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Art by Vasirasart on Tumblr and Deviantart (Vasira96 on Instagram)

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The soft wind blew through my (h/c) hair, lifting it gently before lowering it down to my forehead once more. I was laying back against a tree, high above the lower points of the Great Plateau. I had just scaled the side of this mountain, and I had resorted to lazily watching a beetle make its way through the leaves of a nearby tree. I reached back and pulled a red apple from the pouch at my waist, raising it to my lips, when I heard a rumbling shake the mountainside. I gasped and pushed my palms into the dirt, raising myself from my resting position. I placed a gloved hand on the mountainside and guided myself downwards, leaning on my spear for support. It was rather easy to use as a walking stick, as it was tailored specifically to hide my spearhead from sight when not in use.

In a few steps, I noticed a vacancy in the stone wall that hadn't been there before. My eyes narrowed as my fingers traced the exposed stone. I peered inside the cave structure, but I didn't dare proceed. I hadn't come prepared for whatever may lurk inside. I knew better than to venture into dark caves, especially ones that appear from nowhere. I shook my head and continued walking, my leather boots crunching small leaves and twigs as I went. Not long after I had departed from the peculiar cave I caught sight of a bright, blonde haired girl walking through the forest. I crouched down and gripped my spear shaft, readying myself for an attack in case this encounter turned crucial.

Though I myself stayed quiet, the same could not be said for the nearby wildlife. A bird, startled by the sight of me, quickly fled, chirping along the way. This caused the blonde to turn their head and look directly at me. My hood had been brought down over my hair, and I was camouflaged against the dark, dense foliage I had hidden myself in. I, however, got a better look at the stranger. To my surprise, the "girl" I'd seen was actually a boy. Or possibly an extremely flat woman, whichever works. I shrugged it off and examined their features. They had somewhat lengthy, fluffy blonde hair and bright cerulean eyes. My eyes trailed down to their chest as I examined their toned, but lean and skinny physique. This person had declined to wear a shirt, and was simply sporting some cloth chaps and brown leather boots. They seemed to notice my eyes on them, though they could not see me.

The stranger's hand flew down to their belt. At first, I thought they had reached for the strange, glowing slate that hung there, but instead they grasped what appeared to be a tree branch. I rolled my eyes as they pulled the twig free and a few mushrooms fell from their pack. I remained crouched as the newcomer approached, most likely assuming I was an animal to be hunted. I briefly wondered when they had last eaten before reminding myself that I had no reason to care. The stranger was almost upon me, and by now I had confirmed that this was definitely a young boy, and not a female with a tragic hormonal deficiency. He stalked forward, loudly snapping twigs as he moved. I stopped myself from chuckling, this boy clearly knew nothing of stealth yet. He had practically reached my hiding spot now, but he looked right above me as he searched for the "animal" he'd thought he'd heard. I took this opportunity to spring up behind the boy, wrapping my arms around his waist and pressing a dagger to his throat. He cried out and fell to the ground. I used my body to pin him in place, sharply kicking his leg to discourage him from moving.

He stopped finally and I looked to the slate-like thing on his belt. "Tell me what that is, kid." He struggled once more and cried out. "Stop that! You won't be getting any help right now." He stopped moving once more and pressed his cheek to the ground in defeat. "Now, tell me what that thing is!" I spoke again, more harshly this time. He shook his head. "I-I don't really know! I don't know where I am or why! I swear I just woke up." I scoffed. "You just woke up and you don't know where you are? How heavy of a sleeper are you, kid?" He sighed. "Look I really don't know! I don't have anything you want I swear!"

At this point, I felt his stomach growl. I sighed and rolled my eyes, sheathing my knife and extending a hand to the boy on the ground. He stared wide eyed, his mouth gaping like a fish. I scoffed once more and pulled back my hood. My (y/n) hair fell from its confinement and moved to frame my face once more. The boy remained on the ground, shocked and staring. I felt his eyes trace my outfit, from the dark hood to the crop top, exposing my toned midsection, down to the leather chaps and boots, all decorated with various blades or satchels. I pulled the shawl of my hood tighter around me with the hand I hadn't outstretched. "Are you getting up or not?" I asked impatiently. He nodded and grasped my hand and I lifted him to his feet with ease. "Do you at least know your name, kid?" He nodded once more. "Y-yes. My name is Link. Why do you keep calling me 'kid'? You look my age." I smirked. "Never assume a lady's age, Link." I looked down to see his hand still wrapped in mine. I shook it and introduced myself. "The name's (y/n). Pleasure to meet you." He smiled nervously. I released his hand and pulled up my hood once more. I reached for my spear and pulled it from my back, before turning to face Link. "You're obviously hungry. Come with me." I smiled genuinely and he returned the gesture, hurrying to match my pace as I made my way back up through the trees towards the mountaintop.

After a bit of walking, I placed a hand on his chest, stopping him in his tracks. I placed a finger to my lips and crouched down. He stared back confusedly before following my lead and gazing out over the felled tree we were hidden behind. There was a camp of pig-like bokoblins nearby, prancing around a fire like the half wits they are. A few had placed their weapons on the ground nearby. I took note of this and pointed out those who were still armed. I grabbed Link by the shoulder and whispered for him to stay put. He nodded and told me to be careful, turning a slight red. I rolled my eyes, unable to tell if he was cold, delusional with hunger, or just plain stupid enough to blush over me.

I made my way behind one of the bokoblins, before springing up and using the shaft of my spear to break its neck, which unfortunately alerted the other disgusting creatures to my presence. I lunged into battle, fiercely striking with my spear and countering the attacks of the dimwitted enemies. Each attack was avoided with either a side jump or backflip as I took out the remaining few bokoblins. After they'd been killed, I leaned down and gathered a few needed materials, placing them into my pouch. I planned to sell these to the shopkeep I'd often seen around various stables. I believe his name was Beedle. I turned back to the fallen tree trunk to see blonde hair and blue eyes poking out above the bark. I smiled warmly and gestured to the large piece of meat that was roasting over the fire. He rose up excitedly and joined me by the flame.

Link dug into the food as I gingerly took a few pieces. He was tearing into the meat like he hadn't eaten in a hundred years. I laughed and he looked up at me, mouth full of food. This caused me to laugh once more, much to his embarrassment. He wiped his mouth quickly and began to take smaller bites. I stood up and clapped his shoulder. "Relax. Eat as much as you want, you look like you're starving. You can't survive on just that though. Stay here and wait for me to come back." I said sternly as I looked up to the sky. Night had fallen, but I was sure I would be alright. "Nothing should attack you, but if it does call for me and use these." I said, gesturing to the various wooden weapons the deceased bokoblins had left behind.

Link narrowed his blue eyes and knit his eyebrows in concern. "You don't have to go, really! It's dangerous at night..." I laughed softly. "Don't you worry about me. I'm going to get us some water and fruit. I'll be back soon." I took off before the boy had a chance to respond, making my way to a nearby pond.

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After the girl had left, I hugged my knees to my chest, nervously poking at the fire with a stick. My appetite seemed to fade away once she had left, with fear for both her safety and my own setting in. I shook my head and remembered her words. She'd said she would be fine, and who am I to disagree? She handled herself flawlessly against a camp full of enemies, surely she could handle whatever she found amongst the trees. I held onto this thought as the seconds turned to minutes, and the minutes into an hour. I finally stood up, unable to wait any longer. I had become increasingly worried as time moved on. At first, (y/n) had seemed stoic and frightening, making me fear for my life, but even in this short time she'd already shown a softer, joking and caring side. I felt a surge of anger regarding the monsters that could've harmed her while she was away. She should've returned by now! Something terrible must've happened... I grasped a crude wooden shield and club and pulled on a cloth tunic, following her tracks into the trees.

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I made my way through various twists and turns, two glass bottles held tightly in my hands. I had already gone about collecting apples from trees I'd passed, and I was making my way to the pond for water. My ears perked up to the sound of dirt shifting and I turned to see two skeletal bokoblins rise from the earth. I backed away and placed my bottles back in my pouch before readying my spear once more. The creatures stepped forward, one brandishing a sword and shield and the other, a bow. The archer of the group was hidden behind the swordsman, and I was unable to see him notch an arrow. It had loosed before I could react and struck me in the shoulder. I cried out in surprise and clutched my wound, deciding to make a run for it. Eventually, I had lost them and I had reached the pond I was looking for. Crimson blood dripped onto the grass nearby as I wrapped my hand around the shaft of the arrow. It hurt like hell as I desperately attempted to tug it from my shoulder. The arrow hadn't completely passed through, and pushing it all the way through was not an option, so I continued tugging and biting my lip in pain. Eventually, I managed to wrench the arrow from my shoulder, biting down particularly hard as the arrowhead tore through my flesh. I felt around inside my satchel before I came across a bottle filled with red liquid. I lifted it to my lips and drank, feeling the throbbing pain in my arm melt away. I sighed in relief and wiped my lips before sitting down by the riverbank to catch my breath. I had to get moving before that boy did something stupid, like following me. I dipped two clean bottles into the crystal clear pond and placed a cork on the top, hurriedly placing them back on my belt before standing up to return to the campsite.

Once I'd made it back, I clenched my fists angrily when I saw the boy had left. I didn't know why I cared so much about his fate. Something about him made me feel as though I had to protect him at all costs. I turned on my heel and heading out once more, jogging to find Link again. Eventually, I heard human sounding footsteps amongst the trees, and I made my way to the source. Suddenly, I collided with something and I heard a scream as a body fell on top of mine. Upon recognizing his blonde hair, I immediately pushed him off of me. "What the hell were you thinking? You could've gotten hurt!" I said, scolding him as a mother would a disobedient child. He frowned and met my eyes. "You didn't come back! I thought you were in danger!" I sighed at his silly concerns and stood up, offering him my hand and helping him to his feet for the second time that day. He graciously took my hand in his and rose. I offered him a drink from a bottle and he took it, drinking it in much the same way he'd eaten an hour ago. I smiled once more at his behavior. He was quite adorable, a bit like a lost puppy, and it was nice to have company, regardless of how stupid they could be. I shook my head and placed my hands on my hips sternly after he'd taken an apple from me. "Next time, just stay put, will ya blondie?" I asked accusingly. He nodded, fearful of what'd I'd do if he'd disagreed. "Good. Now let's get some sleep, huh kid?" I said grasping his hand and leading him back to the campsite. Something was telling me that this would begin a strong bond, stronger than anything I'd ever experienced before. I shrugged the feeling off and readied myself for sleep. "Goodnight blondie."

"'Night, (y/n)."

I smiled at his response and drifted into a light sleep.

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