Musterion (A Zelda AU)

Lighting Up the Dark - Chapter 12

The way to Hateno was a long one, so I learned. Link explained the journey to me while we were on our way, Epona galloping along the path. Hyrule was beautiful. It wasn't arid or dry, and it wasn't blazing hot. A complete 180 of home, dare I say. 

"We might need to stop for the night," Link sighs, patting Epona's neck. "Ol' girl's gettin' tired. That's okay with you, right?"

"Yeah. As long as we can set up camp before the sun finishes going down, that's fine."

"What makes you say that? You afraid of monsters?" Link teases, as we go off of the path to Hateno. 

"Monsters? Psshh.. no, I'm scared of the skeletons," I laugh.

"Oh, please, those are the least of your worries, man!"

Epona's gallop slows to a trot, and then she stops, as we find a forest to set up camp in. Link is the first one off, offering me a hand. I get down just fine on my own, patting Epona's side.

"Can you start a fire? I've got the materials," Link asks, pulling his travel bag off Epona. 

"Not really, I've never learned how..."

"Really? I'll show you then. But let's set up the shelter first, then. You're tall, so it shouldn't be hard."

"So what do we need for that?" I look around, presuming we'd need wood and leaves at least.

"I've got everything. We're just gonna throw a blanket over some tree branches since it might rain tonight." Link kneels down, opening his bag and searching the contents.

A blanket? That won't do anything for shelter, but... Link knows more about Hyrule than I do. Maybe it's a cultural thing. Or he's just weird. Maybe both.

"Okay, then. Here-" I reach down, helping him pull out the blanket. Unfolding it, I realize it's massive. So, so much bigger than I had initially imagined. This could cover three of my own beds from home.

"Thanks. I'm gonna get up on this tree with these two corners," Link shows me the corners he's holding and continues, "And just tie 'em to the branches. So can you find the rope in there?"

"I gotcha, dude." 

As Link climbs his way up the tree, batting branches out of the way, I start searching the bag for said rope. I find it buried underneath food, water canteens, and fire materials. 

"Hurry up, Gan-Man! I don't have all day! My balance isn't all that great, either!"

"I found it, chill out!" I pull the rope out, tossing it up to Link. He ties a corner to one branch, then does the same with the other. Link grabs a second rope from the bag.

"You forgot the second one, genius."

"Shut up," I scoff.

"Nah."

Link climbs up to the other side as I hand him the other two corners, and he ties them down. Link sits down on one of the branches, sighing. "The view up here is pretty solid. Is this what it's like to be as tall as you?"

Frowning, I walk over to Link and pull him down by his legs. "Not really, but how is being upside down?"

"Put me down!" He laughs, play-punching my shins.

"Can't. You're punching me. Now I don't know what you Hylians call that, but we deem that as a start for a fight," I lean down, flicking his nose while holding him up with one hand. "You wanna go, little man?"

"Oh, you are so dead." Link shoves a hand in my face, and I put him down. He tackles me, putting me into a fairly tight chokehold. I smack at him, laughing.