Since you came along

Darling

Traveling alone is pretty boring. It had already been a day of just trying to cross through Hyrule Field with no monster run-ins. It shouldn't have taken so long, the monster activity hasn't been this high since...no, it's probably just in my head.  I wonder if my horse ever got sick of me. 'I bet she's tired.' I was reaching the River where I assumed my parents would be soon. Then it occurred to me that my horse couldn't go with me. Groaning, I changed course to head to Castle Town. "May will take good care of you." I pat her side lovingly and we were off. As we got closer to town, I went over in my head what I needed to carry on me. The trip would be a day or two. Three, max. I left my horse just outside town and went to my shop. I picked up a dog on my way there, they're just too cute. It fell asleep in my arms as I navigated through the loud, busy town. Once I reached the shop, I adjusted the dog to support it with one arm so I could open the door. "Hey, May."

"You're here, again?"

"Aren't you sweet? I just needed to leave my horse, she's right outside the south gate. I figured out where my parents might be but I can't take my horse there. Also, look at this cutie!" I set him down on a small bench with a blanket under him and he stayed asleep.

"He's adorable. Now, where are they?"
"I think by the Zora River where Hena and Iza are."
"Huh, weird. Well, it's a nice area from what I've heard."
"Yeah. Anyways, I would've left (h/n) at Kakariko but I just like you so much I had to see you again."
"Yeah, right." She smiled and playfully smacked my arm. "Make sure you're prepared to be going. You always take off without properly packing your things."

"Yeah...I really got to stop making it a habit to bolt whenever something happens."
"No! Really?" She said, exaggeratedly. I rolled my eyes. May knew I had a bad habit of leaving whenever something got too emotionally frustrating rather than sticking around to resolve it. What can I say? I am my mother's daughter. 'My mother...how'd she get over that?'

"I'm just gonna grab a couple of things and I'll be out of here." She helped me pack a few things and I was ready. "Be careful. I'm serious. Link isn't with you to save your butt."
"And that's okay. I don't need him." I huffed and crossed my arms. "Yeah, okay." She rolled her eyes at me and went to pet the dog. "You keeping him?" May nodded. "He's adorable! The shop dog. We gotta get a shop cat, too..." She started thinking about how to get one in the shop and I laughed. I pet the dog and kissed its little head. We said our goodbyes and I left town.

On my way out, I picked up some fruits and vegetables. "I really need to be packing correctly." As I carefully put them away in my bag, I overheard a few girls. "He's so cute!"
"He really is! And brave, too!"
"I don't know how he's not been snatched up by a woman yet!"
"Maybe Princess Zelda likes him?"
"No, I think the Princess is more concerned with Hyrule than she is with Hyrule's hero." At those words, I turned to face them. "The Hero? Is he here?" I asked them. They looked at me and nodded. "Just yesterday!"

"I think he's looking for someone. He asked Telma yesterday."
"Really? Who?"
"There's a rumor going around they see him a lot with that shop owner." I felt myself tense up.

"Which one?"
"I think she sells potions? I don't know."

"Oh! I know which! I've gone with my parents before, she sells a lot of stuff. Actually-" She looked right at me. I felt my breath catch in my throat. "-aren't you a friend of hers?" I relaxed and let out a sigh of relief. "Yes. I am."

"Is she dating Link?"
"No! She has a boyfriend."

"Hmm, must be another girl then." They continued their conversation as I walked off. "Wait, no. She's the owner! Wait! Are you dating him?" I heard their yells behind me but I made a run for it out of the castle gates.