Chapter 6: A memory of light (~6k words)
“You are the Hero. You have one job. You exist for nothing else. You can’t afford a single mistake. You have to be ready at any moment, for anything.” Like Zelda asking him to sit beside her in the library on days she decided to devote to research, rather than stand guard near the door. Or Zelda requesting he bring his horse beside hers on the road, rather than behind, even if he wasn’t teaching her any sign. Or Zelda crying out one evening at a falling star, shouting they should race for it, and then, racing for it: laughing, beating him, trying to give him the star fragment, failing, and then slipping it into his pocket so secretly he only found it later that night, in bed. Or Zelda saying, one day, “Link. You should come live in the castle.” “If you want,” she added, at his silence. “I’m sorry. I should have asked first, if you…I mean, would you…would you want that? I mean—” He waved his hand, to stop her from spiraling. And then he rubbed his throat. Recently, it felt strange. Like something was stuck there. Something that he couldn’t remove with water, or bread, or even concerned palpitations. A knot. A fishbone. Sometimes he felt it all the way in his wrists and fingers. Pinpricks.
in which link struggles to find words for what he wants to say. >>>> read on ao3 >>>>
(background image via @maldrea-shoots-stuff!! tysm!!)
