Hero by Heart

Chapter 4

Dark grey clouds were packed together, hanging so low that the peaks around Kakariko Village disappeared from view. A constant pour of rain came down from them, only disrupted occasionally by large gusts of wind that sent the drops flying almost horizontally.
Link walked out to the stable where Epona was tethered. The rain didn't bother him much, since he was used to the outdoor life. To his surprise he found Zelda already tending to her own horse.
It was the beautiful white stallion that he had captured roaming around Safula Hill. Something about the animal had triggered his memory and he had felt like he needed to keep it. When Zelda first saw the horse, there had been tears in her eyes. She told him it looked just like her old horse, Storm.
That was when he knew why he had kept it. Without hesitation he had told her she could have it. The fact that she didn't even protest told him that she really missed Storm. In honor of him, she'd called her new horse Thunder.
The stallion seemed to have taken a liking to her since then and proudly carried her on his back, never straying from the path she wished to go. It was like they had known each other forever, the way they seemed to feel the other's intentions.
When Link stepped into the small stable, he noticed her immediately. She was wearing plain traveling clothes and her golden hair was held at the back of her head by a simple pin. She had tucked her trousers neatly into her brown boots and wore a simple blue tunic. Over her shoulders she had thrown a black hood, to cover her head out in the rain. It reminded him of her old Royal clothes, but way less formal.
She looked fierce and adventurous.
Link wondered if he had ever seen anyone look better while traveling.
     She was stroking the long manes of Thunder while softly talking to him and hadn't noticed Link come in yet.
He slowly walked on, until the soft sound of his boots on straw caught her attention. As she looked around he suddenly felt nervous and underdressed. He had thrown on his old boots, simple trousers and the dark green tunic that he had worn when she arrived in the village, which was slightly stained. His hair was tied together in a messy ponytail and already wet from the rain. He sheepishly dragged his hand through the back of it.
They stared at each other for a few seconds, before she cleared her throat, smiling at him in greeting. 'Goodmorning, Link. Are you ready to set out?'
He simply nodded, before turning towards Epona and patting her on the neck. After the great welcoming feast they had stayed for three more days, preparing and talking to villagers. Link had gone hunting again and Zelda had done some shopping. Eventually she had started to get restless and Link could understand why. He too was eager to leave the tiny village.
     They'd started saying their goodbyes to the people, especially the ones they had spent more time with. The little children that loved to hear their stories begged them to stay, but they declined as kindly as possible. Little Cottla had started crying and as Link soothed her, he had noticed Zelda watching them with an expression he couldn't quite place. They'd then said goodbye to Cado, Dorian, Impa and Paya, so they would not have to do it all in the early morning, making it possible for them to leave quickly and quietly.
Luckily the day of their departure had finally arrived. Somewhere behind the clouds Link knew it was the break of dawn as they led their horses outside. They hadn't expected the weather to be so bad, but he simply shrugged it off. There was nothing that nature could throw at him that would get his spirits down.

As they rounded the bent in the road, Kakariko Village disappeared behind them. Link took a deep breath and glanced over at Zelda. She was looking straight ahead and wore an excited grin. He felt lighter now that they were away from all those people and their prying eyes.
Ever since he set foot in the village there had been people everywhere, watching his every move. When Zelda arrived she had taken some of those curious looks away from him, but when they were together it was worse than ever. Now they were finally on their own. No Sheikah to ask them questions or greet them as they were still waking up, no expectations of little children or curious glances at their interactions. Just him and her.
On one hand he was nervous of being her only company, as their relationship was still strained and weird, but on the other hand he was delighted. He loved spending time with her. She was kind and gentle and the littlest things could get her extremely excited. She was curious and adventurous and ambitious. He didn't remember her very well, but he didn't have to, to know what she was like. And there was always this feeling that told him she was just good.
That there was also a feeling that told him there might have been, or might be, more, was something he tried to ignore. This was not the right time. It would only confuse things.
With a grin he spurred Epona on to a trot, trying to shake his thoughts from his mind. Zelda looked up in surprise, but then laughed and let Thunder catch up. Link smiled as he heard her melodic laughter. It was a beautiful sound that he was sure he would never get tired of.
For a while they rode together in silence, taking in the scenery around them. Even in the glum and grey light of a rainy day the landscape was beautiful.
The first part of the road they passed through a rather narrow passageway, with rock walls rising high above them on either side. Eventually the road became broader, until they reached the end of the cliffs and the landscape unfolded before them.
Zelda let out a soft gasp as she took it all in. Link smiled at the excitement she was radiating. She had been locked up inside for a century, so of course she was amazed by the sight. He couldn't really remember this place from before, but imagined it had changed in the passing of time.
     The road went down rather steeply and gave them a clear view of the Bubinga Forest and Mount Floria behind it. Everything was either green or grey: the grass, the mountains, the skies and even the river far below them. Only fire burning at the Dueling Peaks Stable offered a small change in the pattern of colors.
     For a few minutes they stopped at the edge of the cliff they were standing on, looking out over the lands below. A deep silence hung in the air, only disrupted by the rain, the river and the breathing of them and their horses.
It was beautiful. Peaceful.
It seemed Link wasn't the only one who could spend the entire day in that very spot.
But after a while longer he saw the subtle shivering of Zelda's shoulders and decided they'd been stationary for long enough.
     With an apologetic smile he spurred on Epona and slowly led the way down the steep road. In silence they passed over Kakariko Bridge and took a sharp left turn, away from the stable. This offered them a view of the waterfall that came down the very cliff they had just been standing on, which had swollen dramatically in the continuing rain.
     Still without so much as a word between them Link and Zelda rode on. Slowly the road started climbing, until they had a clear view of the destruction that was the Ash Swamp. Zelda looked around in awe at all the Guardian remains and the crumbled ruins. Big pools of water had formed, on the road as well as in the grass, causing their horses to splash through the shallows noisily.
     They made their way onto and across the plane. Link heard nothing but birds chirping, rain and water splashing all around and the soft jingle of their gear.
      Zelda gasped from behind him when Fort Hateno came into view, but when he looked at her questioningly she shrugged it off and continued to stay silent. He could imagine what had crossed her mind, seeing the state of decay it was in and knowing their history in this place. He decided not to push her though.