The Spirit of the Hero

Chapter 3

The soft frost coating the forest began to harden into ice as the sun started to dip. Link and his fellows had been on the road for the better part of the day and made good time. His companions were surprisingly adept at foot travel; none had requested a stop, and all kept a brisk pace easily despite the chill. Even so, their speed wasn't enough to beat the swift autumn sunset and the shadows of the tall pines.

"This looks like a good place to make camp," the eldest man suggested from his place at the head of the group. "The road widens here but then narrows into a curve, leaving this clearing on the right here mostly unseen from either direction."

"Seems well enough," the man in red yawned. "Shorty, you seem handy. Help me get a fire started."

The headbanded boy raised an eyebrow but followed into the brush. The walk had been mostly silent, but when there had been talking it was done by the man in red. He deemed it necessary to curse at the wind every time it chilled him or swear at the insects every time he was bitten. One could argue the only conversation was a faceplant followed by a shout of "Damn pine roots!" and some raucous laughter by the wild boy in blue. Link guessed it wasn't so much actual discomfort that caused the complaints; more likely this was the man's method of keeping himself sane. A relatable sentiment.

"I'll hunt," the boy in blue said.

"I'll come with you," Link put in, "I'm pretty good at tracking." That was true, though not his primary reason for volunteering. He was fairly certain the boy would get himself into trouble and end up hurt or dead if he went alone. That wasn't something Link wanted to see, even if they were strangers.

A sudden twang of sadness pinched in his chest as he and the other boy set off. An image of auburn hair and pink silk cascading over the side of a stone platform lingered in the back of his mind. He knew this feeling, and as expected, a familiar rhetoric entered his thoughts. I did it for the kingdom, not just a pretty stranger. It was the right thing to do. Even if it hadn't worked for her, it would have been worth it. He put a hand to the square-shaped lump in his wallet. I hope she's okay.

"We ought to gather herbs as well," the wild boy hummed, plucking a thistle from the ground and interrupting Link's somber thoughts. "Especially these ones. Reddish thistles like this go excellently with venison."

Link cocked his head. "You sound pretty certain about finding a deer out here."

"Well, I mean, it goes well with boar and poultry, too," he shrugged. "It's a tasty plant."

Link chuckled and joined in collecting the red plants. The boy in blue pointed out a few other 'tasty' types of foliage as they searched the darkening woods for signs of game. They had a good bag full of herbs, nuts, and berries when, finally, they found something.

"Over here," the boy in blue whispered, crouching in the brush. "Fresh deer droppings."

"Very fresh," Link replied softly, "Probably very close by." The two scoured the surrounding earth. The frozen ground didn't lend itself to holding tracks, but several bent tufts of underbrush gave them a direction. The boy in blue removed his bow from his back.

A few minutes of swift, careful creeping through the trees, and Link spotted it. A doe, eating purplish berries off of a spindly bush not thirty yards away. He beckoned to the other boy, who had an arrow knocked. The boy in blue spotted what Link was pointing at settled into a low crouch, lifting his bow and drawing the string back. The calmness in his stature as he took aim impressed Link; archery had never been a strong suit of his, but this boy's eyes said he intended – and expected – to hit his mark.

The boy released the arrow with a fwip. Instantly, Link could tell something was wrong. Branches cracked and the thud he was expecting when the arrow landed was replaced by a cry of pain and a curse. The doe leapt off into the shadows without a trace. Link and the boy exchanged shocked looks and rushed to where it had been.