A Couple of Trials (ZeLink)

Chapter 52: Finding Enjoyment

Link slowly and aimlessly walked through the village, listening to the light crunch of snow under his boots. He looked around, inspecting everything in view, from the houses to every leaf on the ground. Of course, he had done this many times before, most of which happened to be when he was doing his utmost to find and deal with the looming hidden threat that had been messing with his mind. This time, though, things were different. Just as he had come to realize he had begun to ignore and miss Zelda's smile-something he learned he desperately missed- he had also come to see just how little he took in the sight around him.

Hateno Village was beautiful in the winter.

It was different, actually taking in the white that covered the usually green grass and red roofs above the buildings. The dirt paths-while now covered in snow- were still followed, for now they were defined by the thousands of footsteps created by people who had lived in the village so long, they had no need to look down at them. The occasional icicle hung from the lamppost and a few roof corners, sitting unbothered and clear. Both the snow and icicles sparkled against the little bit of sun that shone through the gray clouds above, and every now and then, a snowflake would fall from those clouds. Finally, some villagers had decided to do some early morning work, wanting to make up for lost time before the evening at the inn after being locked away thanks to the snowstorm a few days earlier. All of this created a wonderful ambiance that Link simply just hadn't appreciated once after the winter had begun a few months ago.

As he walked through the village, he waved to a couple of its residents. While they did wave back, it looked as though it were a surprise to them that Link had even acknowledged their existence. Giving them an awkward smile as he passed by, guiltily, he couldn't help but wonder how many times he may have passed them before, being so focused on the assassin that he hadn't heard them greet him, or maybe even subconsciously ignored and blocked them out in order to focus. The same question could be asked about the children, who he saw playing on the side of the road, and while they too greeted him, unlike before, none of them questioned him about playing.

Beginning to head up the winding paths to the upper levels of the town, his mind began to ask himself a multitude of similar questions. How long had it been since he last went to visit Purah, just to say hello? Who was the last villager he had even spoken to besides the occasional traveler or store clerk when he needed to make a purchase? And even if he had recently spoken to and visited those living here, were those interactions that insignificant to him while he was doing what he continuously called his duty?

Arriving at the fenced-off pastures, he sighed and turned around to look out at the village below. It wasn't just them. He felt so disconnected from everything. The people, his responsibility as the hero, the wild, and even his lover to some small degree. Maybe this was everything regarding all the death he had seen in Maz Koshia's trials setting in, the same feelings his father had when he realized his wife was truly gone. He couldn't ignore or make any excuses to deflect them anymore. To put it simply: feeling this way sucked. He was just willing to accept those emotions now.

A gentle breeze blew through the mountains, forcing his ponytail and bangs to sway with the breeze as he overlooked his home. He needed to connect with everyone again. He needed to, but how? And how was he supposed to do that naturally? What was the first step to rekindling his relationship with the village, and with himself? Zelda had asked what she could do, but he didn't even know what he could do. Exhaling a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, he brought a hand up and ran his fingers through his swaying hair, choosing to lean his lower back against the fence behind him.

After some time sitting alone, the soft crunching of snow began to fill his ears again. He looked over to see a tired-looking woman walking next to the fence, opposite of the side he was leaning on.