CH 3

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The sun is up and Link hasn't slept yet. He watches Lillian who is on the couch across from him. Her lips slightly parted with the occasional twitch of her hand is confirmation that she is sound asleep. If her father wasn't on one of his drinking binges and forced her up at the crack of dawn, she could very well stay in bed until afternoon, anyways.

Link counts fourteen jugs scattered across the table. By the amount of brew they drank into the morning, she should be asleep for quite some time and he will have a killer headache later on.

Link drapes a thin blanket over her and goes outside. The village hasn't risen from their slumber either. He is glad. He has always loved solitude and will take advantage to find it any hour of the day. He takes a walk around the village to see what has changed and what has stayed the same. With the exception of new homes and expanded plots of land, it looks quite the same as he remembers. He is curious if his once was favorite place in Koraria is still around.

He enters  a path behind the medicine shop. The once wide and clear path has grown in considerably. Link doesn't recall getting scratched and poked by so many tree branches. He knows he isn't gotten that much bigger. The ground that was once smooth cobble stone is now wet and mucky making his feet feel heavy every time he takes a step.

He keeps going until he is on a cliff that over looks the entire village and crouches down on a rock. He plucks a long strand of grass and brushes it between his fingers and around his face until he pops it in his mouth, gnawing on the straw. A mix of dirt and sweetness swirls in his mouth. That reminds him so much of his youth. 

He spent a considerable amount of time here while living in Koraria. It was the perfect place to get away from the mundanes of the village and watch the day fade into a new one with the hope that it would bring excitement. He stays there a while as he watches the sunrise. The sun dances in an unusual way over the horizon as if it's excited to see Link, welcoming him home with a bright, warm smile that kisses his skin and brings life back to his tired bones.

Link hears the rustling of bushes behind him. Curious as to who could becoming here at this hour of the morning, he turns waiting for the individual to become visible.

"I heard word that you were back, Link but had to see it to believe it."

Link wasn't positive at first but now that she has spoken, he knows exactly who she is.

"Good morning, Lady Elanor." She is chief of the tribe but eleven years has not been kind to her as she has aged considerably. She walks up the Link and they both look out towards the village.

"I know that you tried your best out there child. Unfortunately, we cannot control other people. Trust me, I have tried." The glimmer in her eyes is the only thing giving her smile away. Her face has enough lines and wrinkles that it remains still with each movement.

"I don't intend to sound like a dotting  parent, but I have always seen you as one of my own, not unlike the rest of the youth within our little home. But I will say that I am glad you are well and that you are back."

"It's not that I'm not glad to be back. I am proud of my roots and thankful I was welcomed with open arms," he says pausing, "but --"

"You feel a sense of purpose elsewhere. I understand, child. No one is forcing you to be happy about the changes. Although, there is one particular young woman who would be thrilled to see you."

"Lillian was the first person I seen when I arrived," says Link.

Elanor looks towards Lillian's home. "Is that so? It's like she was waiting for you," she says chuckling under her breath. "I'm glad, then. Well, I will let you get back to your solitude. You know where to find me if you need me. I may not look the same as I once did but I can assure that my habits haven't faltered too much."

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