A Couple of Trials (ZeLink)

Chapter 3: An Uneasy Restlessness

Zelda listened to the snow crunching beneath her feet as she walked down the winding path away from the Hateno Tech Lab. With the note Robbie had sent her now unfolded, she read as she tried to pay attention as best she could to what was in front of her. It was just as Teli said: Robbie was concerned about what came next, just as Purah was. After rereading the note multiple times, she sighed, folded the paper back up, and tucked it inside her coat before looking out, over the village.

The air had grown colder as snow continued to fall from the gray clouds above. As the roofs of the village houses turned white, smoke began billowing from the crooked chimneys in an effort by those living inside to warm themselves. As Zelda walked back into Hateno, she could see that most of the shops remained open, yet those who would usually be outside sweeping or signaling travelers to visit chose to stay nice and cozy inside their shop's walls. While most villagers stayed inside, a few groups stayed out in the cold. Two women stood talking near a water well on the side of the road with baskets of clothes in their hands, attempting to finish the washing before the water could freeze up again. In the middle of the road was a group of small children running around as if the sun were shining brightly down upon them.

Zelda stopped, stepping over to the edge of the road to let the kids—who hadn't noticed her presence—continue to run around and play. They were bundled up in heavy leathers, which they refused to let slow them down. She watched as they threw snowballs at each other, laughing and yelling as they darted around the road. She smiled in a bittersweet sort of way as she looked on, trying to remember a time she'd been able to run in the snow, yet no memory came. Just as her eyes began to gloss over, they grew wide before she ducked.

As if an unknown force were trying to distract her from the depressing thoughts, a snowball had come flying her way. As the snowball slammed against a building behind her, she looked back to see its remains sliding down. She sighed in relief, grateful it hadn't hit her in the face where it had come flying towards; however, the laughing and cheering of the children had vanished. Confused, she looked back towards the road, only to see that each of the children had stopped, each of their faces now filled with terror.

"A-are you...?" one of the children asked.

"It is! She's the one with the golden hair and nice clothes!" another child called out.

"W-we're sorry, Miss Princess," a kid with glasses said in a nervous bow. "We didn't mean to almost hit you."

"Huh? What?" Zelda asked as all the children bowed their heads, shaking with fear.

"Please don't use your scary power on us..." another child said.

"Scary power?" Zelda repeated. "I-I would never! It's okay, really!"

"W-we're sorry!" all the children called out before turning away from her.

"W-wait, it's okay!" she called out to them; however, all the children had already dashed away in fear. "Wait... I wouldn't..."

"There she goes, scaring all the children," an older distant voice said.

Zelda's ears pricked up, but she refused to turn around. She knew who stood behind her: two older women attempting to wash their clothes. The well wasn't far from where she stood, and while their tones were still somewhat hushed, she could make out every word the ladies spoke.

"Their parents must have warned them about her," the other lady said.

"Good. I've warned my child to stay away from her," said the first lady. "To think someone like her would come to this village and lie about who she was. She's dangerous. I heard she could never control that power of hers. They say she tried her whole life and failed in the end."