Hero by Heart

Chapter 24

Link was happy to be back at the stable. He could finally wear comfortable clothing again and breathe fresh air, but what made it even better was seeing Epona.
When he and Zelda had made their way down from the Domain he had used the special gear to get Epona to their position. She had carried them both up to Foothill Stable, since Thunder was presumably still somewhere in a different stable.
Epona had already been through a lot with him and never let him down. Still, he was glad she'd had a good place to stay and get some rest, while they were away. She would probably have gone with him, if given the chance.
Link could tell Zelda had been worried about her own horse, which he thought was very understandable. As soon as they'd first arrived, they had asked the stable owner to bring the horse over, for when they returned.
Now that they were back, he could see the immense relief on Zelda's face when she recognized Thunder in the stables.
      Thunder seemed happy to see them too and neighed enthusiastically, before munching away on the apple Zelda gave him.
      Link placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a gentle squeeze. He understood how much the horse meant to her and was truly happy to see them reunited. 'Once you're all caught up with him, how about we go have a nice dinner?' He asked.
     Their time up the volcano had drained them both of a lot of energy. It was physically demanding to move around, but they also hadn't eaten all that well. It was just too hard to force yourself to eat warm food when you already felt like you were boiling. He thought they both deserved to have a bit of a feast tonight.
     'That sounds great,' Zelda said, her face lighting up. She petted Thunder on the nose and smiled at Link.
     He was acutely aware of the empty stable around them, but didn't dare come too close. He knew Zelda would be uncomfortable, expecting someone to walk in any moment. He had learned the hard way that it didn't make for the most romantic moment. Besides, he wanted to respect her wishes of keeping things quiet and he had to prove that he could do that. Both to her and to himself.
     So Link headed outside and sat down at the cooking pot, where he started his preparations. His usual focus returned to him, allowing him to keep his mind solely on cooking even when Zelda came to sit beside him. It felt peaceful and the silence between them was comfortable, exactly the way Link liked it.
     Eventually, when dinner was ready, they both sat back and took their time enjoying it.
     'It's really, really great, Link,' Zelda mumbled around her full mouth.
     He laughed and thanked her with a nod. He had to agree that it tasted exceptionally good, but he blamed that on their trip up the mountain. 'So where do you want to go next?' He asked. 'Rito Village? Gerudo Town?' He raised his eyebrows in anticipation.
     Zelda chuckled. 'Actually... Neither. I wanted to visit another old friend first, now that we are in the area. Robbie still lives in Akkala, right?'
     Link's smile broadened. 'He does. That sounds like a great plan! It's really beautiful up there.'
     Zelda nodded, her eyes on something in the distance. 'I was thinking that he might have some new insights for me.' She now looked at Link again and smiled teasingly. 'Plus, I heard that there is a new town along the route. It's supposed to be a great place with a lot of diversity.'
     Link's heart fluttered at that. He was secretly really proud of Tarrey Town and how he had helped construct it. A lot of people there had become quite good friends of him and he was dying to see them again. 'Oh, you're going to love it!' He exclaimed.

It was a beautiful early morning, with the sun slowly bathing the kingdom in its light.
     Link and Zelda had gotten up early and were now heading down the path from Death Mountain. It was quiet, only the sounds of nature disrupting the silence.
     Link greatly enjoyed the chirping of birds and rustling of leaves in the wind, as the hooves of Epona and Thunder made a steady pace on the earth. It made him feel at peace.
     When they reached the sharp turn where the road split towards the Lanayru Wetlands or Akkala Highlands, they went left and up the path that held the uneven traces of being paved once. Now it was cracked and overgrown by grass. 
     Link could see how Zelda put her head in her neck, as she took in the immense cliffs rising before them. They were high and nearly vertical, seemingly unclimbable. But Link knew different.
     He had once made his way over those cliffs, to reach Zora's Domain right behind it. It was possible, but that didn't mean it was easy. He would not quickly do that again.
     They now reached another split in the road, where they went right, along the ruins of the Akkala Parade Ground. It was the path that would lead them past Tarrey Town, where they had decided to stop first.
     The road went down steeply, giving them an amazing view of Akkala Citadel.
     'Oh, dear Goddess,' Zelda muttered, coming to a halt.
     Link looked over at her and saw her taking in the ruins with wide eyes. He remembered she hadn't seen it since the destruction. That must be hard, to see it now in this state. They had always thought it would be impenetrable.
     'Are you okay?' Link asked her, reaching out and grabbing her hand.
     Zelda slowly nodded. 'It's just... It looks so awful. From here you could almost imagine it still being intact and used, but if you look carefully you can see so much decay.' She let out a sigh. 'All those people... they all died, never knowing what hit them. It's terrible.'
Link grimaced and squeezed her hand. 'It's alright, I get it. But there is nothing we can do now. We made up for it, we defeated Ganon. There will be new settlements and other people to make them thrive.'
As Zelda hung her head he gently used one finger to raise her chin. 'They died defending their kingdom and their people. That's all a soldier really wants.'
'I guess,' Zelda said. 'It's just hard to accept. I feel so guilty. If I had only learned to use my powers earlier, it would have prevented so much death. It's like I'm the reason that they all died up there.' She looked at the giant Citadel again, her eyes a pool of sadness.
'Everybody feels like they have something to be blamed for. The whole Calamity is a black page in the history of Hyrule, but it's not all your fault, Zelda,' Link said, using a stern voice. 'You have to focus on the future now. We are going to rebuild the kingdom and make people happy again.'
Zelda nodded, though she still looked sad. 'It's alright, thank you.' She then spurred on Thunder and continued down the road.
Link looked after her for a while, feeling a tight fist clench around his heart. If only he knew what to do to make her feel better. But the problem was that she did have a bit of a point. If she had discovered her powers earlier they might have taken on Ganon, maybe defeat him, before the entire kingdom was overrun.
On the other hand, he would still have corrupted the Guardians, and before they had made it to Castle Town it had already been laid in ruins. No matter when her powers had presented themselves, they would have been too late.
     Link sighed deeply and then followed Zelda, spurring Epona on to catch up with her. He fell into pass beside her, but didn't say anything. He didn't know what he could say. Hopefully she just needed time.
They rode over the three Sokkala Bridges, marveling at the beautiful and colorful landscape all around. The hills and rivers, together with the trees in all sizes and colors, created a picture unlike any other.
Halfway down Kaepora Pass they passed a few rock formations and suddenly the land stretched out before them. They could see green, rolling hills all the way from Death Mountain to the sea, bathing in the orange light of the sun, which was slowly descending behind the peak of Death Mountain.
Not long after that they reached the crossroads, where they could go left to Tarrey Town.
As they rode onto the natural bridge Link kept a close eye on Zelda, who sat taking it all in with wide, glimmering eyes. Link could totally understand why, looking at the town himself.
It was a small place, built on a round island high above Lake Akkala. It looked cozy, with colorful houses and lanterns burning everywhere, lighting up the central square. Even from here it looked like a bustling town.
Behind the town they could see the sun, low on the horizon between Akkala Citadel on one side and Death Mountain on the other. It made an incredible and impressive view, creating an even friendlier atmosphere around the small town that lay there between those enormous creations.
     Slowly Link and Zelda made their way across the bridge, until they passed underneath the gate and into the round center.
     Zelda's mouth was opened slightly as she looked around at the small place. Her entire face lit up and she looked back at Link. 'It's... I can't believe it. It's amazing!' She exclaimed. 'It's so much more than I expected.'
     Link chuckled. 'We did our best. To be honest, I didn't have much to do with the design, I only brought in the people and the supplies. But I have to admit, it turned out great.'
     'You could say that,' Zelda laughed. 'It's beautiful. And so peaceful!'
     They dismounted their horses and slowly followed the circle towards their right. There was a stall set up to buy clothes there, but that wasn't what made Link grin in excitement.
     'Hey!' Hudson called out when he caught sight of the knight. 'It's you! How have you been?' He dropped an old rag he had in his hands and waved them over.
     Link smiled and greeted him back, before politely greeting Rhondson too, who stood at his side.
     'This must be the princess!' Hudson called out. 'It's an honor to meet you, Your Majesty.' He bowed down low and showed her a broad smile, making Zelda chuckle.
     'It's nice to meet you. This place looks amazing!' She said, looking around.
     'Thank you,' Hudson said with another beaming smile. 'We all worked hard on it.'
     Now the Gerudo woman stepped forward, extending her hand towards Zelda. 'It's nice to finally meet you, Princess. We are honored to have you in our town. If there is anything from the shop you'd like, just tell me. I've made the clothing myself,' she said proudly.
      Zelda nodded. 'Thank you, it sure looks lovely. You must be very skilled.'
     'Now you flatter me,' Rhondson said. 'I'm just doing what I love. That's all thanks to Hudson here. He made all our dreams come true.' She smiled lovingly at her husband.
      They exchanged a few more pleasantries, before Link and Zelda continued on. They passed the Gorons Pelison and Greyson, who greeted them enthusiastically, but their attention was drawn to the next shop set up.
     It was the Slippery Falcon of Tarrey Town, owned by none other than the familiar Rito Fyson.
     'Oh hey!' He called out when he saw them. 'Good evening! How's it going?' He smiled, while spreading his wings in welcome. 'I'm great, as always!'
     Link waved and chuckled, while Zelda showed a beaming smile. 'We're great as well. You certainly didn't lie when you said I would love this place.'
     Fyson's face lit up at the compliment and he nodded enthusiastically. 'It really is awesome. I have never regretted something less than coming here. And I owe it all to Link.'
     Link blushed slightly, not really comfortable under so much praise. 'It was nothing. I was just helping out whichever way I could.'
     'Well, I for one am incredibly grateful you did. I hope you like your stay here!' He now turned towards Zelda again. 'There is an inn with amazing beds and a meal included. Please stay as long as you'd like! We all love to have you here.'
     Zelda nodded. 'Thank you!'
     They both said goodbye to the Rito and Link led the way towards the last building on the circle. It had now gotten dark and the windows were emitting a very welcoming light.
      Link held the door open for Zelda and walked in after her, where they were greeted by the Zora Kapson.
     'P...princess!' He stammered. 'Welcome!' He quickly shuffled past the counter and bowed deeply. 'It's an honor.'
     Zelda smiled and kindly told him to stand up straight.
'Are you both in need of a bed and a hearty meal?' Kapson asked politely.
'We are,' Link said. 'We are not sure how long we will stay though, is that a problem?'
'No! No! Not at all,' Kapson quickly responded. 'Just let me know whenever you require something and it will be arranged. Have a pleasant stay here!'
Link chuckled and led Zelda towards the sleeping room. When they were out of sight of Kapson he shrugged a little apologetically. 'I think people are still getting used to seeing the princess in real life again.'
Zelda smiled at him. 'It's alright. I understand that it's weird. I'm used to people treating me differently anyway.'
Link nodded, before dropping his gear down on a bed. 'As long as it doesn't bother you too much.'
Zelda shook her head and sat down on the bed across from him. 'I'm just happy to be among living people again.' She chuckled dryly. 'At least they treat me with respect. They could have completely turned against me.'
'They would never,' Link said, shocked to even consider the possibility.
     Zelda laughed. 'It's alright, Link. For now this is just how it is. Now let's get some sleep, because I'm dying to do some exploring tomorrow.'
     Link nodded and spread out on the bed. 'That sounds good. The land here is beautiful.' He looked over at Zelda, who was already stretched out on her bed. 'Goodnight, Zelda.'
     'Goodnight, Link.'