The Legend of Zelda: The King's Sword

Part Fifteen: Heat

Link's POV:    

I relish in the cool, summer morning, enjoying my time before the sun bakes the earth. My letter to Jakamar instructed that he meet us at the entrance to Faron Woods, not very distant from our home.
After taking many moments of opening my mouth wide to yawn, I stand on the grass for many minutes alone, clearing my head, thinking not of anything simply because I don't need to. I move my shoulders back and forth, breathing deeply, grunting while I stretch the muscles in my legs with my eyes closed. I reach my arms high above my head toward my old life. A small squeak comes from my throat when I relax my wings and let them swing at my sides.
Zelda's chimes echo in my head: "I remember that cute little squeal you made...It was adorable!'
The door screeches open behind me as a call to turn me around.
"Why didn't you wake me?" Zelda destroys me with that adorable voice of hers.
I smile quietly to her, "You slumbered so well."
She returns the smile, stepping down from the porch and crossing her arms. "It's cold."
"Soon it won't be," I pass warmth to in her a soft hug, "Jakamar will be bringing Wryna and Kukiel with him."
"Will we meet at the entry?" she drops her sleeves that drape by her elbows.
"Yes. I'm not sure if the girls will be helping us, though."
"I will."
"Of course. Shall we go wait?"
"Let's go," Zelda wraps her arm around my waist as we walk. "The sunrise is rather beautiful this morning," she says.
I peer down at her bare feet traversing the grass, "You're not wearing any shoes today either."
"Nope," she giggles, "You don't need them?"
"The forest floor is soft enough."
"I think so."
We reach the Forest Entry where Zelda trembles to sit down on a low stump, carefully and seemingly in pain.
"Are you okay?" I ask, sitting on my knees in the grass.
"I am." she sighs, putting her hands in her lap and tucking her legs around her natural stool.
"Are you sad?" I place a hand on hers.
"No." she seems to force a smile.
"Okay then." I smile back. She hasn't much to talk about today, has she?"
Zelda yelps and blenches when something bright in color splashes between us. A yellow, melon-like fruit has fallen spontaneously from the tree branch above us and broken open into three slimy, arm's-length chunks.
"Well!" Zelda removes an exasperated hand from her bosom, "I was about to ask what we would have for breakfast," she reaches for the smallest piece, "I've been answered."
The tangy-sweet melon is soft and effortless to bite into. It is cold; its seeds are undetectable and soothing to the throat. It melts into juice when it hits the tongue.
"Link." Zelda chirps.
"Yeah?"
"I had a memory in my dream last night."
When the meat of the fruit is finished, the shell has gone soft enough to eat.
"It was a memory of the day you turned seventeen. That morning I had thought bringing Mia into your room to wake you would be a cuddly surprise."
"Yes?"
"Do you remember what you were dreaming that morning?"
"I don't think so." that's a lie.
"Hm, well, I put her on your bed and she started to lick your face. I laughed at your expression at first, but when she moved past your chin, I looked more closely when you didn't wake."
I'm growing hot.
"Your face was different, and the sounds you made didn't seem right." Zelda looks away from me when she scoops up the last of the fruit.
I didn't like that dream.
"They sounded like the breaths you made last night."
I'm blushing.
"Then you said my name. You said, 'Zelda, please. Stop.' I didn't take the remit off of you. As she rolled over that lump in your throat," she breathes in, "you said, 'Zelda stop it, Stop it or I'll...I'll-' you didn't finish your sentence, then you moaned aloud."
"I dreamt it was you," I am reluctant to interrupt, "I dreamt those were your lips on my nose, your tongue gracing my neck, your fingertips on my collarbone..."
"Are you sensitive there?"
"I am," I look up at her," I saw the cat first, and then got scared when I saw you."
"You covered up your chest with your blanket. I don't know why." she grins.
"I didn't think you'd want to see that."
"What happened after I left?"
"Cursed that cat, and myself for imagining such things." I neglect to mention my disgust at the mess I had to clean.
"Sorry about you," Zelda remembers to be comforting, "Did you have a dream last night?"
"Do you remember the day Groose put me in the infirmary?"
"You dreamt it?"
"He beat me, I was wrapped up, you yelled at him."
"You heard me. I almost swore, I was boiling so."
"In the last part of the dream, you stood by my bed in Owlan's room, and, it felt so wrong."
"What happened?"
"You kissed me."
She laughs.
"Deeply. Then I woke up."
"What a dream."