Blood Moon: A Story Before the Calamity

Chapter 3

     The sun's rays cast a golden glow over Hyrule. It was early in the morning, and birds twittered cheerfully as Link woke. The first thing he noticed was how the bed was, amazingly, not stone-hard. For a moment he was disorientated, wondering where the knight's barracks were, and why there was so much gold in his room. Then he remembered.

     He had won the Competition. He was now the Princess's Knight, her bodyguard in a time of danger. And today, he would be accompanying Princess Zelda to Rito Village, where she would be speaking with the Rito warrior, Revali. This would be his first time acting as the Princess's protector, and he sincerely hoped she wouldn't make it difficult for them to tolerate each other.

     How his hopes were dashed.

     The Princess's frosty silence was colder than Hebra Mountain as they mounted their horses and got ready their equipment. This was fine by Link, to some extent. Talking was overrated anyway, but this type of silence was louder than a shout, a scream. The message was clearer than if Zelda had said it to his face: she didn't just dislike him, she hated him. Why? What had he done to upset her so much?

     The ride was an uncomfortable one. Not physically, of course. Link's most trusted steed, Epona, made sure the journey was smooth as Lake Hylia. However, there was a certain amount of strain the mind could take before feeling antsy, and Zelda was pushing it. Link considered speaking to her, but dismissed the idea immediately. He could tell she didn't want to talk, and to be honest, he didn't want to talk much either. His reputation as flawless, stoic, and perfect was a good mask and served him well, and he wasn't willing to give it up. There was strength in coping with hardship alone, and to show weakness meant you would be picked on and called a disappointment, as he had learned through years of merciless training. So he kept his head down and rode on.

     Meanwhile, Zelda was feeling the tension grow as well. If she put on a tough face showing the world that she's got this, people would not approach her, or try to offer help and sympathy, which were equally useless. But in this case... she had planned this show of silence, trying to distance him from herself, as it was the safest to do. However, she couldn't help but wonder if it was the right decision, as Link trailed her wordlessly. Her skin was crawling, uncomfortable under the stare of the boy with the Sword that Seals the Darkness. Her mind was running wild, imagining a million things that could be going through Link's head, guessing at his thoughts, which he kept locked up, much like herself. 

     Link tasted the clean, sharp scent of the snowy mountains shortly after noon. They had stopped for a short break at a stable and to eat something for lunch. Zelda hardly glanced at him as they rested, edging as far away from him was possible. By then, Link couldn't find it in himself to care much, as he had already given up on a smooth partnership. Zelda could think whatever she wanted of him, it wasn't like her opinion mattered to Link. She just needed to not die, and the rest wasn't important.

     As the horses neared the Tabantha Region, Link and Zelda stopped to change into warmer clothes. Rito Village was in sight, a huge pillar of stone with staircases and cozy roosts dotting it, winding around it. A few dots in the sky that were those of the Rito tribe circled the pillar as Zelda and Link dismounted and checked in their horses at the Rito Stable. A bitter wind was blowing, carrying with it the sensation of drinking cold water very quickly. The suspension bridge wobbled precariously when Link stepped on it, and he started understanding why the Rito preferred flying.

     Zelda met with the village elder as Link waited outside the roost. Out of his company, Zelda seemed to be a different person, compassionate, glowing even. The first time he saw her smile was there at the Village, far away from his presence. He couldn't help but wonder again what he'd done for her to act so huffy around him.