The Memories Between Them | ✔

7) Memorabilia

⚔ In which the past is told through items, skin, and dancing ⚔

Zelda

I'm woken up by breakfast the morning after the argument. The unusual part was that Link was staring at the Sheikah slate, looking at something.

"Good morning," I say, getting his attention. I rub the sleep from my bleary eyes and smirk.

He looks up and smiles. "Morning." He sits up on his knees and hoists himself onto the foot of the bed, slate in hand. "How would you feel about a trip?" he asks.

I look at him, fork in my mouth. "Where?" I ask around a bite of honey crepe.

"Hateno. I have... a friend there. I promised her an explanation before I left for the castle. I didn't expect to be gone for so long."

I smile. "Sounds like a wonderful idea. When should we leave?"

Link rubs the back of his neck. "Tomorrow? I know it's a bit short notice, but I'm kinda going crazy. Being in the same place for so long after months of constantly moving feels... off."

"Understandable. You know, you moved a lot before, too," I say.

"Really?"

"Mhm. When you could, you traveled. I told you about how much your father traveled with us, and you would come with him most of the time. Even when you went to the Knight's Academy, you would take time off to travel."

"I think you did mention that, yeah."

He looks back at the slate, and scoots around to show it to me. He shows me the fastest route to Hateno, and some different places we could stop along the way.

He's shown me the map on the slate before and told me about the places he's visited. It seems like he's been everywhere, knows everything and everyone. Some I saw, watching over him when I could muster the strength, but honestly anything I saw while with the goddess feels fuzzy and mushed. I tried to explain some things I saw him do, and he was able to fill me in from there. I'm beyond excited to see it all with him, and I couldn't ask for a better tour guide.

When I finish eating, he takes the dishes while I get dressed. We walk down to the village while Link relays his mental checklist to me of everything we need to do before we leave. We need to gather meals for three days, groom and prepare the horses and saddles, pack clothes and everything we wish to bring with us, and still go to be early so we can get an early start. I listen, trying to remember his rapid-fire bullet points while walking to the store to buy some supplies.

Trissa sells him some ingredients, arrows, and a new bowstring, saying she's glad to see him back on the road. Then we're at Impa's gathering clothes and books and things to bring. Paya helps us carry it all up the hill to the stable. We stop for a little lunch outside before we take care of the horses, pack the saddlebags, and prepare the saddles. Link helps me put the royal gear on Star, and I must say it fits just as well as it did her ancestor.

And then we're back at Impa's for dinner. Link makes conversations with her sparce, which I understand. He has every right to still be a bit angry with her, even if they told me they made amends. Impa doesn't seem to mind and asks me questions about the trip instead. I try to relay everything that Link has told me throughout the day, although he never really stopped talking while we went through the tasks.

He excuses himself as soon as his plate is empty, and heads upstairs under the guise of making sure everything is ready for us to leave. I purse my lips and watch Impa watch him walk up the stairs. She sighs deeply when his footsteps can no longer be heard.