New Home - BotW Link x Reader (Undergoing Revisions)

Chapter 30 - The Steel Bird

I really didn't know how I hadn't noticed it before. I wasn't sure for how long it was hanging above the horizon before I finally did notice it, but I had some manner of defending myself.

One, my mind might have thought that the tiny speck in the air was something hanging off my eyelash for a while. Two, I might have thought it was a cloud. Third, and more importantly: it was Link's fault.

I could have blamed myself, sure! But why would I? It was obvious that about as soon as he noticed it, which was likely as soon as it had entered our field of vision, he elected not to tell me about it. He just let me go on, riding along that road at his side, not noticing his pointed glances towards it and even still, he chose not to bring my attention to it.

Like one speck of rogue paint on a perfectly detailed canvas, it was now all that I could see. It was a blot where there should have been more sky, an imperfection in Hylia's beautiful and golden sphere of life.

When at last I did notice it, I gasped, and if I could omit the fact that I nearly fell off of Sky, I would have (but Link wasn't going to let me forget it, I'm sure). He was only just able to reach out and snag my leg, and I was only just able to keep a firm hold on the reins. Half suspended off my horse, having slipped out of the saddle, I was now on her sideways, and she snorted rather distastefully. I scrambled to climb back onto her back, and Link helped as best he could while remaining seated comfortably in his own saddle. When I was comfortable once more, I let go of the reins with one hand and smoothed out my hair with a huff, lifting the loose hairs up and away from my face.

"Don't you dare laugh," was what I said first, because even as I looked away, I knew he still had that goofy grin on his face. "Don't."

"I'm not," he said, trying to reassure me - but it didn't work.

I turned my head only so far to be able to glance at him sidelong, and I used the word glance liberally - I glared at him. But because he knew that while it wasn't playful that I was only glaring because I was embarrassed, his smile only grew. He let one hand come to rest on the horn of his saddle, the reins looped around his wrist, and the other resting on his thigh. I kept my gaze on his own, hoping he might be fooled into thinking that this really was all his fault without me having to explain how it was.

I knew right away that it wouldn't work, and so I sighed. "How long were you going to let me go without noticing it, Link?"

"I was going to tell you soon," he said, and I pursed my lips, because he couldn't possibly believe I was stupid enough to believe that, right? I didn't think he did, and thankfully that was proven by the fact he kept that same stupid smile on his lips. "I honestly can't believe you didn't pick up on it right away. I thought you were more perceptive than that."

"I'm not dignifying that with a response. What is it?"

"Well," he said, "that is a good question, isn't it?"

"That'd be why I asked it, Link. From here it looks like a... big rock. But in the sky. But that's stupid, right?"

"Maybe," he said, looking up at it as well. Truthfully, there was some dynamism to it, some finer details. It was clear that details and edges and curves were there, but from here I couldn't tell what they were. "Would you believe me if I told you that I put it there?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"So... that's a no, then?"

"That's a no, Link."

"Maybe this ought to convince you," Link said right away, simultaneously pulling on Epona's reins and dismounting.