’t exactly caressing her, just holding her casually, but he did allow his thumb to brush over her ankle. She smiled to herself.

Zelda yawned again, and Link chuckled, excusing the two of them so that he may take her home to sleep. The rest of the party didn’t have any problem with this, letting them go with well-wishes and promises to meet again at the Festival of the Goddesses, whatever that was.

She tightened her arms around his neck as he carried her through the village, letting the gentle rocking of his steps lull her to sleep. She stirred briefly when they arrived at Link’s hut, and she thought she felt something softly brush her forehead when he laid her down in her bed. She hoped it was his lips.