Before the Wild

The Lost Woods

It was late in the evening when Link and Zelda came to the foggy entrance to the Great Hyrule Forest. Link situated himself off Epona at that moment, searching for his camping equipment. He parted a glance in Zelda's direction, who he could tell was tired, not used to long travels from the castle, but was determined to get to her destination. If she did, Link would have no choice but to follow. She knew the way, at least that's what he thought.

"We ought to keep going, we aren't too far now. Maybe the Deku Tree has a place we can rest. But it is late, and we do have time on our side...and I'll like to get out of these wet clothes. I've decided we shall rest here until the morning."

"Ohh wow, why didn't I think of that? Stupid Link..." Link folded his lips and continued to dig for his gear. Out came a sleeping bag and a lantern, setting them aside. Next, he got a bundle of wood from his bags and found a nice spot for a fire. Meanwhile, Zelda got off her horse as well, taking out her sleeping bag and setting it far, far away from Link and his campsite. Within his line of sight, of course, as the fog wasn't as dense as it will become once they actually enter the forest.

Once Link got a fire going, using one of the weirdly lit torches in the woods, he produced some mushrooms, using a few extra sticks to produce skewers. Zelda didn't seem interested in helping roast the shrooms, but something else caught her eye. Welcoming the pair to the woods was a ruined structure, The main part was a stone awning, which was the was into the forest, accompanied by two walls, one right beside it to the left, the other as a corner piece behind and right from the main piece, where her bag was. She couldn't tell its purpose, not that she would be able to with just three pieces. Maybe the royal library has something on the subject matter.

She then glared down the line of torches, wondering just how they maintained themselves. Of course, asking that question was just as redundant as asking about anything of the Great Hyrule Forest. It was mysterious forces at work. But why were they lit? Zelda knew the way to the inner Korok Forest, where the Deku Tree resided but did the torches light the entire way? Desperately, she wanted to find out, but that would mean arguing with her stoic guard. It would be literally talking to a brick wall that somehow makes expressions.

After he found her at the military camp, she had ranted about leaving her, to which he said nothing. He could have easily won the fight by saying how she left him, which was the truth but no, he kept quiet. She would have found it weird had not she learned to do the same in court, with all the gossip mongers talking behind her behind her back and, if they may be bold, to her face in an indirect manner.

She walked up to the fire, sitting across from Link. He was roasting a few more skewers but had some still waiting their turn. She reached out for the raw ones, seeing if he would react anyway. He failed that test, keeping his eyes on the pair of his hands. In her mind, she didn't need the fire. Apart from her hidden power, Zelda was naturally attuned to the forces of magic, a gift her bloodline is given due to their heritage, but she decided not roasting the mushrooms with her hands. Setting herself like her "guard," Zelda joined Link in the quiet harmony of roasting mushrooms in possibly the worst place to have an uncontrolled fire.

After a few minutes of quiet, when the food was mostly done, Zelda felt the itch to start a conversation. Link, like her father, was the quiet, stern types. Zelda remembered her mother somewhat and based on what Impa said to make up for what she didn't remember, King Rhoam was pretty much like Link, while Queen Tetra was like her daughter. Only when her mother died did Zelda's father become more vocal, as the sole ruler of the kingdom and leader of the project to defeat Calamity Ganon. Zelda wondered if Link could be coerced into a conversation, without her pulling her royal card. She wasn't looking for a friend, do not get her wrong. After they returned to the castle, she didn't want to see Link again, if possible. Link probably thought the same about her.