The Distance Between Them | ✔

9) Castle

⚔ In which Link loots Hyrule Castle ⚔

The night after defeating Rudania, I slept in so late it was well past lunchtime when I finally rolled out of bed, dusty and burnt. One of the girls there – Gaile, the one that sold me the Fireproof Elixirs – helped patch them up. Through the armor, some spots still suffered on my arms, and a particularly bad spot on my knee.

To my great surprise, around the back, a familiar Rito played a tune for the stable hands. I smile when I see him.

"Kass!" The Rito stops his strumming and looks at me, smiling.

"Ho there, traveler! I was wondering if I'd run into you again." He looks up to the Death Mountain, sighing. "Someone seems to have stopped Vah Rudania's rampage, and it's taking aim at the castle like the rest. All the leaders and elders spoke of a young Hylian by the name of Link coming to help them with their troubles." Welp. There goes that cover. "You don't happen to know anything about that, do you?" he asks, eyeing me with a grin.

I shrug. "They needed help, so I helped them."

Kass chuckles. "A valiant young man. You remind me of the Champions of old. I know a song about the Champion Daruk, while were here – one of my teacher's. Would you like to hear it?"

I nod.

He sings the song – a ballad of strength and valor in the face of a danger not quite understood – the determination to win a battle not prepared to fight, and the willingness to do it anyway. The commitment to the people he was to protect and, despite it all, the soft, silly Goron that played with children and supported the princess when she needed it. And when the song ends, I feel like I've lost him again. I take a shuttering breath.

"Daruk was a brave one, surely. He was great friends with the Captain of the Hylian Guard after staying to train the guards for a period of time. They said it was then he made fast friends with the captain's son, too." Kass looks at me, expectantly. "He was a good guy. A shame we had to lose him."

"A damn shame," I mutter.

Kass sighs. "I'm afraid I haven't much else to share. Yunobo only knew the legends around Daruk, as well as Bludo. Do you – by chance – have anything else to share?"

I truly wish I did. And I'm so angry I can't remember more – for me, for Kass and his late teacher, for Yunobo and Sidon and Teba, and for Zelda. "I'm afraid I don't," I bite out. Kass nods.

"If something crosses your mind, I'm sure we'll find each other again."

I nod, standing. I should hit the road if I want to make it to another stable before nightfall. "Safe travels, Kass," I say, trying for a smile.

His smile is warm, genuine, and knowing – like he understands all the words I didn't say. "You too, Link. May your wandering end in the answers you seek."

I nod curtly, and walk around the stable again. Kass strikes up the same tune he was practicing before. I take Berry from the stable and head off.

A few weeks later, and I'm back in Hateno. I spent some time in Kakariko, reading with Paya and playing with the children, and nagging Impa for any information I could get out of her, which isn't a lot. And Paya was a dead end, too, not knowing much. And Impa claims to not remember, that her memory is leaving her. I decide it's not worth badgering the old woman for. I don't find anymore memories when I go back to Faron or Eldin or Tabantha.

I found a book written by Misko the bandit while wandering, and have found most of the items they hid. I was pleasantly surprised to find nobody got to them before me. Helmets, tunics, hats, masks, all with varying abilities. I don't use them often, and some are tucked away in the floorboards in Hateno, but some prove to be rather useful.