The Memories Between Them | ✔

4) Strength

⚔ In which Zelda cuts her hair and Link receives a letter ⚔  

Zelda

True to his word, Link wakes me up the following morning with food.

But the sleep was anything but restful, and instead plagued with nightmares. When he nudged me awake, shaking away the visions of his body in my arms and Ganon's human form and other girls with my face, I would've jumped from the sheets if I had the strength.

But Link was there, and quick to toss the food away and pick me up.

To be in his arms again was more than what I begged the goddesses for these years of waiting. Hylia, most of the time I just prayed to see him in the flesh again. But now he's here, and the realization of that, even though he can't remember me, is enough to set the tears off anew.

He didn't let go, either. Not until my breathing evened out and the tears stopped flowing. Only then did he let me sit back up, and help me prop my back against the pillows.

Link set the try in front of me, smiling. Is that his neutral expression; a smile? How much he must've changed for that to be the case. For him to show any emotion on his face, actually.

"Good morning, Sleepyhead," he says, helping me get situated on the bed with the tray. "Nightmares?"

"Yeah, nightmares."

He purses his lips and sits in a chair with his own food. "It's alright. I have them too."

At this, I look up a little. At a later date, I'd like to ask him about it. I make a mental note and continue eating. I don't want to talk about them right at this very second.

"What've you made?"

He looks down at the plate, as if he's forgotten. "Buttered apples and fresh milk. I thought – if you feel up to it, of course – we could try to walk a bit. It might take some time to get enough strength, but you're only going to feel worse if you stay in bed."

Goddesses, I thought he'd never ask. I smile. "I'd like that."

He nods and turns back to the food and eats. Still a glutton, I assume. The thought makes me smile through the small meal.

I wonder how long he stumbled around the Shrine of Resurrection before he learned to walk again. Did he regain his strength faster than I have? Did he remember how to walk? I want to ask him, but I refrain for now. I don't want to overwhelm him with the questions I've had – the list that's been since he woke up.

I eat more than I did yesterday, and Link smiles when he notices the nearly empty plate and glass. When he comes back from washing them, we start walking.

I'm leaning on him for the first bit, but over three days, I'm able to walk short distances with little help. I can walk up and down the stairs inside the house, although I'm winded, and can stand up from the bed and go to the restroom on my own. I wake up on my own, too, although it's because of nightmares. Usually, when that happens, Link is still asleep. Unwilling to wake him, I talk myself back to sleep, thinking about the endless questions I have for him, or thinking about his lack of memories.

I think about that a lot, actually. I've yet to find out what he does and doesn't remember, and Impa assures me that he'll tell me when he's ready. I hate that answer, but there are plenty of things I don't think I'm ready to tell him, so I suppose it's fair.

One afternoon, though, we make a bit of progress.

Link decides I should go outside for a bit and sit among the people. I agree and walk most of the way to a common area of the village with a cooking pot and several tables. I watch the people watch me as I walk from Impa's home to a table Link claims for the two of us.