Seconds

Untitled Part 1

Legend didn't consider himself a superb musician. He rarely practiced and when he did, he'd rather not do it in front of an audience. Goodness forbid a chosen hero of the goddess be self-conscious. On days when the world felt slow and deliciously lazy, Legend liked to take a moment to himself, bring out his personal ocarina, and play a few bars.

It was late in the afternoon when the group decided to stop for the night. By now setting up camp became second nature, and it didn't take much time to put up tents and get a fire started. Once done, the others took to their own personal projects. Warriors sat by his own tent, using oil to brush shine his boots. Swords inspected his weapons, sharpening them to a dangerous shine. Wind was busy braiding something fancy for his little sister, Hyrule read a book, and Time wrote in a personal journal he kept on his person at all times. The only ones who had designated jobs were Twilight and Wild.

Twilight had first watch of the evening, and he stood by the edge of camp, keeping an eye out. In another hour he'll switch out with Hyrule.

Wild, as always, had cooking duty. In the beginning the group tried to switch out so Wild wouldn't be stuck cooking all the time, but when Time set a bowl of milk on fire, Wild wrestled the pots and pans away, declaring himself as head chef and forbid anyone else to come near.

Earlier in the day Warriors caught a buck, and Wild was using its meat as the basis for tonight's meal. After he cubed the meat, he tossed it into the pot with some wine and wild herbs. Once the scent began to rise, everyone stopped in their projects to give an appreciative sniff.

"Nice," Legend grinned. With ocarina in hand, he stood to find himself a quiet spot.

"Aw," Twilight said as he passed him. "Why are you denying us your sounds? Music would be nice to help pass time until dinner."

"I'll be back before then," Legend said, not answering the question at all.

By the time Legend pulled the ocarina away from his lips, his mouth was sore and his fingers were trembling. Goddess, he was out of practice. Hard to believe he actually had more time to play during his days as the Hero. He leaned against the tree and closed his eyes, feeling peaceful. Long ago he learned to enjoy these small moments. They didn't come often.

He startled when he heard rustling coming from behind. He put his hand on the hilt of his dagger, ready to pull it, when Twilight came into view.

"Whoa!" he said, holding his hands up. "It's just me."

Legend huffed and relaxed. "You know better than to sneak up on one of us."

"Sorry, it's instinctual. Dinner is almost ready. We should probably get back before everyone eats it."

"I'll be there in a moment. I want to enjoy the setting sun."

That wasn't an invitation, yet Twilight came closer and took a seat next to him.

"Wow, look at that," Twilight murmured. Bright pinks and reds painted the sky, making it look as if it were on fire. "No matter how many times I see it, I'm always in awe."

Legend gave Twilight a side look, his eyes narrowing in thought. He never knew what to make of Twilight. Out of all the heroes, Twilight was the one who kept his secrets close to his heart. He'd disappear for hours on end, always seemed to know when danger was near, and that little amulet he wore around his neck reeked of magic. He rarely talked of his days as the Chosen Hero, and when he did, there were always gaps in his narrative. At least with the others, Legend knew why they earned their titles. Even Wild, as new as he was, didn't try to deflect or outright ignore questions like Twilight did.